Michigan State hockey doesn’t need a superhero in the NCAA Tournament; it needs a team that stays true to its identity. It needs veteran leadership, seniors who have felt the sting of single-elimination games. It needs the 11 freshmen who spread enthusiasm at the rink, and have harnessed that under pressure. And it needs a team that’s hungry to win. Coach Adam Nightingale is only asking his team to be itself.
Michigan State hockey, the No. 1 seed in the Worcester Regional, will open NCAA Tournament play against the No. 4 UConn Huskies on Thursday, with the winner facing either Dartmouth Big Green or Wisconsin Badgers. Spartans forward Nightingale highlighted the challenge ahead, saying, “It's not easy to make this tournament… whoever you're going to play, you're going to play a good team.”
Michigan State hockey coach Adam Nightingale will be named head coach of the 2027 U.S. National Junior team.
Michigan State hockey earned a No. 3 overall seed and a No. 1 regional seed in the NCAA Tournament, marking its third consecutive appearance. The Spartans will face No. 4 seed Uconn on March 26, at 1:30 p.m.
MSU hockey's junior goaltender Trey Augustine was named a finalist for the 2026 Mike Richter Award, given to the best goaltender in NCAA Division I men’s college hockey. Augustine has been a finalist for the Mike Richter Award all three of his collegiate seasons, and is now a finalist for the second consecutive season.
Michigan State hockey’s Charlie Stramel and Trey Augustine have been named semifinalists for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award, making MSU the only program with multiple semifinalists this season.
Michigan State hockey had six players earn Big Ten postseason honors, led by four First Team selections and major awards for Trey Augustine (Goaltender of the Year) and Matt Basgall (Defensive Player of the Year). Head coach Adam Nightingale was also named Coach of the Year, highlighting another standout season for the Spartans.
Michigan State pushed Ohio State to overtime for the third straight meeting, but the Buckeyes secured a 3-2 win in sudden-death overtime. Porter Martone scored to tie the game late in the second period, but Felix Caron netted the game-winner after a Buckeyes rush early in overtime.
The Big Ten changed its hockey tournament format to three rounds of single elimination for this season. The Spartans will test it out when they host Ohio State on Saturday, March 14. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
With 13 new faces on the roster, Michigan State hockey still won the Big Ten Conference. The Spartans established an identity over their 34 games of the regular season and finished 25-7-2 overall, 16-6-2 in the Big Ten. They showed resilience, created an offensive identity, grew defensively and finished in high-stakes games — simulating situations to come in tournament play.
The Spartans entered their final regular-season game with one goal: play to their standard and get better. They were met by a hungry opponent that forced them into a close contest.
For the third straight year, the Spartans are Big Ten regular-season champions.
The No. 2 Michigan State hockey team is two points away from earning a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, and three points away from clinching it outright. MSU has two games left in the regular season providing six possible points to earn. The Spartans will face Minnesota at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6 for the two-game series. Both games are set for 8 p.m. EST on Big Ten Plus.
