Air Force senior Chris Hedden has been named a finalist for both Atlantic Hockey America Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year, according to a March 12 announcement from the league office.
Hedden’s recognition highlights his strong performance throughout the season, making him one of three finalists for Player of the Year alongside Sacred Heart forward Felix Trudeau and Army goalie J.J. Cataldo. He is also one of two finalists for Defenseman of the Year, joined by Sacred Heart’s Mikey Adamson.
Hedden, who hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan, led all Atlantic Hockey America defensemen in 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. Across all games this season, Hedden led Air Force with 12 goals and 34 points—figures that rank second nationally among defensemen. 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 and led his team with 63 blocked shots in all games.
The last time an Air Force player won AHA Defenseman of the Year was Adam McKenzie in 2012-13. Tim Kirby was Air Force’s most recent Player of the Year in 2011-12; that same season he was also a Hobey Baker finalist and received All-America honors.
Air Force concluded its regular season with an 18-15-4 record—the program’s first winning season since 2018-19. The team’s 18 wins tie their total from last year as their highest since 2017-18. In their final stretch, Air Force went 8-4-2 over fourteen games and secured eleven road victories, matching their best mark since the 2017-18 campaign.
