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MSU hockey players brought into NHL training camps

July 20, 2015
<p>Image of Travis Walsh at the Detroit Redwings' NHL development camp, July 2015. Photo: Michael Caples/mihockeynow.com</p>

Image of Travis Walsh at the Detroit Redwings' NHL development camp, July 2015. Photo: Michael Caples/mihockeynow.com

Six Spartans on the 2015-16 MSU hockey roster attended NHL prospect development camps in July, including Travis Walsh at the Detroit Red Wings’ camp, according to a Spartan Athletics news release.

The five other Spartans were Jake Hildebrand (Anaheim Ducks), Michael Ferrantino (Carolina Hurricanes), Matt DeBlouw (Calgary Flames), Mackenzie MacEachern (St. Louis Blues) and Mason Appleton (Winnipeg Jets), according to the release.

Walsh is a defenseman going into his senior year and was selected to the All-Big Ten second team in 2014-15. The Red Wings camp was his first gameplay since suffering a broken jaw in February, according to the release.

“I felt good,” Walsh said in the release. “It was the first game environment for me in a while, but I didn’t feel like I lost anything. I thought I had a pretty good pace.”

Hildebrand, a goaltender who is going into his senior year and a first team All-American last season, attended the Ducks’ camp after attending the New Jersey Devils’ and Pittsburgh Penguins’ camps the previous two years, according to the release.

“I thought it was really special because you don’t always get as much individual attention at camps,” Hildebrand said in the release. “It was great because the Ducks had both their minor league and NHL goalie coaches there, so I was able to take a lot away from that.”

Ferrantino, a forward going into his senior season, worked under former Spartan and current Carolina Hurricanes’ assistant coach, Rod Brind’Amour.

“A lot of what we do and learn and Michigan State was reinforced while I was at the camp,” Ferrantino said in the release. “The attention to detail is really noticeable as well. Everything you do — on the ice and off the ice — is very detail oriented. It was a great experience.”

DeBlouw, a forward going into his senior year, MacEachern, a forward going into his junior year and Appleton each have been drafted by their respective teams. Deblouw and MacEachern were selected prior to enrolling at MSU in the 2012 NHL entry level draft and Appleton, a center and incoming freshman, was drafted in this year’s NHL entry level draft.

The MSU hockey team will start its season Oct. 4 against Western Ontario, followed by an appearance in the annual Ice Breaker Tournament on Oct. 9-10 against the University of Maine and Lake Superior State University. 

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