The Detroit Red Wings selected forward Victor Plante with the 47th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday, June 27, in Buffalo.
The pick unites him with his older brother Max, whom Detroit drafted 47th overall in 2024.
Plante, 18, spent last season with the U. S.
National Team Development Program's Under-18 team.
He recorded 21 goals and 47 points in 57 games, including 18 points in 20 contests, according to detroithockeynow.
com.
The winger is committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth, following in the footsteps of his father Derek and brothers Max and Zam.
Derek played for the Buffalo Sabres and was drafted 161st overall in 1989.
Max and Zam both played for the Bulldogs, with Zam drafted 150th overall by Pittsburgh in 2022.
Before the draft, Victor set a competitive goal. "My goal is to get drafted higher than Max," he said.
"That's pretty hard because he was drafted pretty high, but that'd be pretty cool."
Victor also emphasized that being wanted by a team matters most.
"I just want to go to a team that really wants you and likes you and will play you hopefully sometime," he said.
The draft in Buffalo held special meaning for the Plante family.
Derek spent over five seasons with the Sabres and shared memories with Victor during a previous tournament visit.
"We were just walking down the street here like 10 minutes ago and he's like, 'Oh, that's where that happened,'" Victor recalled.
Victor recorded the top fatigue index score at the 2026 NHL Draft Combine during fitness testing earlier in June at LECOM Harborcenter.
He described his playing style as a two-way forward with offensive focus. "I describe myself as a two-way player, more on the offensive side," Victor said.
"But (I) like to score some goals here and there and lock it down in the D-zone."
His brothers advised him to enjoy the experience. "Just have fun," Victor said.
"Not everyone gets to be in the shoes you have, so just make the most of it."
Victor's father Derek met his wife Kristy at Minnesota Duluth in the early 1990s. Max and Zam are both entering their junior seasons with the Bulldogs.
