Four University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey players have been named finalists for five different National College Hockey Conference Awards, announced by the conference Wednesday.

Sophomore forward Max Plante is both a finalist for NCHC Player of the Year and NCHC Forward of the Year, while sophomore defenseman Ty Hanson was named a finalist for the NCHC's Offensive Defenseman of the Year. Sophomore defenseman Adam Kleber was named a finalist for the NCHC's Defensive Defenseman of the Year, while senior defenseman Riley Bodnarchuk is a finalist for NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award.

Plante has spent almost the entire season as the nation's top scorer and is currently tied for fifth in the nation with 45 total points. The Hermantown, Minn. product's 22 goals rank fourth in the NCAA, and he also sits sixth with five game-winning goals, seventh with eight power play goals, as well as tied for seventh with a 1.32 points per game average. Plante has posted 13-multiple point games, including three games with four points and five with three points or more and been a crucial part of UMD's NCAA-best power play that currently boats a 30.6 conversion rate, and has registered eight power play goals and six assists for 14 power play points

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 fourth in the nation in scoring from the blue line, Hanson has a team-high on ice time average of 24:59, 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. Also a critical part of UMD's NCAA-best power play, he has 10 assists on the power play to pair with one power play goal for 11 power play points

 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 70 consecutive games. 

Kleber has had 11 games with two or more blocks in a game, and five with three or more. The Chaska, Minn. native is part of penalty kill unit that ranks first in the NCHC and third in the NCAA with a 88.3 successful kill rate. Part of defensive core allowing just 24.6 shots a game – fifth lowest in the NCAA and 26.3 in NCHC play and is averaging 21:44 minutes on the ice a game -- the third most on the team.

Bodnarchuk is a four-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and a four-time NCHC Academic All-Conference Team member. The Okotoks, Alberta native has a 3.96 GPA as a Exercise Rehab Science major at UMD. Having played 91 games over his four-year career, Bodnarchuk has two goals and two assists for four points from the Bulldog blueline.


The NCHC will announce the NCHC Offensive Defenseman and Defensive Defenseman of the Year Friday, March 13, and the NCHC Forward of the Year will be named on Monday March 16. The league will announce the NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award Tuesday, March 17, while the NCHC Player of the Year will come out on Thursday, March 19.