COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After being named a Hobey Baker Award finalist on Wednesday, Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante has been selected the winner of the 2025-2026 NCHC Player of the Year award, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced on Thursday.
 
Plante becomes only the second Bulldog to capture NCHC Player of the Year honors, joining former UMD defenseman Scott Perunovich in 2019-20. Perunovich went on to win the Hobey Baker Award that season, while Plante is the third straight sophomore to earn NCHC Player of the Year (Zeev Buium, Jackson Blake) and seventh forward in conference history to capture the honor.
 
Plante adds Player of the Year to his haul this season after picking up NCHC Forward of the Year accolades on Monday, the first Bulldog to win the award. He was also the lone unanimous selection to the All-NCHC First Team in 2025-26 and is one of only two Hobey Baker finalists from the NCHC.
 
Plante has posted a career year for the Bulldogs, finishing second in the NCHC in the regular season with 45 points in 34 games while pacing the conference with 22 goals, a total that tied him for fourth in the NCAA. Adding in the NCHC Tournament, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick now leads the NCHC and ranks fifth nationally with 48 points in 37 games (1.30 ppg), while his 23 goals still pace the NCHC and tie for fifth in the NCAA.
 
Plante has buried six game-winning goals on the year, including in last Saturday’s Frozen Faceoff Semifinal win at North Dakota, to tie for first in the NCHC and third in the country. Five of his six game-winners came in the regular season to rank second in the NCHC, while he posted a +12 plus/minus. The Hermantown, Minnesota native has also dished out 25 assists on the season (23 in the regular season) while upping his plus/minus to +16 with the postseason included, which is fourth in the NCHC and in the top 15 among NCAA forwards.
 
In conference play, Plante was fifth in NCHC scoring, averaging more than a point per game with 25 points in 24 games. The UMD assistant captain scored 12 goals and added 13 assists in NCHC action, ranking fifth in goals, as well.  
 
Plante failed to score a point in only one series all season, while logging 14 multi-point games and at least a point in 26 of his 37 outings, including two of three NCHC Frozen Faceoff games. He’s fired 133 shots on goal so far this season, which is sixth in the NCHC.

Plante was the NCHC and National Forward of the Month for October, when he also picked up an NCHC Forward of the Week nod.
 
Denver junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp, who is also a Hobey Baker Award finalist, was the runner-up for NCHC Player of the Year this season. NCHC Player of the Year and all playing awards are voted on by each of the NCHC’s nine head coaches and one media member covering each of the NCHC’s nine programs (18 voters total). Voting was conducted and completed following the regular season and prior to the beginning of the postseason.
 
This is the 12th and final NCHC individual award to be announced for the 2025-26 season. A full list of winners can be seen below.
 
Plante and the No. 6 Bulldogs head to Colorado to face Pohlkamp and No. 4 Denver in the 2026 NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Game Saturday night at Magness Arena in Denver. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. CT/6:07 p.m. MT while the game can be seen on NCHC.tv and My9 Sports in Duluth. A 30-minute pre-game show will start at 6:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. MT.
 
2025-26 NCHC Individual Award Winners:

• Media Excellence Award - Matt Wellens, Duluth News Tribune
• Three Stars Award – Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
• Sportsmanship Award – Blake Mesenburg, Miami
• Goaltender of the Year - Jan Špunar, North Dakota
• Offensive Defenseman of the Year – Eric Pohlkamp, Denver
• Defensive Defenseman of the Year – Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth
• Forward of the Year – Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth
• Defensive Forward of the Year – Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State
• Senior Scholar-Athlete Award – Kent Anderson, Denver
• Rookie of the Year – Cole Reschny, North Dakota
• Herb Brooks Coach of the Year – Dane Jackson, North Dakota
• Player of the Year – Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth