Hobey Baker Winner Max Plante Shares Unique Reason For Not Signing With Red Wings Yet

LAS VEGAS – Max Plante just won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top men's player. So what's he going to do now?

He's heading back to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The Detroit Red Wings draft pick will not be signing with the NHL team just yet, as he has a number of reasons to play another season with the NCAA's Bulldogs.

One of those reasons is rather unique: while Plante was linemates with brother Zam (PIT) this season, his youngest brother, Victor, will be joining UMD next season, too.

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It's rare these days for a Hobey Baker winner to come back for another year of college, but it's certainly not a bad thing. And the award had particular resonance for the family since father Derek Plante was up for the Hobey himself back in 1993. Derek's dad was really pulling for his son to win it at the time, so it was extra-special for Max to have his grandfather see him clinch it.

"It feels like a dream," Plante said. "But it is your name, and when your name is called, you got to stand up. It was super-special to look around and see my family, they were all right there."

Top photo by Allison Kennedy Davies

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This story was originally published April 11, 2026 at 8:02 AM.