Matt Duffy has joined the Rochester Americans and is listed on the team's roster as of this morning. The Amerks, Florida's American Hockey League affiliate, play Friday at Syracuse. Duffy, a Windham native, is a defenseman who scored seven goals and 10 assists this season with Maine.

The Chicago Blackhawks hold the rights to defenseman Simon Danis-Pepin but as of this morning, the Blackhawks management had made no immediate decisions on the future of the college seniors whose rights they hold.

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The 10 semifinalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top college hockey player, will be announced this evening.

From the Hobey Baker Web site:

Every head hockey coach at an accredited Division I NCAA school receives one ballot. Coaches are asked to pick the top three players in their league and the top three players in the nation (two separate rankings, three players each; a player may be listed in both places, and a coach can vote for his own player).

Coaches from 58 schools receive a ballot. Those ballots, along with Vote for Hobey's Preliminary Voting results, are tabulated by an accounting firm to determing the 10 finalists.

This top ten advances to the Selection Committee, which decides the eventual winner from the top ten. This committee is composed of print media, electronic media, NHL scouts, and the American Hockey Coaches Association (college hockey coaches). Its members are spread out among the hockey-playing section of the United States. The committee also includes an individual from USA Hockey.

Among the candidates are Boston University forward Colin Wilson and defenseman Matt Gilroy and Northeastern goalie Brad Thiessen.

The three finalists will be announced April 2 and the winner will be announced April 10.

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