The Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey team will host the U.S. National Under-18 Team in an exhibition game Saturday, Dec. 5. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. at Amsoil Arena along the Duluth waterfront.
The Under-18 team is part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, which prepares elite American prospects for international, college and professional competition. Its schedule includes games against NCAA Division I and Division III opponents, United States Hockey League teams and international competition. The program is based in Plymouth, Michigan.
The exhibition will be UMD’s first meeting with the Under-18 team since Jan. 5, 2019, when Team USA defeated the Bulldogs 4-2 at Amsoil. Cole Caufield scored twice for the visitors, who outshot UMD 39-28. The Bulldogs were 5-3 all-time against the Under-18 team following that game.
The exhibition fills an open weekend between two important stretches of UMD’s schedule. The Bulldogs will compete in the Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Nov. 27-28 before returning home to face the Under-18 team. UMD then travels to Grand Forks for a National Collegiate Hockey Conference series against North Dakota on Dec. 11-12.
UMD also has a Jan. 2 home exhibition against Manitoba, giving coach Scott Sandelin’s team two non-counting games during the 2026-27 season.
The Bulldogs will open the regular season Oct. 2-3 with a two-game series against Long Island University at Amsoil. The opener is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, followed by a 6:07 p.m. game Saturday, Oct. 3.
Bulldogs return elite scoring core, enter 2026-27 with championship expectations
Minnesota Duluth will not enter the 2026-27 season merely hoping to prove last winter’s resurgence was real. With the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner, one of the most productive forward lines in college hockey and nearly every important scorer returning, the Bulldogs have the talent, experience and depth to begin the season as a legitimate NCAA championship contender.
UMD went 24-15-1 last season, reached the NCAA regional championship game and came within one victory of its first Frozen Four appearance since 2021. The Bulldogs swept St. Cloud State in the NCHC quarterfinals, overwhelmed North Dakota 5-1 in Grand Forks in the conference semifinals and pushed eventual national champion Denver into double overtime before falling 4-3 in the NCHC championship game. UMD then defeated Penn State 3-1 in the NCAA tournament before a third-period comeback fell one goal short in a 4-3 regional-final loss to Michigan.
That postseason run established the Bulldogs as a national contender. The extraordinary amount of returning offense makes them something more entering the new season: a team that should expect to remain in that championship conversation from October through March.
UMD’s five leading scorers return, including the entire top line of Max Plante, Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay. Based on the school’s final statistics and current returning roster, the Bulldogs bring back approximately 84% of last season’s point production and 79% of their goals. In an era when the transfer portal and professional opportunities routinely dismantle successful college teams, that degree of continuity is an enormous advantage.
Everything begins with Max Plante, who produced 25 goals and 27 assists in 40 games and became the seventh Bulldog to win the Hobey Baker Award. The Hermantown product ranked third nationally with 52 points, tied for second with 25 goals and scored six game-winners. His decision to return for his junior season gives UMD one of the country’s best players and a proven star capable of controlling a game at even strength, on the power play and in the closing minutes.
Max will again be surrounded by familiar and productive linemates. Zam Plante finished only one point behind his brother with 20 goals and 31 assists, while Shaugabay supplied 11 goals and a team-leading 32 assists. Together, the three produced 56 goals, 90 assists and 146 points. They were responsible for more than 40% of UMD’s offense and developed into one of the most dangerous lines in the country.
The Bulldogs also return Callum Arnott, who scored 12 goals and collected 27 points, and Hunter Anderson, who produced seven goals and 20 points as a freshman. Harper Bentz scored six times in 27 games, while Ryan Zaremba, Blake Bechen, Luke Bibby, Braden Fischer and Trevor Stachowiak give coach Scott Sandelin experienced options throughout the bottom six. The most significant offensive departure is Scout Truman, who scored 14 goals, including five on the power play, but UMD appears to have more than enough returning and incoming talent to replace that production.
The most anticipated newcomer is Victor Plante, who will join Max and Zam to place all three brothers on the UMD roster. Victor scored 21 goals and 48 points in 57 games for the U.S. National Under-18 Team last season before Detroit selected him with the 47th overall pick in the second round of the NHL draft. Remarkably, the Red Wings also selected Max at No. 47 two years earlier. Victor plays with skill, pace and offensive imagination and should have an immediate opportunity in UMD’s top six and on the power play.
Hermantown forward Kade Kohanski also joins the program after playing for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League. Kohanski was part of Hermantown’s 2022 Class A state championship team with Max and Zam Plante and current UMD defenseman Ty Hanson. Defensemen Carter Murphy and Keith McInnis bring additional skill and competition to an already deep blue line.
Hanson may be the most important Bulldog not named Plante. The Hermantown defenseman erupted for 10 goals and 26 assists as a sophomore, finished with a plus-16 rating and ranked second nationally in scoring among defensemen. His ability to move the puck, join the rush and direct the power play gives UMD an offensive weapon from the back end that few teams can match.
The defensive corps around Hanson should be experienced and physically imposing. Adam Kleber, a 6-foot-5 Buffalo Sabres draft pick, returns after playing all 40 games and finishing plus-12. Senior Aaron Pionk has played 117 collegiate games and has produced 56 career points, while 6-foot-5 Brady Cleveland supplies size, strength and penalty-killing experience. Grayden Siepmann is another defenseman capable of creating offense after recording six goals and 19 points as a freshman. Jake Toll gives Sandelin another returning option before Murphy and McInnis even enter the competition for playing time.
The largest question is in goal, where Adam Gajan has departed after signing a two-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Gajan went 19-13-1 with a 2.25 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage and two shutouts last season. His departure leaves UMD without its established starter, although the Bulldogs are not without promising options.
Junior Ethan Dahlmeir should enter preseason practice with a legitimate opportunity to win the job. He went 5-2 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 10 appearances last season, numbers that suggest he is capable of handling a larger role. His primary competition could come from incoming freshman Carl Axelsson, a 6-foot-4 Utah Mammoth fourth-round draft pick who went 28-14-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average for Muskegon of the USHL. Sophomore Cole Sheffield provides a third option.
The competition does not necessarily need to produce an immediate, undisputed No. 1 goaltender. Sandelin could divide early-season starts between Dahlmeir and Axelsson while allowing the stronger performer to take control of the position. With an experienced defense in front of them, neither goaltender should be asked to rescue UMD on a nightly basis. The Bulldogs allowed only 25.4 shots and 2.5 goals per game last season, evidence that their structure and puck possession can ease the transition.
UMD’s special teams were exceptional last season. The Bulldogs converted 29.6% of their power plays while holding opponents to 11.2%, the equivalent of an 88.8% penalty kill. Most of the players responsible for those numbers return, including Max and Zam Plante, Arnott, Hanson, Shaugabay, Anderson and Siepmann. Repeating those percentages will be difficult, but UMD should again possess one of the country’s most dangerous power plays.
The challenge will be producing greater consistency during conference play. The Bulldogs’ 24-15-1 overall record and postseason success obscured an 11-12-1 NCHC regular-season mark. UMD sometimes relied too heavily on its power play and surrendered the first goal in seven of its final eight games. The Bulldogs repeatedly demonstrated that they could rally, but championship teams cannot expect to spend every important night chasing the game. Their 48.9% faceoff percentage is another area that must improve.
Sandelin, whose new contract extension runs through the 2029-30 season, called this “a very special group” that is motivated to continue building on UMD’s tradition. That assessment does not feel like typical offseason optimism. The Bulldogs return a Hobey Baker winner, their top five scorers, an All-American defenseman and eight NHL draft picks while adding another elite Plante brother to the lineup.
The reasonable expectation is an NCAA tournament berth and a finish near the top of the NCHC. The ceiling is considerably higher. If Dahlmeir, Axelsson or a combination of the two supplies dependable goaltending, the 2026-27 Bulldogs should have enough offense, defensive depth and experience to reach the Frozen Four — and enough high-end talent to win the whole thing.
