Minnesota Duluth's Max Plante Wins 2026 Hobey Baker Award for Top Men's College Hockey Player

A player from the University of Minnesota Duluth has been named the winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award, which recognizes the top player in men's NCAA Division I hockey. The announcement came during a ceremony in April 2026.

In his second season with the Bulldogs, the player contributed to the team's performance. This marks the first Hobey Baker Award for a Minnesota Duluth player since 2020. It is the seventh such award for the program overall.

The player's father played for Minnesota Duluth and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award before a career in professional hockey.

Award Recipients At the same ceremony, a goaltender from Michigan State was named the top goaltender in men's college hockey. A rookie from Quinnipiac received the rookie of the year award. The Hobey Baker Award, established in 1981, honors the memory of Hobey Baker, an early 20th-century hockey and football star at Princeton University.

It is presented annually by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee. The award highlights outstanding performance, academic achievement, and sportsmanship among nominees.

Hobey Baker Winners Recent recipients include a player from Michigan State in 2025, a player from Boston University in 2024, and a player from Michigan in 2023.

Earlier winners include a goaltender from Minnesota State in 2022, a player from Wisconsin in 2021, and a defenseman from Minnesota Duluth in 2020. The full list of recent winners extends back to a player from Harvard in 2016.