Noah Laba Named Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award Recipient as Best Rookie in Rangers Training Camp

Each year, the New York Rangers honor the best rookie in training camp, as voted on by the media, with the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award. Last season, that honor belonged to Adam Edstrom.

This year, the award goes to Noah Laba. 

Drafted 111th overall in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Laba is set to enter his first full season of professional hockey. After three impressive seasons at Colorado College, Laba joined the Hartford Wolf Pack for eleven games at the end of last season where he collected three goals and two assists for a total of five points. That would just be the beginning for Laba, as he quickly took the 2025 preseason by storm as a standout for the New York Rangers—so much so that, at the time of writing this, he is still with the Rangers and pushing for an opening night roster spot. 

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The Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award, named in honor of the late Swedish defenseman and former Rangers European scout, is presented annually to the player deemed the most impressive rookie in the team’s training camp, as voted on by the media covering the Rangers. Established in 1988, a year after Sjoberg’s passing from cancer at age 43, the award commemorates his contributions to the organization and to the transatlantic growth of the game. Past recipients have included players who went on to become key contributors for New York, making the honor both a tribute to Sjoberg’s legacy and an early indicator of future success for emerging Rangers talent.

The only player to participate in all six preseason games for the Rangers, Laba was an impact player in every game. Whether it involved scoring the game winning goal, setting up his teammates, killing penalties, playing a responsible two-way game, or spoiling a shutout for the opposition, Laba wasn’t just the top Rangers rookie. He was arguably one of the best, if not the Rangers' best, player throughout the entire preseason. 

Here’s another look at his highlight reel goal to secure an overtime win against the Islanders last week. 

From everything Laba has shown us on the ice, he has proven himself worthy of an opening night roster spot and a simple decision from the coaching staff in the final preseason game may have confirmed that they feel a similar way. During the Rangers’ final preseason outing in Boston, the Rangers pulled Igor Shesterkin for an extra skater to simply attempt getting on the scoreboard. That extra skater was none other than Noah Laba. It may not have been as flashy as the goal he scored against the New York Islanders, but he would make yet another difference in the game at hand as his deflection on an Adam Fox shot became the only goal in the Rangers 4-1 loss in Boston. 

There are still final roster decisions to make but as of this afternoon, Laba is still getting practice reps on the third line with Conor Sheary and Taylor Raddysh. That indicates that perhaps the Rangers could Postsstart the season with a 23-man roster and Laba will start the season with the big club. If that becomes the case, he will likely make his NHL debut tomorrow night as the Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the official start of the 2025-26 season. 

Congrats to Noah Laba on a well-deserved honor!