Two University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) men’s hockey players are gold medalists after winning the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. Hermantown native Max Plante and Chaska native Adam Kleber helped Team USA beat Finland 4-3 in overtime Sunday, January 5 in Ottawa, Ontario to earn USA their seventh World Junior gold.

Back to Duluth by Wednesday, they shared their thoughts on the tournament.

“For me, the feeling of winning, I still haven’t won my first college hockey game, but I’ve won six World Junior games,” Plante said, a freshman forward. “I’m looking forward to playing for the ‘dogs again, and hopefully the second half we just start getting on a roll and winning hockey games. Whatever me and Klebes (sic) got to do to help that happen, it’ll help just winning games, knowing how to win.”

“Just incredible. Just a once in a lifetime opportunity to do it in Canada, kind of plant the flag on their soil. Nothing better than that,” Kleber added, a freshman defenseman.

During the tournament, Plante had a goal and two assists, while Kleber added one assist.

The duo return to collegiate action this weekend as the Bulldogs play host to St. Cloud State University. Puck drop against the 10th ranked Huskies is Friday, January 10 at 7:07pm, and Saturday, Jan. 11 at 6:07pm, at AMSOIL Arena. UMD enters 6-11-1, while the Huskies are 11-7.