COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – One day after being named National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Forward of the Month, Minnesota Duluth sophomore Max Plante has been selected Men’s National Co-Forward of the Month for October, as the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) announced national honorees for the first month of the season on Thursday.
 
Plante shared his HCA national monthly award with Penn State sophomore forward JJ Wiebusch. Plante is the first Bulldog to earn an HCA national monthly honor since defenseman Mikey Anderson landed National Player of the Month for March/April in 2019.
 
Plante was dominant to start the season, leading the NCHC and tying for first nationally with 18 points in October (with Wiebusch). Plante’s 2.00 points per game were first in the NCAA in October by himself, while he helped the Bulldogs to an 8-1-0 record during the month. The Detroit Red Wings draft pick scored nine goals and added nine assists in October, with the nine goals tied for second in the NCAA during the month. Plante recorded a point in seven of nine games last month, including six multi-point games and a pair of four-point games.
 
Plante opened the season with a four-point weekend in a sweep at Alaska, including two goals in the opener on Oct. 3, earning him NCHC Forward of the Week honors. He racked up six points in a sweep at Bemidji State, including a career-high four points (2g/2a) on Oct. 17 when he scored the game-winning goal. After two goals in a win at Minnesota on Oct. 25, Plante closed the month again recording four points in a 4-3 overtime win at then-No. 8 North Dakota. He had a hand in all four goals, scoring two and assisting on the OT game-winner.
 
Plante finished October with a +14 plus/minus, which led the NCAA during the month. The Bulldogs assistant captain was also one of only two players nationally with two short-handed goals last month. He fired 32 shots on goal in October, as well.  
 
On the season, Plante now leads the NCAA by himself with 19 points in 10 games, while his nine goals are second in the NCHC and fourth nationally. He was named to the NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team in September.
 
Along with Plante and Wiebusch, Northeastern junior Lawton Zacher was named Men’s Goaltender of the Month, Boston University’s Cole Hutson and Michigan’s Ben Robertson shared Defenseman of the Month honors, and Penn State forward Gavin McKenna garnered National Rookie of the Month for October. UMD sophomore Adam Gajan was a runner-up for national Goalie of the Month, while Miami forward Kocha Delic was a runner-up for Rookie of the Month.
 
Plante and the No. 7 Bulldogs host in-state rival St. Cloud State for a pair of games this weekend. Both games can be seen on NCHC.tv.