Fifteen NCAA Division I hockey players who excel both on and off the ice have been selected as candidates for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award.

One of the 15 is Newport Beach native Brannon McManus, an LA Selects grad and University of Minnesota forward.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 15 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later this month. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character, and competition.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the Frozen Four in April.

(Feb. 12, 2021)