LAS VEGAS – University of Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante has been named the winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, the Hobey Baker Award Committee announced Friday night at the Park MGM in Las Vegas. The Hobey Baker Award is presented to the most outstanding player in NCAA men’s ice hockey.
 
Plante becomes the third player from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) to win the Hobey Baker Award, including second Bulldog, but first forward. Former UMD defenseman Scott Perunovich was the last NCHC player to capture the honor in 2020, while former Denver defenseman Will Butcher was the first in 2017.
 
Plante is also the seventh Minnesota Duluth Bulldog to win the Hobey Baker Award, by far the most of any college hockey program – three more than any other school (Boston University, Harvard and Minnesota have four each). Perunovich was the last UMD player to win the Hobey in 2020, while other Bulldog winners include Jack Connolly (2012), Junior Lessard (2004), Chris Marinucci (1994), Bill Watson (1985) and Tom Kurvers (1984).
 
Plante compiled a career year for the Bulldogs, earning both NCHC Player of the Year and NCHC Forward of the Year honors while being the lone unanimous selection to the All-NCHC First Team this season. The Hermantown, Minnesota native was also tabbed an AHCA First-Team All-American on Friday night, was a First-Team All-CHN honoree and the College Hockey News Player of the Year.
 
Plante earned NCAA Albany Regional All-Tournament Team honors after helping UMD reach the regional final before falling to No. 1 Michigan, 4-3. He was also named to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team, helping the Bulldogs reach the championship game at Denver, where UMD was clipped in double overtime.
 
With his season wrapped up, Plante leads the NCHC and is tied for third nationally with 52 points in 40 games (1.30 ppg). His 25 goals also pace the NCHC and tie for second in the NCAA after scoring in both the NCHC Semifinals and Championship, as well as in the NCAA Regional Semifinals, where he tallied two points in a win over Penn State. The Detroit Red Wings second round draft pick (2024) buried six game-winning goals this year to tie for first in the NCHC and third in the country.
 
Along with his goals, Plante dished out 27 assists while posting a +19 plus/minus, which is ninth in the NCHC and in the top 20 among NCAA forwards. His 152 shots on goal this season tie for third nationally and rank second in the NCHC.
 
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 finishing the year on a five-game point streak (3g/4a). He logged 15 multi-point games and at least a point in 29 of his 40 outings. The winger was the NCHC and National Forward of the Month for October, when he also picked up an NCHC Forward of the Week nod. Plante was also a member of the U.S. National Junior Team for a second straight season back in December.
 
Plante is a communications major at UMD and was an NCHC Distinguished-Scholar Athlete this year with at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA. He lends his spare time assisting at youth hockey clinics and learn to play programs.
 
Max’s dad, Derek, was a Hobey Baker top ten finalist in 1993 as a senior for Minnesota Duluth.
 
The Hobey Baker Winner is selected from the initial list of Top Ten finalists by the 30-member Selection Committee. Denver junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp was also among the Hobey Hat Trick Finalists in attendance at Friday night’s awards ceremony, and will play for a National Championship with the Pioneers on Saturday.
 
Criteria for the Hobey Baker Award includes: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game; strength of character on and off the ice; sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.
 
The award’s namesake, Hobey Baker, was a World War I fighter pilot and was known as America’s greatest amateur athlete in his day, excelling at hockey and football at Princeton University. He redefined how the game was played with his coast-to-coast dashes in an era when hockey was contested by seven players and no forward passes. Baker, a member of the U.S. Army’s Air Corp, died testing a repaired aircraft at the end of World War I after he had completed his military service.