The CCHA announced Tuesday that Minnesota senior Brendan Fury is the conference’s 2022-23 Student-Athlete of the Year, as voted by college athletics representatives from each member school.
The award is given annually to a CCHA student-athlete who has performed consistently as a regular member of a CCHA team, demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, made satisfactory progress toward a grade, demonstrated leadership, and been active in community service off the ice, including a positive culture for the institution and the league.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Furry is a sports management major with a marketing minor who boasted a 3.81 points average. On the ice, he was awarded the CCHA preseason title. He collected 28 points on nine goals and 19 assists, made 39 appearances for the Mavericks this season, and helped the team achieve its sixth straight regular season title.
Throughout his three-year career at MSU, Furry appeared in 111 games and finished with 27 goals and 58 assists for 85 career points. The Mavericks complied with an 85-24-2 record during his tenure, which included three McNaughton Cup championships, a Mason Cup championship, three NCAA Tournament bids, two Frozen Fours and one trip to the National Championship Game.
Furry signed a professional contract with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the conclusion of the 2022-23 NCAA hockey season.
Outside of hockey, Furry has been heavily involved with the JZ Cancer Fund, a local fund established through the Mankato Area Foundation, which is committed to raising community awareness of and support for cancer. Over the past year, he’s also participated in a mullet farming contest, which was a fundraiser for the JZ Cancer Fund during Hockey Day Minnesota.
Plus, this past November, Furry participated in the Mustache Bash. Between those two donations combined, he helped raise nearly $22,000 for the JZ Cancer Fund. In August, he helped package care packages for the JZ Cancer Fund that are distributed to local individuals battling cancer. He and his teammates packed more than 150 boxes along with local youth hockey players.
Furry has also donated his time with the Anthony Ford Bond Hockey Championships, an annual event to raise money for the fight against childhood leukemia. He also donated his time during his career with the Mavericks to create Kiwanis Holiday Lights – an annual holiday light show featuring more than 1.8 million holiday lights benefiting more than 50 area nonprofits.
Last year, Northern Michigan senior Ben Newhouse was first-choice CCHA Student Athlete of the Year honors in the conference’s return to action.