Victor Plante comes from a hockey family. His father, Derek, was an NHLe,r and his brothers, Zam and Max, are really good as well. Max is currently the leading scorer in NCAA hockey. He plays for Minnesota Duluth, and Victor will join him next season.
“It helps a lot being around hockey all the time. My dad has been in the industry his whole life. I learned all the steps to take in my hockey career from him,” Max Plante stated. “My older brother is doing everything for me, and I look up to him. My younger brother, Victor, helps all of us push each other.”
The youngest Plante is a 2026 NHL Draft-eligible player. So far, I have him as a second-rounder. Coming out of the CHL/USA prospect challenge, he scored twice, including a Super Overtime series-clinching goal. He has been one of the best players at the NTDP this season.
Last year with the U17 squad, he scored 13 goals with 20 assists in 48 games. This year with the U18 team, he has nine goals and 10 assists in 22 games. That’s quite a jump for the slick skating wing.
Plante is feisty. He plays a solid all-around game, and he has a high hockey IQ. He’s a battler out there ,and you don’t focus on the fact that he’s 5’10”. He’s a sturdy 177 pounds already. He grew an inch since last season, and his father and brother Max are an inch taller, so he might not be finished growing.
According to InStat, he’s getting 27% defensive zone starts this season. That’s pretty good. Plante is averaging 16:24 in ice time. He has committed a few too many penalties but I believe that will improve as he gets physically stronger. Of his 2.8 shots per game, 60% of them are on net. He plays at speed and makes a nice pass off a fake shot.
Plante does find loose pucks around the net. He has a nose for that, and he has the speed to beat a defender to a spot.
Teams will probably decide where he should go on day 2, and it wouldn’t surprise me if a team with multiple picks moves up to get him. Max (Red Wings drafted him 47th overall in 2024) was one of the smartest players in his draft, and teams now have the benefit of seeing him and Zam (Penguins drafted him 150th overall in 2022), who has 24 points in 16 games at Minnesota Duluth.
