The team contains 18 draft picks - among the most in college hockey - including 10 first-round picks, five from the 2026 NHL Draft. While Nightingale has stressed that draft status does not define a player, the Spartans won’t be lacking. 

By the Numbers - Returners

Seniors (4) - Gavin O’Connell (F), Tommi Männistö (F), Griffin Jurecki (F) and Patrick Geary (D)

Juniors (2) - Shane Vansaghi (F) and Owen West (D)

Sophomores (8) - Ryker Lee (F), Anthony Romani (F), Eric Nilson (F), Cayden Lindstrom (F), Cole Burke (F), Sean Barnhill (D), Matt Lahey (D) and Cole Ward (D)

MSU returns nine forwards, five defensemen and zero goaltenders. 

Meet the 12 New Faces

Defenseman Chase Reid - Fr. 

Reid is a player who can do a little bit of everything — and do it well. He put up 48 points (18g-30a) and a +27 rating with the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League last season. 

He played every situation for the Greyhounds, quarterbacking the power play and shutting down opponents on the penalty kill. He also represented Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships, tallying five points in four games. He is expected to represent the U.S. again in December, with Nightingale coaching the squad this year. 

Forward Nikita Klepov - Fr. 

Klepov is an elite scorer. He led the OHL with 97 points (37g-60a) last season, earning Rookie of the Year with the Saginaw Spirit. The right wing is known for his one-timer, agility and hockey IQ. 

While he was born in the United States, Klepov grew up in Russia before returning to the U.S. for hockey at age 15. He was drafted 15th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in June. 

Forward Ethan Belchetz - Fr.

Belchetz is best known for his physical presence. The 6-foot-5, 228-lbs. center posted 59 points (34g-25a) in the OHL last season before a broken clavicle ended his season. The injury gave him more time to improve his skating, aiding his two-way game. 

Belchetz was recently drafted 17th overall to the Utah Mammoth.

Forward Mason West - Fr. 

While his teammates have primarily focused on hockey over the last couple of years, West was a two-sport athlete until last winter. 

The 6-foot-6, 215-lbs. center spent the past year playing football and hockey, quarterbacking Edina High School to a Minnesota state football championship. He then joined the United States Hockey League’s Fargo Force for 35 games, posting 25 points (10g-15a) and a +5 rating. Improved physicality and coordination are among his goals heading into the season. 

“I do a good job of skill work and managing the puck, but I can always work on my skating, my physicality, and use my size to my advantage,” West told the media at Blackhawks Development Camp. 

“Sometimes you get uncomfortable in those positions, whether you're turning and being close to the boards or trying to feel a guy out, but (I’m) just trying to be more comfortable in those positions and be more elusive.”

Forward Jack Hextall - Fr. 

Hextall is known as a two-way, responsible player. He tallied 58 points (20g-38a) in 39 games for the Youngstown Phantoms last season, helping them finish first in the USHL.  

He was drafted 30th overall by the Calgary Flames in June.

Defenseman Tommy Bleyl - Fr. 

Bleyl wasn’t expected at MSU for another season, but changed his mind after being drafted (1st Round, 31st overall to the Nashville Predators). 

The backbone of Bleyl’s game is his skating, which he credits to long-time skating coach Dave Randall. Bleyl trained at Randall’s North American Hockey Systems, Inc in Troy, New York.

Bleyl posted 81 points (13g-68a) and a +58 rating with the Moncton Wildcats last season, competing in the Québec Maritime Junior Hockey League.  

Defenseman Brady Peddle  - Fr. 

Peddle, a six-foot-three, 205-lbs. defenseman, posted 19 points (3g-16a) in 62 games with the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL. He then signed an amateur-tryout agreement with the American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who drafted him in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Peddle never made his AHL debut and is joining the MSU squad to develop in East Lansing. 

Goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen - Fr.

While every player has something to prove, Ravensbergen has big skates to fill. He is expected to replace former goaltender Trey Augustine, who signed his first professional contract last spring. 

Ravensbergen is already a rare occurrence for a goaltender as a first-round draft pick, selected 30th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2025. 

He posted a 2.51 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in 46 regular-season games (32-13-0) last season, competing in the Western Hockey League. He then went 6-4-2 in 12 postseason games, putting up a 2.71 GAA and .918 SV%. 

Goaltender JJ Salajko - Fr. 

With Ravensbergen expected as the No. 1 goalie, Salajko is expected to develop behind him, along with transfer Quentin Sigurdson. 

Salajko played three games in the USHL for the Waterloo Black Hawks (3.78 GAA, .886 SV%) before moving down to the North American Hockey League. He competed in 16 games, posting a 3.78 GAA and .886 SV% and a 6-7-0 record. 

Forward Jimmy Clark - Sr. (transfer)

Clark has one more year of eligibility after spending three seasons at Minnesota, his home state. He posted 16 points (4g-12a) last season, competing in every game. 

The center was a reliable source for Minnesota at the faceoff circle. He has ties to Nightingale, having played for him on the NTDP before Nightingale took the head coaching job at MSU.

Clark was a seventh-round draft pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2023. 

Forward Cullen Potter - Jr. (transfer)

Potter’s arrival is somewhat full circle. The forward was committed to MSU in September of 2023 when he played on the NTDP but decommitted when he opted to graduate high school early. There wasn’t a spot for him on the Spartan roster, so he joined Arizona State, where he spent the last two seasons. 

Potter – known as a consistent offensive producer – was drafted (1st Round, 32nd overall) to the Calgary Flames in 2025. He didn’t play a full season last year due to an upper-body injury, but finished with 26 points (12g-14a) in 24 games. Potter told the media at Flames Development Camp that his shoulder is healthy and he’s been skating for about three months. 

Goaltender Quentin Sigurdson - Jr. (transfer)

Sigurdson hasn’t played more than 10 games for a team since the 2023-24 season, when he was still competing in the NAHL. The goaltender played four games at Northeastern, posting a 2.73 GAA and .920 SV%. The 6-foot-2 goaltender went 2-2 in net, including a 3-2 win over Boston University last November.

Sigurdson has two more years of eligibility left and just turned 23.