Michigan's Thomas Bordeleau Is 2021 Tim Taylor National Rookie Of The Year
University of Michigan freshman forward Thomas Bordeleau has been named the recipient of the 2021 Tim Taylor Award, bestowed annually upon the best first-year player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey, the Hockey Commissioners’ Association announced today. He is the second Wolverine player to win this award, following Kyle Connor in 2016. The award is voted on by the nation’s assistant coaches and is named for the former Yale University and U.S. Olympic Team head coach.
A native of Terrebonne, Quebec, Bordeleau led Michigan in scoring with 8-22-30 in 24 games and had a +/- of +17 as well. He had three GWGs for coach Mel Pearson and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and Second Team All Big Ten.
A 2020 draft pick of the San Jose Sharks (second round, /#38 overall), Bordeleau follows in the footsteps of his father (Sebastian) and grandfather (Paulin) who both played in the NHL. Prior to Michigan, Bordeleau spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Tim Taylor, for whom the award is named, spent 28 seasons at Yale and became the school’s winningest head coach as he collected 337 victories. His tenure spanned from 1976-2006, while taking two years on leave to coach the U.S. Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team as an assistant coach in 1984 and as the head coach in 1994. Taylor was captain of the Harvard University men’s ice hockey team before he graduated in 1963. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, serving as an assistant coach on the Crimson staff under Ralph “Cooney” Weiland and Bill Cleary before beginning his time with the Bulldogs in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Hockey Commissioners Association sponsors this award which results from a ballot containing each NCAA Division I ice hockey conference’s Rookie of the Year. The runner-up for this year’s Tim Taylor Rookie of the Year Award was St. Cloud State forward Veeti Miettinen of Espoo, Finland.
| Recipients of the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year Award |
|
| Year | Recipient/Position/Institution |
| 2007 | Andreas Nodl, F, St. Cloud State University |
| 2008 | Richard Bachman, G, Colorado College |
| 2009 | Kieran Millan, G, Boston University |
| 2010 | Stephane DaCosta, F, Merrimack College |
| 2011 | T.J. Tynan, F, Notre Dame University |
| 2012 | Joey LaLeggia, D, University of Denver |
| 2013 | Jon Gillies, G, Providence College |
| 2014 | Sam Anas, F, Quinnipiac University |
| 2015 | Jack Eichel, F, Boston University |
| 2016 | Kyle Connor, F, University of Michigan |
| 2017 | Clayton Keller, F, Boston University |
| 2018 | Scott Perunovich, D, Minnesota Duluth |
| 2019 | Joel Farabee, F, Boston University |
| 2020 | Alex Newhook, F, Boston College |
| 2021 | Thomas Bordeleau, F, Michigan |
