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As the college hockey season progresses, early speculation for the 2027 Hobey Baker Award has begun, with Minnesota Duluth junior defenseman Ty Hanson drawing significant attention. Hanson, a local product from the Duluth area, has been a key factor in UMD's top-10 national ranking, amassing 17 points (third nationally) and 10 goals (tied for the national lead). His aggressive style of play has not gone unnoticed by analysts.
The Uphill Battle for Max Plante
Max Plante, the reigning Hobey Baker winner, faces a daunting task in defending his title. No player has ever won the award twice, and the last repeat winner was Ryan Duncan of North Dakota in 2007 and 2008. Plante, one of only six players to return after winning, has been sidelined since October 23 with an upper-body injury sustained in UMD's season-opening series against Long Island University. His stat line remains frozen at two assists and five shots, a stark contrast to last year's 25 goals and 52 points. Plante's six game-winning goals led the nation, and his eight power-play goals ranked third. Adding to his frustration, his brothers Zam (a junior) and Victor (a freshman) also play for the Bulldogs. Plante is back practicing and reportedly close to returning, but he will miss this weekend's series at St. Cloud State.
Other Early Contenders
Several other players have thrust themselves into the early Hobey conversation:
- The Playmaker: A forward with nine goals and 10 assists ranks second nationally with 19 points, though his 28.6 shooting percentage is unsustainably high compared to his 17.1% last season.
- The Set-Up Man: Another forward matched Plante's 52 points last season (13 goals, 39 assists), with his assist total edging out Gavin McKenna for the national lead. This year, he has four goals and 16 assists in nine games, averaging 2.22 points per game.
- The Freshman Phenom: The No. 4 overall NHL draft pick has six goals and six assists in 10 games and impressed at Arizona State with a three-goal weekend. Denver coach David Carle called his start "world class."
- The Wall: A goaltender has played every minute for his team, posting a 1.49 GAA and .948 save percentage. He faces his biggest test yet at Western Michigan this weekend.
Other notables include Dartmouth freshman Dave Stewart (eight points in four games), Quinnipiac's Ethan Wyttenbach (five goals, nine assists), Western Michigan's Adam Benak (five goals, 10 assists but suspended for slashing), Boston University's Tynan Lawrence (nine goals, five assists), and Michigan Tech's Owen Bartoszkiewicz (1.78 GAA, .941 save percentage).
Notre Dame's Stunner and Other News
In a thrilling upset, Notre Dame's Sammy Nelson scored 21 seconds into overtime to complete a 3-2 victory over No. 4 Michigan State. Both of Nelson's goals in his first multi-goal game were assisted by his older brother Danny. Freshman goaltender Patrick Quinlan made 33 saves for the win.
The U.S. Collegiate Selects, set to compete in the 2026 Spengler Cup, have added four players: New Hampshire's Martins Lavin, Quinnipiac's Chris Pelosi, Minnesota Duluth's Jayson Shaugabay, and Western Michigan's Joona Visanen. Lavin and Pelosi were part of last year's team that reached the championship game.
In the NHL, Matt Boldy's hat trick lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 5-2 win at Toronto, extending their point streak to 10 games. It was Boldy's second hat trick of the season and sixth of his career. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, fell to 0-5 on their homestand, their worst home regulation losing streak since 1990-91.
In a family affair, Bentley assistant coach Gudge Bentley faced his younger brother Duke Gentzler, a freshman forward for Air Force. The Falcons erased a three-goal deficit, winning 4-3 on Nick Sajevic's overtime goal.
Upcoming Games
Key matchups this weekend include No. 4 Michigan State at Notre Dame (7 p.m. ET), Bowling Green at Northern Michigan (7 p.m. ET), No. 19 Northeastern at Connecticut (7 p.m. ET), No. 7 Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State (7 p.m. CT), No. 8 North Dakota at St. Thomas (7 p.m. CT), Robert Morris at Delaware (2 p.m. ET), Harvard at No. 14 Cornell (6 p.m. ET), Vermont at New Hampshire (2 p.m. ET), Saint Anselm at Sacred Heart (6 p.m. ET), and No. 9 St. Cloud State at No. 2 Minnesota (6 p.m. CT).
This Day in Hockey History
November 13 marks several notable events: the birth of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Mike Karakas (1910), the first penalty-shot goal in NHL history by Ralph "Scotty" Bowman (1934), John Marks' record for two fastest goals from game start (1975), Tony Esposito's 400th win (1982), Brett Hull's first NHL goal (1986), Pat Jablonski's first shutout for Tampa Bay (1992), Mike Richter's first NHL shutout (1993), the announcement of the Nashville Predators' name (1997), and the Hockey Hall of Fame induction of Patrick Roy, Dick Duff, Herb Brooks, and Harley Hotchkiss (2006), among others.
Originally reported by headtopics.