Senior center Tim Stapleton, a model of consistency during his four-year University of Minnesota Duluth hockey career, has been named the winner of the 2005-06 Mike Seiler Award as the Bulldogs' Most Valuable Player.



A native of LaGrange, Ill., Stapleton reigned as the Bulldogs’ top point producer for a second straight year in 2005-06 by racking up 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points. Stapleton, a 2005-06 alternate team captain who also topped the Bulldogs in points as a freshman, occupies the No. 18 spot on the school’s all-time scoring list with 152 points (63 goals and 89 assists) in 162 games. As a junior, he just missed beconimg only the second NCAA-era Bulldog ever to start off a career with three successive 40-point seasons (he wound up with 39).



Freshman left wing and Cochrane, Alberta native Mason Raymond, a member of the WCHA's All-Rookie Team, landed the team's Rookie of the Year Award. One of just seven Bulldogs to see ice time in all 40 games, Raymond, finished third among WCHA rookies in league points (23) and second in assists (15). He also put more shots on goal (152) than any other 2005-06 Bulldog and trailed only Stapleton on the club's scoring charts (28 points). Sophomore goaltender left wing Nate Ziegelmann of Grand Forks, N.D. was selected as the Bulldogs' Most Improved Players after an impressive late-season run (a 2.41 goals against average and a .921 saves percentage in the final five games of the year) while UMD's Most Inspirational Player honor (the Goldie Wolfe Award) went to freshman left wing Andrew Carroll (Shoreview, Minn.).



The Bulldogs, who made their third trip to the WCHA Final Five event in four years this past winter, posted a 11-25-4 overall record and placed ninth in the WCHA standings with a 6-19-3 mark.