Pair of NHL prospects highlight 2026 Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalists

Three of the top players in the country are being honored for their efforts this season.

On Thursday, the Hat Trick finalists were named for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Michigan senior T.J. Hughes, Minnesota Duluth sophomore Max Plante and Denver senior Eric Pohlkamp are the final three players in the running to take home the award that is given to the top player in men’s college hockey.

Hughes has had himself an incredible season on the nation’s top scoring offense in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines’ captain has had a career-best season, helping Michigan not only win the Big Ten Championship but also advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in two years. Hughes is the second-highest scoring player in all of college hockey, having notched 56 points in 39 games, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors. Though undrafted, Hughes has earned himself an NHL contract in the near future.

Three Wolverines have won the Hobey in the past, with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli taking home the trophy in 2023.

After learning a lot in his freshman season, Max Plante has become a star in Duluth. On a line playing most of the season with older brother and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay (Tampa Bay Lightning), the younger Plante has become one of the more high-end prospects in the Detroit Red Wings system. He was named the NCHC Forward and Player of the Year, sitting tied for second in the NCAA in goals (25), and sits solely in second with 52 points. The Hermantown, Minn. native helped Duluth make it back to the national tournament for the first time since 2022, with the Bulldogs also reaching the NCHC Championship Game, where they lost to Pohlkamp and the Pioneers.

Plante is looking to become the record seventh player from UMD to win the award, and first since Scott Perunovich in 2020.

Speaking of Pohlkamp, the San Jose Sharks prospect has been the driving force behind DU’s offense all season long, even though he was a defenseman. On a team with the likes of Sam Harris (Montreal Canadiens) and James Reeder (Los Angeles Kings), Pohlkamp leads the team with 18 goals and 39 points so far this season, leading the nation in defensive scoring. Not only did Pohlkamp help DU win a conference championship, but he, along with the rest of David Carle’s crew, has led them to the Frozen Four for the fourth time in five seasons.

Only two Pioneers have been awarded the Hobey, and coincidentally, both were blueliners. Matt Carle earned the honor in 2006, while Will Butcher accomplished the feat in 2017.

The Hobey Baker Award ceremony is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at the Park MGM Ballroom in Las Vegas.

Next weekend in Sin City, Pohlkamp and the Pioneers will face off against Hughes and the Wolverines in the second semifinal, with the winner taking on either North Dakota or Wisconsin in the national championship game next Saturday. The Pioneers are looking for a third championship in the last five years, while the Wolverines seek their first national title since 1998.