AMESBURY, Mass. – Brandon Holt and Owen Fowler were honored by Hockey East on Wednesday morning when the conference started announcing its 2025-26 season honorees
 
Holt was named the conference's Best Defensive Defenseman and Fowler was named the co-Best Defensive Forward along with UConn's Tabor Heaslip. Additionally, Holt was voted the co-winner of the The Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award, which is given by the league to the player who has consistently demonstrated superior conduct and sportsmanship on and off the ice. 
 
Holt averaged 23:04 minutes per game in Hockey East play while recording 33 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating and being whistled for just three penalties in the 24 games. Holt also led the entire league in assists with 18 and he was third in total points with 23, adding five goals and one game-winning goal. Overall on the year, Holt's goals (6), assists (26) and points (32) all mark career-highs while his 32 points mark the first 30-plus point season by a Maine blue liner since Ben Hutton in 2011-12 (33). Holt is just the third Black Bear to be named the league's best defensive blue liner and he is the first to win it since Prestin Ryan in 2003-04. Additionally, this is the eighth time a Black Bear has earned the Len Ceglarski award since its inception in 1991-92 and the first since Brian Flynn in 2010-11. The captain is the only Hockey East defenseman over the last 20 seasons to record 75 or more career points while also recording 40 or fewer career penalty minutes.
 
Fowler recorded 18 points from 10 goals and eight assists during conference play. The Tewksbury, Mass. native also had one short-handed goal, three game-winning goals, a 51.9 percent face-off winning percentage and 10 blocked shots. Fowler's plus-15 rating and his three game-winning goals in Hockey East contests were both the second-best mark among forwards. Overall on the year, he has set career-highs in goals (12), points (22), shots on goal (88) and game-winning goals (3). Fowler is the fourth Black Bear to be named the conference's best defensive forward and the first since Chase Pearson in 2018-19.
 
Additionally, Josh Nadeau was the runner-up for the Service Credit Union Hockey East Scoring Champion honor after recording 25 points on 15 goals and 10 assists in conference games. Nadeau led all players with a 1.19 points per game average in league contests.
 
-UMaine-