Much of the brother storyline at the 2026 NHL Draft centered on the Ruck twins, both selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in one of the feel-good moments of the weekend. But they were not the only set of brothers headed to the same organization. 

On Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings quietly added their own family chapter, using the 47th overall pick to select Victor Plante, the younger brother of Red Wings blue chip prospect Max Plante.

The pick carries a poetic quality as Max Plante was chosen by Detroit in the second round, also 47th overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft. Two years later, the Red Wings went back to that same spot and came away with his younger brother, giving the organization two Plantes in the pipeline and one of the more compelling family storylines in the prospect world.

Victor was one of the top players for the NTDP this past season, recording 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points in 57 games with the U.S. National U18 Team, while also adding eight goals and ten assists for 18 points in 20 USHL games with the USNTDP Juniors. He is not a flashy player, but brings a high-end motor, strong hockey sense and the versatility to contribute in all situations.

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The brothers were already set to share the ice next season before Saturday's pick made things even more interesting. Max Plante is coming off one of the best individual seasons in college hockey, winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in the NCAA, and will be returning to the University of Minnesota Duluth next season. 

Victor is committed to UMD as an incoming freshman, and there is a possibility that oldest brother Zam, who was also at UMD with Max this past season, could be on the roster as well. If that comes together, all three brothers could skate together in Duluth, which would be a first.

The Plante family connection to UMD is deep and genuine as their father Derek spent four seasons with the Bulldogs and captained the team in his final year before embarking on a professional career that saw him record 248 points in 450 NHL games as a forward with the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. He was selected by Buffalo in the eighth round of the 1989 NHL Draft and went on to far exceed expectations at the pro level.

Zam was taken in the fifth round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2022 NHL Draft, and now with Max and Victor both in Detroit's system, the Red Wings have quietly cornered the market on one of hockey's most accomplished families. Whether both brothers can develop into NHL contributors remains to be seen, but the foundation they are building together at every level gives Detroit every reason to be optimistic.

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