Plante recorded nearly 200 points during his Bantam AA season with Hermantown.
Zam Plante is the rare player who is universally liked by scouts, coaches, and opponents.
Scouts like Plante's blend of smarts and skill, bobbing and weaving around the ice, almost jittery with energy and anticipation.
Coaches like Plante because he doesn't complain. He wants as much ice time as anybody, but when a teammate scores, Plante is first or second in line to congratulate the fellow Hawk.
Opponents like Plante because there's no real reason to dislike him. He plays hard, never dirty, shakes hands after games genuinely, and has created his own social network over the years during the offseason while playing on travel teams that could rival Facebook.
A first-round pick during Tuesday's USHL Phase I Futures Draft, Plante's talent is undeniable, and he has the production to match. Last summer, during Bantam Elite League play, against some of the county's top players in his age group, Plante scored 11 goals and added 14 assists. He notched a point in every game and led the North Stars to 10 wins and just four losses.
Plante's Hawks had their Bantam AA State Tournament run canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but after leading the Hawks to a 40-6-1 record and totaling 78 goals and 193 points, Plante's case for the Bantam Player of the Year Award could hardly have gotten stronger.
Finn Brink - Osseo-Maple Grove
Ty Hanson - Hermantown
Ian Ness - Moorhead
Wyatt Olson - Osseo-Maple Grove
Drew Stewart - Minnetonka
Zam Plante wins Bantam POTY award Wednesday in Hermantown
Year | Player | Team | College | NHL Draft Rights |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Ryan Zuhlsdorf | Edina | Minnesota | Tampa Bay |
2014 | Casey Mittelstadt | Eden Prairie | Minnesota | Buffalo |
2015 | Gavin Hain | Grand Rapids | North Dakota | Philadelphia |
2016 | Ethan Frisch | Moorhead | North Dakota | N/A |
2017 | Jake Braccini | Buffalo | Minnesota | N/A |
2018 | Kyle Kukkonen | Osseo-Maple Grove | Michigan Tech | N/A |
2018 | Brock Faber | Osseo-Maple Grove | Minnesota | N/A |
2019 | Max Burkholder | Chaska Chanhassen | Colorado College | N/A |
Gavin Hain - 2015 Bantam POTY winner