Zam Plante selected in 5th round of NHL Draft

WDIO Sports

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Following in his father’s footsteps Zam Plante heard his name called in the 2022 NHL Draft on Friday.

The incoming Hermantown senior went 150th overall in the fifth round to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"It’s a dream come true," Plante said during the post draft press conference. "I’ve watched Pittsburgh play [Stanley] Cups, and I like to say I model my game after Jake Guentzel so watching him a little bit, it’s really cool. If I can get stronger on the puck and get a little bit quicker, it would definitely help me adjust to a NHL game."

Unlike his dad Derek Plante, who missed the in-person draft in 1989 when he went No. 161 overall to the Buffalo Sabres, Zam was in Montreal with his family to soak in the celebrations. Derek, a Cloquet native, went on to win the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999.

"He had a funny story," Zam said about his dad. "He was mowing the lawn and he came inside and his step sister was like yeah you got drafted by some blue and gold team, which ended up being Buffalo. He asked me, do you want to go? I’m like sure yeah sweet."

Zam Plante after being drafted by the Penguins in the NHL Draft on Friday.[Kristi Plante.]

A forward Zam is a verbal commit to the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) men’s hockey team where Derek serves as the associate head coach.

A junior last season with the Hawks Zam put up 61 points scoring 24 goals with 37 assists helping Hermantown to a Class A state championship.