Three University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey players have been nominated to the list of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Fan Balloting announced Wednesday. Sophomore forwards Max and Zam Plante, as well as defenseman Ty Hanson all earned nominations for the award presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey. The Bulldog program has an NCAA-high six former Hobey Baker winners.

Max Plante leads the nation offensively in a number of categories over his first 24 games this season, including total points (38), points per game (1.58), goals (20), second in game-winning goals (5) and power play goals (8). Plante also sits sixth in shorthanded goals (3), 12th in plus/minus (+18) and 14th in assists (18).

Half of Plante's games have been multiple point outings – 12, and the Hermantown, Minn. native has had five games with three or more points and six or more games with two or more goals – which includes his first collegiate hat trick back on Nov. 21 at Colorado College. In 10 games against currently top-20 NPI ranked teams, Plante has 14 points on six goals and eight assists, as well as five multiple point games. The UMD alternate captain was the NCHC's October Forward of the Month, and was also named the HCA's Forward of the Month for October, and in addition to earning a NCHC Forward of the Week nod back on Oct. 7, 2025, was also named to the NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team. He was also a member of the 2025 U.S. World Junior Team.

Hanson has spent most of the season as one of the most offensive-defenseman in the NCAA. Currently second in the nation in scoring from the blue line, Hanson ranks second in assists (18) and third with a 1.00 points per game average. With a team-high on ice time average of 24:23, the Hermantown, Minn. has had seven multiple point games, including four contests with three points. On Nov. 14 against Omaha, Hanson became the first Bulldog defenseman in 25 years to score a hat trick, and he has three games with three or more assists and six games with two or more blocks.

A three-time NCHC Defenseman of the Week award winner this season (Jan. 13, Nov. 11 and Oct. 7), Hanson was also named the NCHC Defenseman of the Month for October. An alternate captain, Hanson has never missed a game in two seasons at UMD, now having played in 60 consecutive games. 

Zam Plante joins his younger brother as nominee – both are the sons of Derek Plante's, who was a 1993 Hobey Baker Finalist as a senior at UMD. Plante currently ranks third in the NCAA in both scoring with 34 points in 24 games and third in assists (25). The Hermantown, Minn. native also ranks fifth in points per game (1.38), ninth in faceoff wins (256). Plante has had 10 multiple point games, including five with three or more points and two games with two or more points.  or more goals – which includes his first collegiate hat trick back on Nov. 21 at Colorado College. In 10 games against currently top-20 NPI ranked teams, Plante has 11 points on four goals and seven assists, as well as three multiple point games. 

Last month, Plante skated with the U.S. Collegiate Selects in the Spengler Cup with a team made up of 25 student-athletes from across NCAA men's ice hockey. Plante earned a silver medal in the tournament, and had two assists in four games for the U.S. Collegiate Selects.

Fan voting is open now and will run through March 8. Each fan is allowed one VOTE per day during this initial phase. Phase two of fan voting will begin once the list has been narrowed to the top-10 finalists on March 18 and run through March 29. The fan vote accounts for a full one percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year's award recipient.

 

The Hobey Hat Trick will then be announced on April 2 with the winner to be awarded during the 2026 Frozen Four in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 10.



For more on UMD's Hobey Baker winners and Finalists, click here.