Howie's daily column is sponsored by Lyric Kitchen Bar. University of Minnesota Duluth honored six players with its 2025-26 men’s hockey team awards Wednesday, headlined by sophomore forward Max Plante, who capped a historic season as the Bulldogs’ most valuable player. Plante, a Hermantown native, received the
A group that could have fragmented chose to remain intact, and that continuity alters expectations in a meaningful way. Teams that stay together tend to become harder to play against, not just because of talent, but because of familiarity and shared understanding.
Plante said he plans to return to Minnesota Duluth next season, with the opportunity to play alongside his brothers, Zam and incoming freshman Victor.
The question wasn’t how they’re handling adversity. The real question is whether they can turn good hockey into points — starting now. Because in the NCHC, effort keeps you competitive. Execution keeps you home in the first round of the playoffs.
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.
The Detroit Red Wings are watching to see if the Bulldogs sophomore forward is ready to step into a much harsher world. Judging by the way he played this weekend, that question is starting to answer itself.
UMD men's hockey is surrounding its future core with the kind of balance you rarely see in a single signing haul: scoring up front, size and skating on the back end, and a top-flight goaltender to anchor the whole operation.
This is a bet that Hughes ages cleanly, that his body cooperates, that the cap continues to rise, and that the surrounding cast can be managed without suffocation. It’s a bet that Minnesota can finally pull off the superstar contract that doesn’t end in regret.
Imagine if Max Plante chooses Amsoil Arena for one more winter instead of Grand Rapids. Victor arrives. Zam continues his ascent. And all three Plantes share the same sheet of ice, wearing the same sweater, saluted by the same 6,700 who’ve been following this family saga since pee wees.
There’s something quietly magnetic about Jason Watt on a Bulldogs hockey broadcast. He’s not trying to sound like anyone else. He doesn’t force energy or jargon. He just explains the game — clearly, comfortably, and with the kind of authenticity that comes only from having lived it.
UMD sophomore forward Max Plante continues his strong start.
The UMD men’s hockey team might not be ranked yet, but Friday night played like a team about to turn some heads. The Bulldogs blanked No. 12 Minnesota 3-0 at 3M Arena at Mariucci, earning their first win on the Gophers’ home ice since 2021 and extending their winning
But it could also be the season the Kenny Linsemans of college hockey put Duluth back on the map. And if you’re a fan of old-school, pot-stirring hockey, that’s the script worth betting on.
Former Bulldogs forward Alex Iafallo of the Winnipeg Jets signed a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3,666,666. Other former Bulldogs on the Jets roster are defensemen Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg, and veteran center Dominic Toninato. The Jets will face St. Louis in a
Veteran pro, college, junior and prep hockey writer John Gilbert on the 2024-25 Bulldogs men's and women's hockey teams – "UMD hockey fans should prepare for one of the most exciting teams in the history of the men’s program. The arrival of a highly skilled