Three former Hermantown High School standouts at the University of Minnesota Duluth were named Wednesday to the Hobey Baker Memorial Award fan ballot, an announcement that underscored both an exceptional season for the Bulldogs and a historic moment for one of Minnesota’s most accomplished high school hockey programs.
Sophomore forwards Max Plante and Zam Plante, along with sophomore defenseman Ty Hanson, earned nominations for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey.
For Hermantown, the significance runs deeper than individual accolades.
Rarely, if ever, has a single Minnesota high school program placed three alumni on the Hobey Baker ballot in the same season. The moment reflects not just elite talent, but the sustained development culture that has made Hermantown a national pipeline to college hockey’s highest levels.
The Bulldogs, who have produced an NCAA-record six Hobey Baker winners, are among the most represented programs on this year’s ballot — a distinction tied closely to Hermantown’s influence on the roster.
Max Plante leads the nation in scoring with 38 points through 24 games, including a national-best 20 goals and 1.58 points per game. He ranks second nationally in game-winning goals (five) and power-play goals (eight), sixth in shorthanded goals (three), and 12th in plus-minus at plus-18.
Plante has recorded points in 12 multi-point games, including five contests with three or more points. He posted his first collegiate hat trick Nov. 21 at Colorado College and has been particularly effective against top competition, producing 14 points in 10 games against teams currently ranked in the top 20 of the NPI.
An alternate captain, Plante was named the NCHC Forward of the Month for October and earned national recognition as the Hockey Commissioners Association Forward of the Month. He was also selected to the NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team and skated for the United States at the 2025 World Junior Championship.
Hanson has emerged as one of the nation’s most productive blue-liners. Hanson ranks second nationally among defensemen in scoring with 24 points in 24 games, including 18 assists, while averaging a team-high 24 minutes, 23 seconds of ice time per game.
Hanson has seven multi-point games, including four three-point performances. On Nov. 14 against Omaha, he became the first UMD defenseman in 25 years to record a hat trick. A three-time NCHC Defenseman of the Week this season, Hanson was also named the league’s Defenseman of the Month for October.
An alternate captain, Hanson has not missed a game in his collegiate career, appearing in all 60 contests since arriving at UMD.
Zam Plante, an older brother of Max, ranks third nationally with 34 points in 24 games and sits third in assists with 25. He also ranks fifth in points per game (1.38) and ninth in faceoff wins with 256.
Plante has recorded 10 multi-point games this season, including five with three or more points. Against top-20 NPI opponents, he has produced 11 points on four goals and seven assists.
The Plante brothers are sons of Derek Plante, a former UMD standout and Hobey Baker finalist in 1993, adding a generational dimension to Hermantown’s growing national footprint.
Last month, Zam Plante competed with the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland, earning a silver medal after recording two assists in four games.
Fan voting runs through March 8, with one vote allowed per day. The field will be narrowed to 10 finalists on March 18, followed by a second voting phase that runs through March 29. Fan voting accounts for one percent of the total ballot.
The Hobey Hat Trick finalists will be announced April 2, with the winner to be honored during the Frozen Four on April 10 in Las Vegas.
For Hermantown, the impact is already unmistakable. A high school program in northern Minnesota placed three of its own among the nation’s best college hockey players — simultaneously, on the sport’s biggest individual stage — reinforcing a legacy that now stretches far beyond state lines. – Howie Hanson
