Looking at Home with Team USA, Red Wings Plante Seeks World Junior Spot
Reviewing Max Plante's performance at the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase from Plymouth
2024 Red Wings second round selection Max Plante entered the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase with the chance to earn a place on the Team USA squad that will look to defend its gold medal in December at the 2025 World Junior.Plante was by no means an assurance to crack the roster, but he had a strong chance, and after a strong camp, that chance looks even better.
“I knew the hockey sense, world-class IQ,” Red Wings coach Lalonde (who spent the week as a guest on USA and University of Denver coach David Carle's staff) said of Plante. “What I was really taken (aback) from at development camp and my time here is how (much) better he skates than I probably anticipated, and how strong he is on the skates. I think he's going to be a really, really nice player. Really good job by our staff.”
Meanwhile, Carle touted Plante's comfort alongside some of the U.S.'s top talent on the American power play. “To play with players of that caliber, sometimes there can be a level of pressure that comes with it. I don't think we saw that today,” Carle said on the opening day of the showcase. “You know, if you're playing with Ovechkin, you feel like you gotta put every pass in the perfect spot. As a player, there can be that level of pressure where you want to be perfect. And we have really good players on this team, and him being the younger guy playing with three of the guys on the team a year ago, there can be that little bit of pressure. But again, I didn't see that today.”
Through his combination of intelligence and speed, Plante earned important minutes throughout the week and played well with the chance he received. It won't yet be enough to secure a roster or lineup spot come December, but it was an excellent start.
My co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed Plante on the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State. Be sure to check out the video sample above, then listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: