MSU hockey announced its roster of 14 returners and 12 newcomers for the upcoming season earlier today. The team contains 18 draft picks including 10 first-round picks, five from the 2026 NHL Draft.
Former Michigan State hockey captain Matt Basgall signed a one-year professional contract with the San Diego Gulls, announced by the organization July 15.
Michigan State hockey has brought in more draft picks and talent each year under coach Adam Nightingale, which was highlighted last week at NHL Development Camps. Eighteen players on the upcoming 2026-27 roster participated in Development Camps last week. An additional six former and five committed Spartans were also in attendance, spanning 19 of the 32 franchises.
The NCAA approved one of the most substantial changes to student-athlete eligibility last Tuesday — a five-year rule. Players will have a five-year period of eligibility (POE) upon college enrollment or the “start of the academic year” following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The rule eliminates redshirts and will shift recruiting, roster building and development across all MSU sports - notably football, basketball and hockey.
Follow along for insight into the NHL Draft and MSU hockey commits. Story will be updated as the draft unfolds.
Several Michigan State hockey commits are projected to be drafted in the 2026 NHL Draft, including Top 20-Ranked prospects like Chase Reid, Ethan Belchetz, Nikita Klepov and Thomas Bleyl.The draft will be held June 26-27 at Keybank Center in Buffalo, New York. The first round will be held June 26 beginning at 7 p.m. Rounds 2-7 will begin at 11 a.m. the following day.
Michigan State hockey's sophomore forward Ryker Lee, former forwards Isaac Howard and Porter Martone and former defenseman Maxim Štrbák will represent their countries at the 2026 IIHF Men's World Championships from May 15-31 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Andy Contois will join Michigan State hockey as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season, head coach Adam Nightingale announced Friday.
The Michigan State hockey team just snagged another projected first-round commit: left winger Ethan Belchetz. Belchetz adds to the Spartans' incoming roster of high-ranked draft prospects and draft picks: Chase Reid, Mason West, Nikita Klepov, Joshua Ravensbergen.
MSU hockey is expected to return 14 players, including nine forwards and five defenseman. The Spartans have also received three transfers and are expected to fill the rest of its roster with incoming freshmen. MSU’s biggest departures came due to graduation and professional contracts as eight players signed agreements. The team also lost four players to the transfer portal, two backup goaltenders and two forwards, who did not play for more than half of the season.
Michigan State hockey has just received two commits out of the transfer portal: future-senior forward Jimmy Clark (from Minnesota) and future-junior goaltender Quentin Sigurdson (from Northeastern).
Michigan State’s freshman forwards Porter Martone, Cayden Lindstrom and Anthony Romani were the three players to arrive from the CHL, and while MSU fell short of the Frozen Four — one that saw almost 20 CHL players, including all four starting goaltenders — the trio was impactful throughout the season. Each played its role in helping MSU to its Big Ten regular-season title.
Future junior forward Cullen Potter has committed to the Michigan State hockey program for the 2026-27 season, transferring from Arizona State University.
Freshman forward Austin Baker is the fourth Michigan State hockey player to enter the transfer portal, following freshman goaltender Melvin Strahl, sophomore forward Nathan Mackie and senior goaltender Dolan Gilbert.
