COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Minnesota Duluth will be well-represented on the 2026 U.S. Collegiate Selects team, as a pair of Bulldogs were among the first six named to the USCS roster on Thursday. Junior defenseman Ty Hanson and junior forward Max Plante will suit up for the Collegiate Selects at the 2026 Spengler Cup in Switzerland in December.
 
Hanson and Plante are the two National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) representatives among the first six players on the USCS squad, with ECAC Hockey the lone other conference to place two on the initial roster. Minnesota Duluth is also the only team with two players among the first six.
 
In addition to Hanson and Plante, UMD head coach Scott Sandelin will serve as an assistant coach for the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the 2026 Spengler Cup, as the USCS coaching staff was previously announced.
 
Hanson (Hermantown, Minn.) was a Second-Team AHCA All-American last season, while also picking up Second-Team All-NCHC accolades. The undrafted free agent racked up 36 points in 40 games last year, which was second nationally among defensemen in scoring. His 26 assists tied for second among all NCAA rearguards last year, while he chipped in 10 goals.
 
Plante (Hermantown, Minn.) won the 2026 Hobey Baker Award last season and is the first returning Hobey Baker winner in 19 years. A First-Team AHCA All-American, Plante was named NCHC Player and Forward of the Year in 2025-26, along with earning First-Team All-NCHC honors. Last season, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick was third in the NCAA with 52 points in 40 games, while his 25 goals tied for second nationally.
 
Hanson and Plante will serve as co-captains for the Bulldogs this season. Both were tabbed to the 2026-27 Preseason All-NCHC Team, as well, with Plante a unanimous selection. Plante’s older brother and fellow UMD junior Zam Plante played for the U.S. Collegiate Selects last year.
 
Sandelin returns to the Spengler Cup after taking part in the 1982 edition as a player with the University of North Dakota. He is entering his 27th season in charge of the Bulldogs. Sandelin has led UMD to the program’s only three NCAA National Championships, winning titles in 2011, 2018 and 2019. The Hibbing, Minn. native has guided Minnesota Duluth to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including this past season, and six Frozen Fours as head coach.
 
The 2026 Spengler Cup runs from Dec. 26-Dec. 31 in Davos, Switzerland. The U.S. Collegiate Selects open play at the 2026 Spengler Cup on Saturday, Dec. 26 against Frölunda HC of Sweden before facing host HC Davos on either Dec. 27 or Dec. 28.
 
The USCS roster will feature 25 student-athletes from all six NCAA Division I men’s hockey conferences, with additional players announced in the coming months.
 
Last year, the NCHC had five players on the inaugural U.S. Collegiate Selects team that finished as a runner-up at the 2025 Spengler Cup, including UMD’s Zam Plante. The other four NCHC players on the 2025 USCS team (Adam Gajan, Jake Livanavage, Eric Pohlkamp and Abram Wiebe) all signed NHL contracts after the 2025-26 season.
 
The Spengler Cup is the oldest invitational hockey tournament in the world, with the first edition held in 1923. The annual competition is held each December between Christmas and New Year’s in Davos, Switzerland and features six teams from Europe and North America competing at the Eisstadion Davos.
 
Visit CollegeHockeyInc.com for more information on the U.S. Collegiate Selects and the Spengler Cup.
 
First Six on 2026 U.S. Collegiate Selects Roster

• Tyler Dunbar, D, Union
• Ty Hanson, D, Minnesota Duluth
• Evan Murr, D, Minnesota
• Max Plante, F, Minnesota Duluth
• Hayden Stavroff, F, Dartmouth
• Lawton Zacher, G, Northeastern