Red Wings Blue Chip Prospect Suffers Upper-Body Injury in NCAA Season Opener

This past weekend, fans of the Detroit Red Wings fans had plenty of reason to tune into NCAA hockey as the University of Minnesota-Duluth opened its season with a Friday and Saturday doubleheader against Long Island University. 

With several Detroit prospects on the Bulldogs' roster, the series was a chance to keep tabs on their continued development. Unfortunately, the weekend also brought some concerning news. 

All eyes were on Red Wings' 2024 second round pick Max Plante after a stellar season a year ago in which he recorded 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points in 40 games. His production earned him the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in all of college hockey. Fans were eager to see how he would develop in what is likely his final season before turning pro. 

Plante plays with his younger brother, Victor Plante, the 18-year-old prospect, who was recently selected by the Red Wings in the second round, similarly to his brother just a few months ago in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Bulldogs also feature another Red Wings prospect in Brady Cleveland, Detroit's second-round pick in 2023.

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However, instead of receiving positive news from the season-opening series for Minnesota-Duluth, Detroit fans were hit with bad news as Max Plante reportedly suffered an upper-body injury and is now considered week-to-week.

The timing makes the injury even more unfortunate as the final season before the pros is crucial for prospects, who typically return from training camp and the preseason with feedback from NHL coaches on the areas of their game they need to sharpen before making the leap. With his time to work on those points already limited, Plante is at a disadvantage, and the hope is that the Minnesota native won't be sidelined for long.

Plante was projected to make his pro debut at the end of this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, as many junior and college players do in their final year. If he can get healthy and return to the ice soon, that plan could still be on track.

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