Air Force senior Chris Hedden was named the Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Year, according to a March 17 announcement by the league office.
The award recognizes Hedden’s performance during the season, where he stood out among his peers in both offensive and defensive statistics. He is the fourth player from Air Force to receive this honor, following Greg Flynn (2008-09), Tim Kirby (2011-12), and Adam McKenzie (2012-13).
Hedden, who is from Kalamazoo, Michigan, led all Atlantic Hockey America defensemen in goals and points during league play with nine goals and 24 points. He also contributed two power-play goals, two short-handed goals, and finished with a plus-seven rating over 26 conference games. In all competitions this season, Hedden led his team with 12 goals and 34 points—figures that rank second nationally for a defenseman—and recorded a team-high 63 blocked shots. He was recognized five times as AHA Defenseman of the Week and earned both AHA and HCA national Defenseman of the Month honors for November. Additionally, he is on the ballot for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
This season marked another milestone for Hedden as he became the only active Division I defenseman to surpass 100 career points. He is also noted as the first Falcon defenseman to reach at least 100 career points since Beau Bilek achieved this between 1991 and 1995.
The Air Force men’s ice hockey team concluded its regular season with an overall record of 18-15-4—their first winning season since 2018-19. The team’s total wins tie their performance from the previous year as their best since the 2017-18 season. The Falcons went on an eight-win run in their final fourteen games and secured eleven road victories, matching their highest away win total since 2017-18.
