DULUTH — The 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship could give Bulldogs fans a chance to play a little game of “What if?”
Like, what if Isaac Howard stayed at Minnesota Duluth instead of transferring to Michigan State? Could he and Max Plante have been linemates in 2024-25?
The last two Hobey Baker Memorial Award winners are part of the 2026 U.S. Men’s National Team preliminary roster for the World Championship, which begins Friday. The United States opens against host Switzerland in Zurich.
Plante and Howard were linemates Sunday
for the U.S. exhibition win over Germany,
with Howard getting an assist on a Plante goal
in the third period to give the Americans a 4-1 lead and eventual 5-2 win.
Boston College’s James Hagens, who signed with the Boston Bruins this spring, centered the two wingers on Sunday in Mannheim, Germany.
Howard spent just a single season at UMD in 2022-23, registering six goals and 11 assists as a freshman. The 2022 first-round NHL draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning took a big step during his junior year with the Spartans to post 26 goals and 26 assists to win the Hobey Baker in 2024-25.
“He was way better away from the puck, and his production went up,” Spartans coach Adam Nightingale
said after Howard won the Hobey in St. Louis.
“Offense, confidence, playing in more situations like getting out on 4-on-4, playing with the goalie out — you’ve got to earn those. I get it, you’re a first-rounder, but you don’t just get those. You got to earn them, and he’s done that.”
Michigan State junior forward Isaac Howard poses with Spartans coach Adam Nightingale after being named the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner April 11, 2025, at Stifel Theatre in St. Louis.
Matt Wellens / Duluth Media Group file photo
The 2024-25 season likely would have been the only season Plante and Howard played together at UMD, and Howard would have been forced to make a similar jump away from the puck to get ice time with Max Plante.
Howard — who signed with the Edmonton Oilers organization in the summer of 2025 after getting traded —
became the first former Bulldog to win the Hobey in 2025.
Plante became
the seventh current Bulldog to win the award this spring in Las Vegas
after putting up 25 goals and 27 assists as a sophomore.
“Almost back-to-back, but not quite,” Max quipped in Vegas about Howard after winning the Hobey.
Both players have undergone treatments for a congenital heart defect known as
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome.
Howard underwent a procedure in between his seasons at UMD and MSU, while Plante was treated last offseason.
Faulk named captain of Team USA
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Faulk (72) passes in the first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena on April 7 in Detroit, Michigan.
Rick Osentoski / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Former Bulldog Justin Faulk will captain the United States at this year’s World Championship. The 34-year-old defenseman is the oldest player on the U.S. preliminary roster.
Michigan State freshman wing Ryker Lee, 19, is the youngest on the roster, beating out Plante by a little over eight months and Hagens by 17 days.
Faulk is playing in his fifth World Championship with Team USA, having also been part of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team. His last appearance at Worlds came in 2015 as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Faulk previously played for Team USA at the World Junior Championship in 2011 and the Under-18 Worlds in 2010, when he scored the gold-winning goal against Sweden.
Plante, Lee and Hagens were on the 2026 U.S. Junior National Team this year in St. Paul, with Plante and Hagens also being part of the 2025 team that won gold.
Faulk’s advice to his younger teammates this month would be not to take these moments for granted.
“Where I’m at in my age, you don’t know how many opportunities you’re going to have left to get this,” Faulk told USA Hockey. “I’ve been in this situation where you grew up, you’re lucky enough (at) 15, 16 years old to have those opportunities.
“It seems like it’s going to happen all the time, but that’s not the case. Everyone is appreciative to be here and excited to wear the red, white and blue.”
2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship
USA schedule
All games in Zurich, Switzerland
All times CT on NHL Network
Preliminary round
Friday, May 15 — Switzerland, 1:20 p.m.
Sunday, May 17 — Great Britain, 5:20 a.m.
Monday, May 18 — Finland, 9:20 a.m.
Wednesday, May 20 — Germany, 1:20 p.m.
Saturday, May 23 — Latvia, 5:20 a.m.
Monday, May 25 — Hungary, 9:20 a.m.
Tuesday, May 26 — Austria, 9:20 a.m.
Knockout rounds
Thursday, May 28 — Quarterfinals
Saturday, May 30 — Semifinals
Sunday, May 31 — Bronze and gold medal games
Six former Bulldogs playing for Walter Cup
The Professional Women’s Hockey League Walter Cup Finals between the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge begin Thursday in Montreal, and will feature six former UMD Bulldogs.
Five of those six are playing for the Ottawa Charge, including two-time NCAA champion and All-American defenseman Jocelyne Larocque. The 37-year-old Larocque also has two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship gold medals with Team Canada.
Larocque is seeking her first PWHL title, as are former Bulldogs Olivia Wallin, Czech Olympian Katerina Mrazova and 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award winner Gabbie Hughes.
Michela Cava is seeking her third PWHL title in the league’s three seasons and her sixth professional title in a row, having previously hoisted trophies in Sweden’s SDHL in 2021, Russia in 2022 and the now-defunct Premier Hockey Federation in 2023.
Cava was with PWHL Minnesota/Minnesota Frost for their Walter Cup title runs in 2024 and 2025, as was Maggie Flaherty. The former Bulldogs defenseman is now seeking a third-straight PWHL title with Montreal.
2026 PWHL Walter Cup Finals
Best-of-five series
All times CT on ION and YouTube
Thursday, May 14 — Game 1 at Montreal, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 — Game 2 at Montreal, 1 p.m.
Monday, May 18 — Game 3 at Ottawa, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, May 20 — Game 4 at Ottawa, 6 p.m. (if necessary)
TBA — Game 5 at Montreal (if necessary)