Senior forward Kyle Gibbons (Westlake, Ohio), a standout for the Canisius College hockey team, has been named one of 10 finalists nationally for the Senior CLASS Award.
The 10 finalists were selected from a list of 20 Division I candidates by a national media committee. A nationwide vote now begins and runs through March 31. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine a winner.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in the community.
On the ice, Gibbons has enjoyed one of the more successful careers in the program’s history. He currently ranks fourth in the school’s Division I history with 121 career points and second with 55 career goals. He leads the Griffs with 29 points, 13 goals and eight power-play tallies during his senior campaign.
Gibbons was especially strong for Canisius in last season’s postseason run, earning 2013 Atlantic Hockey Championship MVP honors. Also an all-conference selection a year ago, he led the Griffs to their first Atlantic Hockey title and NCAA Tournament appearance after setting tournament records with 12 points and eight assists in six games.
Off the ice, Gibbons owns a 3.50 grade point average as a finance major and has earned Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team accolades in each of his three seasons at Canisius. Gibbons is also active within the Buffalo community, volunteering with Hasek’s Heroes, the Food Bank of Western New York and Canisius Community Days.
Gibbons is the second Canisius student-athlete to be named a finalist for the award. Former hockey player Cory Conacher was also a finalist in 2011 and earned Senior CLASS Award First-Team All-America accolades.
Gibbons and the Griffs return to action on Fri
