Max Plante Wins 2026 Hobey Baker Award
After the Frozen Four tournament was whittled down to two on Thursday with Denver and Wisconsin moving on to the final on Saturday, there was other business to attend to on Friday off the ice with the presentation of the Hobey Baker Award. Given to the top player in college hockey, this year’s winner is University of Minnesota-Duluth sophomore Max Plante, a prospect of the Red Wings.
The sophomore was a second-round pick by Detroit back in 2024, going 47th overall. Plante got to play on a line with his brother, Zam, and Jayson Shaugabay, comprising one of the higher-scoring trios in Division I. The 20-year-old followed up a solid rookie showing by nearly doubling his point totals this season, notching 25 goals and 27 assists in 40 games, finishing two points ahead of his brother to lead the Bulldogs in scoring. His 52 points put him in a tie for third overall in NCAA scoring.
Unsurprisingly, Plante received many accolades with how his season went. Among the other awards he won this season was the NCHC Forward of the Year, NCHC Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, and the College Hockey News Player of the Year. He indicated to reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link) after the trophy presentation that he will return for his junior year and isn’t turning pro with Detroit just yet. In doing so, he becomes the first winner of the award to not turn pro since 2007 when Ryan Duncan did so, relays Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link).
The other two finalists for the award were Michigan senior T.J. Hughes and Denver junior Eric Pohlkamp. Hughes is expected to sign his first NHL contract in the very near future while Pohlkamp, the lone defenseman among the three finalists, is a fifth-round pick of the Sharks.
Other awards handed out this evening:
Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine took home the Mike Richter Award for the top NCAA goalie. The 21-year-old posted a 2.11 GAA with a .929 SV% in 34 games with Michigan State in his junior year and turned pro after their season came to an end. A Detroit second-rounder, he’s making his AHL debut tonight with Grand Rapids. Augustine was a Top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and won the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year for the second straight year.
Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach won the Tim Taylor Award for Rookie of the Year. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick (144th overall) last June and had quite the freshman year at Quinnipiac. He played in 40 games, tallying 25 goals and 34 assists. That was good enough to not only lead his team in scoring but all of Division I. Unsurprisingly, he was also a Top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
2026 Hobey Baker Award Finalists Announced
The NCAA has announced their Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalists. University of Michigan senior T.J. Hughes, University of Minnesota-Duluth sophomore Max Plante, and Universty of Denver junior Eric Pohlkamp will be the last in the race to win college hockey’s coveted MVP award. Hughes and Plante sit second and third in national scoring with 56 and 52 points respectively, while Pohlkamp leads all defenders with 39 points.
All three were true number-ones for their teams. Hughes’ veteran presence and ability away from the puck helped a young Michigan squad rival the top ranking in the country for most of the season. Plante, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, was the motor behind one of the most explosive offenses in the country – in tandem with his brother, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Zam Plante. Pohlkamp, a San Jose Sharks prospect, embraced the top defender on a perennial National Championship contender and added onto it a starring role on the Spengler Cup’s U.S. Collegiate Selects lineup. Hughes and Pohlkamp remain have also reached the Frozen Four, set to kickoff on April 9th.
All three have strong cases for being named college hockey’s top players. It was another difficult year for the selection committee after having to decide between Isaac Howard, Ryan Leonard, and Zeev Buium last year.
Even with the pedigree on the ballot this year, the talent left in the Top 10 is suprising. Quinnipiac University winger, and Calgary Flames prospect, Ethan Wyttenbach leads the nation in scoring, as a freshman, with 59 points. He had a breakout year on the top offense in the country, one that he will be returning to next season. Michigan State University teammates Charlie Stramel and Trey Augustine also had standout years serving as the veteran leaders on a newly-assembled Spartans squad. Even Boston College, and Boston Bruins, center James Hagens and top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna had strong cases for MVP honors. The 2025-26 season, and the first year of CHL eligiblity, brought a wealth of talent to the college flight.
Evening Notes: Hutson, Plante, Sherwood, Leddy
Washington Capitals defense prospect Cole Hutson and Detroit Red Wings prospect Max Plante are both dealing with day-to-day injuries with Team USA at the 2026 World Junior Championship per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
Hutson was injuried when a stray puck hit him in the back of the head in Saturday’s game against Switzerland. It was a scary moment that ended with Hutson being carted off the ice and transported to the hospital. Luckily, he left the hospital later that night avoided the worst case scenario. He returned to Team USA’s practice on Monday morning.
Plante hasn’t yet returned to practice after sustaining an injury in the second period of Monday’s game against Slovakia.
Both players sat out of USA’s Wednesday matchup against Team Sweden. The Americans lost that matchup 3-6. Hutson led the 2025 World Juniors in scoring with 11 points in seven games. Plante led the NCAA in scoring before leaving for this tournament. He has 30 points in 20 games. The two are major pillars of the American lineup. Their day-to-day status will be a silver lining as the Americans eye a tough elimination round.
Other notes from around the league:
- The San Jose Sharks have expressed interest in Vancouver Canucks scorer Kiefer Sherwood per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in a recent interview on the FAN Hockey Show. The 30-year-old winger would be an interesting buy for a Sharks club well outside of playoff contention. He has offered Vancouver a unique mix of goal-scoring and heavy-hitting. Sherwood recorded 19 goals, 40 points, and an NHL record 462 hits in 78 games last season. He is continuing in that line this year, with 16 goals and 184 hits in only 39 games. Those numbers put him on pace for 34 goals and 387 hits in 82 games this season. Bringing in that impact could help San Jose protect their young stars and add a bit more veteran shooting to the mix as they eye cheap additions to the lineup.
- Sticking in San Jose, young defender Shakir Mukhamadullin rotated back into the lineup for Nick Leddy in Wednesday’s shootout win over the Minnesota Wild per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. He recorded two shots on goal and no points. The Sharks have rotated between the two defenders over their recent stretch. Mukhamadullin has managed six points, 10 hits, and 21 shot blocks in 21 games. Leddy has three assists and 20 shot blocks in 15 games. The two will continue rotating while San Jose waits on Timothy Liljegren‘s nearing return.