Ahead of the start of the NCAA Division 1 college hockey season, College Hockey News’s Mike McMahon posted a “top 10” list of most likely-to-be-competitive schools, and the “Plante-based” Bulldogs of Minnesota-Duluth are in the middle(ish):
6) Minnesota Duluth: There might not be a better line in college hockey than Plante-Plante-Plante.
Everyone knows Hobey Baker Award winner Max Plante (52 points) and his brother, Zam Plante (51 points). Now add Victor Plante to the mix.
The 18-year-old was selected in the second round of this past summer’s NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, the same organization that drafted Max in the second round in 2024. Victor Plante had 66 points in 77 games for the U.S. NTDP last season, and while nothing is final, it certainly makes sense that we’ll see all three brothers together at some point this year.
That trio will grab the headlines, but the Bulldogs have a solid roster built around the Plante brothers. Jayson Shaugabay (43 points) returns for his junior year, and Ty Hanson (36 points) looks like one of the top defensemen in the nation.
The only unproven part of the roster is in goal, where freshman Carl Axelsson arrives after being one of the top goaltenders in the USHL last season with Muskegon (.916 save percentage). Ethan Dahlmeir was limited to eight games behind Adam Gajan last season, but he posted a .910 save percentage in those minutes and should be an option as well.
Offensively, the Bulldogs are one of the top teams in the country, and Hanson anchors a strong D corps on the other end.
Continued; I think that many Red Wings fans will be watching Victor and Max closely this upcoming season.
