Max Plante leads deep field of Hobey Baker contenders for 2026-27

The 2026‑27 college hockey season gets underway this weekend, and with it comes a fresh race for the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the NCAA’s top player. This year’s field is headlined by returning winner Max Plante and a group of high‑end talents that includes Hage, Wyttenbach, Dean Letourneau and Ryker Lee, many of whom are already tied to NHL organizations.

Ryker Lee steps into spotlight at Michigan State

At Michigan State, Ryker Lee moves from supporting role to centre stage after a summer of heavy turnover. The Spartans lost several of college hockey’s biggest names from 2025‑26, including Porter Martone, two‑time Mike Richter Award finalist Trey Augustine, and key scorers Charlie Stramel and Daniel Russell, who finished second and third in team scoring before turning pro.

In that vacuum, Lee is expected to drive the attack. He posted 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 35 games last season while averaging roughly 15 minutes per night. Michigan State will also lean on a significant influx of youth, with nine freshmen coming in and many of them first‑round picks. If that group can replace much of the departed scoring and stabilize the crease, Lee has a clear path to both a breakout year and serious Hobey Baker consideration.

Letourneau and Wyttenbach headline offensive threats

Boston College’s Dean Letourneau returns as a focal point after a dominant campaign. With James Hagens moving on to the pros, Letourneau is projected to be the Eagles’ primary offensive weapon. Like Hagens, he is a Boston Bruins first‑rounder, and another season in the neighbourhood of the 22 goals he scored last year would make him a nightmare matchup in Hockey East, especially with support from fellow first‑round pick Oscar Hemming and teammates Will Moore and Teddy Stiga.

Quinnipiac’s Wyttenbach, a third‑round pick of the Flames, is coming off a spectacular freshman season in which he led the entire country in scoring, putting up 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points on a powerhouse Bobcats team. Most of last year’s impact players are back, and the program has upgraded its goaltending and added depth through the transfer portal. Although he did not reach the Hobey Baker finalist stage, in part due to concerns about Quinnipiac’s strength of schedule, even a modest step forward as a sophomore would make him extremely difficult for voters to overlook.

Hage and Plante anchor the top tier

The Wolverines, meanwhile, return virtually their entire roster from last season, aside from a couple of graduating seniors, and have supplemented it with more high‑end talent. Hage, a first‑round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, chose to delay turning professional and come back for at least one more run. He amassed 13 goals and 39 assists for 52 points in 39 games, finishing third in the nation in scoring. That assist‑heavy profile may have hurt his Hobey case, as voters often favour pure goal‑scorers.

If Hage can nudge his totals upward or balance out his goal‑assist split, his candidacy should strengthen considerably, especially on a roster that looks even deeper. Standing in his way is Plante, the clear front‑runner. Plante captured the Hobey Baker last season with 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points and outstanding underlying numbers. He becomes the first Hobey winner since 2007 to return to campus and is expected to skate on a top line with brothers Zam, a 2022 fifth‑round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Victor, a 2026 second‑round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, under coach Scott Sandelin.

The built‑in chemistry on that line could make Plante’s team one of the most dangerous in the country and gives him a realistic chance to chase unprecedented history. No player has ever won the Hobey Baker twice, but Plante enters the season in the best position yet to try. Beyond this core group, Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota), Johnny Hicks (Denver) and Joey Muldowney (UConn) are among the other names drawing early mention as players to watch as the campaign unfolds.