USA Hockey Magazine

Like Father, Like Son 42 // SEPTEMBER 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM own thing. It has to be his path, but when I see something he can work on I help him with it and give him some tips." Zam had a breakout 2020-21 season with Hermantown (Minn.) High School, tallying 29 goals and 32 assists for 61 points, which included a Section 7A title and a trip to the Class A state tournament. Next season he's already planning to split time playing for the reigning USHL champs Chicago Steel and with his high school team. Recently, the high school junior announced his commitment to play college hockey at Minnesota Duluth, where his father serves as the associate head coach. "I'm super proud of him, and I'm really fired up about it," Derek said. "Through that process, I just let head coach Scott Sandelin and assistant coach Adam Krause do the recruiting. It's his path and he gets to make his own choice and go the route he wants to go and I'm pretty excited that he wants to be a Bulldog and all the other coaches are, too. He's earned it but at the same time there's still work that he needs to do to get to Duluth and be the player he wants to be." Having the opportunity to wear the red, white and blue like his dad is a thrill for the youngster who hopes the Hlinka Gretzky Cup will be the first of many opportunities to play with Team USA. "That would be a dream come true," Zam said. "Hopefully I can follow in my dad's foot- steps, but we'll see how it goes." He's off to a good start so far, recording two goals and two assists as the U.S. finished with a fifth-place result. His play impressed the U.S. coaching staff, including team general man- P arents can be great role models when their sons and daughters follow in their footsteps. For the Plante family, there are plenty of similarities between father Derek and his oldest son, Zam, who made his first splash on the international stage at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Derek himself is no stranger to the tournament, having helped lead the U.S. Under-18 Men's Select Team to a second-place finish in 2013 as an assis- tant coach and a third-place showing as the head coach in 2014. However, at this year's tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia, he found himself sitting in the stands transfixed on watching his son's every move on the ice. "I love to watch him play, it's fun," said Derek shortly after exiting the FOSFA Arena in Breclav after the U.S. wrapped up the tournament with a 5-4 win over the Czech Republic. "It's a pretty important tournament, it's kind of a big deal just to see him out there. I have a lot of pride." It's the latest chapter in dad's hockey journey that includes 450 games over eight NHL seasons in addition to representing the United States on seven occasions in international competitions. So there's no doubt that his past accomplishments have had a hand in setting Zam on a path toward future success. "I'm sure I have an influence. We do a lot of hockey stuff together like watching hockey and talking about it," Derek said. "But I try to back off and let him be his own player and do his Like Father, Like Son Derek Plante And His Son, Zam, Share An International Bond At Hlinka Gretzky Cup By Michael Reedy PHOTOS COURTESY OF Peter Jesensky/Hockey Slovakia; USA Hockey Magazine Archives AFTER PLAYING EIGHT YEARS IN THE NHL AND ANOTHER FEW IN PRO LEAGUES OVERSEAS, DEREK PLANTE HAS TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO COACHING. ZAM PLANTE IS WELL ON HIS WAY TO FOLLOWING IN HIS DAD'S FOOTSTEPS, HAVING MADE AN IMPACT IN AT THE 2021 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP.

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