The Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey team is the

college ice hockey College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America. In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the g ...

team that represents

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

(MSU). The team plays at the

Munn Ice Arena Clarence L. Munn Ice Arena is a 6,114-seat hockey-only arena in East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University, situated across Chestnut Road from the Intramural Recreative Sports Center West and Spartan Stadium. It is home ...

East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County, Michigan, Clinton County. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...

, on the MSU campus. The current head

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

Adam Nightingale Adam Nightingale (born December 19, 1979) is an American former ice hockey player and the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey team. Playing career Nightingale began his college ice hockey, collegiate career at Lake Superior ...

, who took over coaching duties on May 3, 2022, after

Danton Cole Danton Edward Cole (born January 10, 1967) is an American former professional hockey player and the former head coach of the Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey, Michigan State Spartans men's hockey team. He had guided the USA Hockey Nationa ...

was fired. Michigan State currently competes in the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

. The MSU ice hockey program has seven CCHA regular season championships and 11 CCHA Tournament titles. MSU has also won 12

Great Lakes Invitational The Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) is a four-team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's ice hockey tournament held annually at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit around the New Year's holiday as part of College Hockey in the D. The ...

titles. The Spartans have been in the NCAA tournament 23 times, with nine

Frozen Four The annual NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is a college ice hockey tournament held in the United States by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the top men's team in Division I. Like other Division I cham ...

appearances and three national titles ( 1966,

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, and 2007). On April 7, 2007, the Michigan State Spartans won their third National Championship by beating

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

3–1. Their traditional rival is

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and the teams have played an annual game in Detroit since 1990. Starting at the

Joe Louis Arena Joe Louis Arena was an arena in Downtown Detroit. Completed in 1979 at a cost of US$57 million as a replacement for Olympia Stadium, it sat adjacent to TCF Center, Cobo Center on the bank of the Detroit River and was accessible by the Joe Lou ...

, the game has since moved to

Little Caesars Arena Little Caesars Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Midtown Detroit. Opened on September 5, 2017, the arena, which cost $862.9 million to construct, replaced Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of ...

in 2018.

History

Early history

The Spartan ice hockey program traces its roots back to the first informal varsity team that began in 1922 playing an independent NCAA Division I schedule. On January 11, 1922, Michigan State played its first intercollegiate hockey game, a 1–5 loss to

. Home games during the first season were played on the frozen Red Cedar River on MSU's campus. Michigan State finished 0–3 in the 1922 season and picked up its first win during the second season on February 11, 1923, 6–1 over the Lansing Independents. The team did not play the 1923–24 season but returned for the 1924–25 season. The 1924–25 season marked the first time the program had a head coach,

John Kobs John H. Kobs (August 21, 1898 – January 26, 1968) was an American athlete and coach. He was the head baseball coach at Michigan State University from 1925 to 1963 where he compiled a career record of 576–377–16. He also coached men's baske ...

, who also coached the Michigan State Spartans baseball team. Kobs' tenure at Michigan State lasted six season before the team was suspended for 19 seasons. During which time the team compiled a record of 8-18-1.

Harold Paulsen Harold W. "Babe" Paulsen (March 3, 1919, in Virginia, Minnesota – May 11, 2010, in Mankato, Minnesota) was a former collegiate ice hockey player and head coach. Paulsen played hockey at the University of Minnesota from 1938 to 1941 and was an ...

was hired as the varsity ice hockey coach at Michigan State on August 1, 1948 following the suspension of the hockey programs during the years of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Before recruiting or coaching, Paulsen oversaw the renovation of

Demonstration Hall Demonstration Hall is a structure on the campus of Michigan State University. It was built in 1928 with offices, classrooms, and a riding arena for the Military Science department as a replacement for the Armory (built 1885, razed 1939). Exhibit ...

into an indoor rink with artificial ice-making capabilities. On January 12, 1950, MSU played its first game since 1930, losing to

Michigan Tech Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michiga ...

6–2. Paulsen struggled through his first two years at Michigan State with a 6–25 record. MSU athletic director Ralph Young felt the hockey program's progress was inadequate and Paulsen resigned. Following the 1951 season,

Amo Bessone Amos "Betts" Bessone (November 22, 1916 – January 9, 2010) was a collegiate ice hockey player and head coach. Bessone was born in Sagamore, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, and raised in West Springfield, Massachusetts, where he learned to play ho ...

accepted the head coaching position at Michigan State University. Bessone would remain at MSU for the next 28 years.

Amo Bessone era

When Bessone arrived at Michigan State, the ice hockey program was beginning its third full season after being reinstated. That same season, in 1951–52, the Spartans joined

Colorado College Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates at its campus. The college offer ...

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Michigan, Michigan Tech,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, and

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

as founding members of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League (MCHL). Amo Bessone won his first collegiate hockey game as head coach on November 29, 1951, when the Spartans defeated

Ontario Agricultural College The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto. Since 1964, it has become affili ...

8–2. The Spartans struggled with six losing seasons before Bessone turned things around in his seventh season as coach. In 1957–58, Michigan State enjoyed its first winning season. The following season, Bessone guided MSU to a Big Ten championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament. The tournament was MSU's first

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

tournament appearance. The Spartans defeated

4–3 in the semifinals and advanced to the schools's first championship appearance. The Spartans lost the 1959 national championship game in overtime 3–4 to North Dakota. MSU finishes the season 17-6-1. Michigan State became a charter member of the

Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...

(WCHA) in 1959. The WCHA was a reincarnation of the loosely affiliated Midwest Collegiate Hockey League and Western Intercollegiate Hockey League that disbanded following the 1957–58 season. Bessone and MSU struggled during the first five seasons of the WCHA. Again, Bessone turned things around with a winning season in 1964–65. The following season, Bessone coached Michigan State to an improbable NCAA National Championship. MSU began the 1965–66 season 4-10, but rebounded winning 12 of their last 15 games including defeating the defending national champion, Michigan Tech, to win the WCHA playoffs after finishing sixth in the regular season. The win earned MSU a spot in the 1966 NCAA tournament. In the national semifinals, Bessone upset highly favored

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

2–1 with a goal by Spartan forward, Doug Volmar. In the national championship game, Bessone and the Spartans faced

Len Ceglarski Leonard Stanley Ceglarski (June 27, 1926 – December 16, 2017) was an American ice hockey player and coach. He was an All-American left wing on Boston College's 1949 NCAA championship team, and was captain of the 1950–51 squad. He was also a ...

's Clarkson team that owned the national-best record of 24–2. On March 19, 1966, Michigan State beat top-ranked Clarkson 6–1 victory to give Michigan State is first national championship. Len Ceglarski and Amo Bessone shared the

Spencer Penrose Award The Spencer Penrose Award is awarded yearly to the top coach in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The finalists for each year's award comprise the conference Coach of the Year winners from each Division ...

as the national coach of the year in 1966. The national title and coaching award cemented Bessone's legacy as a coach. To this day, Bessone's 1966 Michigan State team remains one of the biggest underdog stories in NCAA ice hockey history. The total number of team victories (16) and team winning percentage (.551) is the lowest of any NCAA ice hockey champion. MSU made the NCAA tournament again with a strong WCHA playoff finish in 1967, but lost 2–4 in the national semifinals, a rematch of the 1966 NCAA Tournament against Boston University. Bessone began the 1970s with six straight winning seasons. During Bessone's time coaching the Spartans the team won MSU won its first

by defeating Michigan Tech 5–4 on December 28, 1973. As MSU hockey was building momentum,

opened October 25, 1974, when Michigan State hosted Laurentian. That same season saw the first sellout crowd in Munn's history when the Spartans defeated North Dakota 6–2. A season later, in 1975–76, Bessone guided MSU to its best WCHA conference record of 20-12-0 before Minnesota knocked MSU out of the WCHA playoffs in 6-7 triple overtime loss. Minnesota, who had finished below Michigan State in the conference, received an NCAA tournament bid instead. Bessone announced his retirement effective at the end of the 1978–79 season after three straight losing seasons. Bessone coached his final game as head coach on March 3, 1979, when the Spartans defeated rival Michigan 5–3.

Ron Mason era

After Amo Bessone retired from Michigan State University, the MSU Athletic Director, Joseph Kearney, hired

Ron Mason Ronald Herbert Mason (January 14, 1940 – June 13, 2016) was a Canadian ice hockey player, head coach, and university executive. A head coach of various American universities, most notably Michigan State University (MSU), he was the most success ...

as the Spartans new head coach. Mason was named Spartan head coach on April 1, 1979, and spend the next 23 seasons at Michigan State. It was a rough start in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for Mason as he compiled a record of 26-46-2 over two seasons. Michigan State joined the

Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previous incarnation, which the curre ...

(CCHA) in 1981 and over the next few seasons Mason turned the hockey program around. The Spartans won CCHA playoff championships the first four straight seasons of the conference in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985. MSU would win a second national title in

when the Spartans defeated

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

6–5. In 2000 CCHA coaches and athletic directors unanimous voted to renamed the CCHA championship trophy to the

Mason Cup The Mason Cup is the trophy awarded to the champion of the CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, the postseason championship event of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, an NCAA Division I college ice hockey league. The Cup was awarded from 200 ...

in honor of Ron Mason, who was a key figure in establishing the conference in the early 1970s prior to his tenure at Michigan State. During the 2000–01 season Michigan State finished first in the regular season and advanced through the CCHA Tournament winning the first ever Mason Cup. That same season the Spartans made a Frozen Four appearance by beating

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

5-1 before losing to North Dakota in the Semifinal game. On October 6, 2001, the Spartans hosted an outdoor game at Spartan Stadium against rival Michigan known as

The Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term ''cold war'' is used because the ...

. The school would set an attendance record for an outdoor hockey game as 74,554 fans attended. The game ended in a 3–3 tie. Mason led Michigan State to seven CCHA regular season titles and a conference-record 10 CCHA tournament titles. In addition, MSU under Mason made 19 NCAA tournament appearances during his 23 seasons with the Spartans. He coached MSU to five NCAA Frozen Fours, two National Championship appearances, and one National Championship. Mason coached two

Hobey Baker Memorial Award The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 41 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton University ...

winners,

Kip Miller Kip Charles Miller (born June 11, 1969) is an American former ice hockey forward. He last played for the American Hockey League Grand Rapids Griffins in 2006–07. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques as their 4th-round pick in the 1987 NHL E ...

in 1990 and

Ryan Miller Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...

in 2001.

Rick Comley era

Rick Comley was announced as Ron Mason's successor as head ice hockey coach at Michigan State University in March 2002. Comley led the Spartans to a tournament appearance in 2004, his second season as MSU's head coach. After losing to

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan (known colloquially to residents of more southerly parts of the state and summer residents from cities such as Detroit as " Up North"), is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. A popul ...

in the 2004 CCHA Tournament the Spartans received an at-large bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Third ranked MSU fell to second seed Minnesota-Duluth in the opening round 0–5. Comley's Spartans returned to the NCAA Tournament in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2005. Comley guided MSU to a second-place CCHA finish in the regular season and a CCHA Mason Cup Championship in

. Michigan State advanced into the 2006 Tournament with an automatic bid. The Spartans defeated

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

1-0 before losing to

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

4–5 in the East Regional Final. In the 2006–07 season, Michigan State was preseason ranked No. 5, which was MSU's highest preseason ranking since October 2001. The team earned an NCAA Tournament bid after finishing the regular season with a conference record of 15-10-3. Comley led MSU to defeat three higher-ranked teams en route to the national championship including No. 1-ranked Notre Dame in the Midwest Regional final. In the Frozen Four the team defeated No. 4-ranked Boston College in the National Championship game on April 7, 2007, by a score of 3–1 in a game that saw Michigan State score three unanswered goals in the third period. In December 2010 the Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines played a second outdoor game at

Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...

. The game, known as

The Big Chill at the Big House The Big Chill at the Big House (a.k.a. Cold War II) was an outdoor college ice hockey game played on December 11, 2010, at Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Wolverines men's team defeated its rival, the Mic ...

, took place on December 11, 2010. 104,173 fans filled Michigan Stadium and watched as Michigan beat Michigan State 5–0. The attendance broke the 75,000 of the Cold War and 78,000 of the

2010 IIHF World Championship The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannhei ...

and set a new attendance record for a hockey game. Later that same season on January 25, 2011, Rick Comley announced that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2010–11 season.

Tom Anastos and Big Ten Conference era

In September 2010

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

announced that the university was elevating its men's and women's

American Collegiate Hockey Association The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a college ice hockey association. The ACHA's purpose is to be an organization of collegiate affiliated non-varsity programs, which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes qualit ...

club programs to varsity status. Then-CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos publicly stated that the CCHA would strongly consider adding

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

as the conference's 12th member. On March 21, 2011, the Big Ten Conference announced plans to sponsor men's ice hockey starting in 2013–14 season. Michigan State along with CCHA rivals, University of Michigan and Ohio State University will leave the CCHA to join University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin from the WCHA and Penn State to form a six-team Big Ten Hockey Conference. Less than a week after the Big Ten's announcement Michigan State announced that former CCHA Commissioner, Tom Anastos would become the 6th head coach in the history of the program. Anastos is a former Spartan hockey player who played for MSU from 1981 to 1985. He is also the former coach at Michigan-Dearborn ( NAIA) from 1987 to 1990, and compiled a 68-37-7 record. He later served as an assistant coach under Ron Mason from 1990 to 1992. Anastos picked up his first NCAA DI coaching victory with Michigan State in the second game of the 2012 Icebreaker tournament with a 3–2 overtime win over

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

. The Spartans finished the 2011–12 season ranked 5th in the CCHA standings and received a first round bye in the CCHA Tournament. The Spartans faced fourth-seeded Miami (OH) in the second round, in the best-of-three series Michigan State was swept 0-6 and 1–4 in two games. Despite being swept by Miami, the Spartans finished 15th in the Pairwise rankings and became the final at-large bid selected for the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The bid marked the team's first appearance in the NCAA post-season since 2008, the team was placed in the East Region held at Webster Bank Arena in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

. In the game, Union College took an early lead and held the Spartans to a single goal in a 3–1 win over Michigan State in the East Regional semifinal. The game was the first meeting between the two programs and also the first win in the NCAA Division I national tournament for the Dutchmen. At the end of the 2016–17 season, it was announced that Tom Anastos would step down as head coach of the Spartans. MSU then announced that they had hired Danton Cole as the program's 7th head coach.

Danton Cole era

On April 11, 2017,

was named head coach at Michigan State University. In Cole first season, 2017–18, the Spartans finished last in the Big Ten and were swept in a three-game series in the conference tournament by Ohio State. The next season, MSU once again finished last in the Big Ten and were swept by Notre Dame in the conference tournament. In 2019–20, the Spartans started the season strong and swept Michigan for the first time in Cole's tenure. However, the performances fell off and they finished sixth in the conference before being swept by Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. On April 12, 2022, he was fired by Michigan State. During five seasons as head coach, he led the Spartans to a 58–101–12 record.

Adam Nightingale era

On May 3, 2022,

was named head coach at Michigan State University.

Season-by-season results

Source:

Coaches

As of the end of the 2021–22 season

All-time coaching records

Source:

Awards and honors

United States Hockey Hall of Fame

Source: *

(2013)

NCAA

Individual awards

Hobey Baker Award The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 41 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton University ...

: 1990 *

: 2001

: 1966 *

: 1992 NCAA Scoring Champion * Steve Colp: 1974 * Tom Ross: 1975, 1976 *

Bobby Reynolds Robert Thomas "Bobby" Reynolds (born July 17, 1982) is an American retired professional tennis player who resides in Auburn, Alabama. He was named head men's tennis coach at Auburn University in June 2016. Professional career Reynolds, a nativ ...

: 1989 *

: 1989, 1990 * Taro Hirose: 2019 Tournament Most Outstanding Player *

Gaye Cooley Gaye Cooley (born July 6, 1946 in North Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. Gaye Cooley played college hockey at Michigan State University. He was named as the Most Valuable Player of the 1966 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hock ...

: 1966 *

Mike Donnelly Michael Chene Donnelly (born October 10, 1963) is an American former ice hockey left wing. He played in the National Hockey League between 1986 and 1996 with the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars The Dallas Sta ...

: 1986 *

Justin Abdelkader Justin Abdelkader (; born February 25, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for EV Zug of the National League (NL). He was drafted 42nd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He previously played for ...

: 2007

All-Americans

AHCA First Team All-Americans *1958-59: Joe Selinger, G *1961-62: John Chandik, G *1963-64: Carl Lackey, D *1964-65: Doug Roberts, F *1965-66: Doug Volmar, F *1968-69: Rick Duffett, G *1970-71: Don Thompson, F *1971-72: Jim Watt, G *1972-73: Bob Boyd, D *1973-74:

Norm Barnes Norman Leonard Barnes (born August 24, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played five seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers and Hartford Whalers. He featured in the 1980 Stanley Cup ...

, D; Steve Colp, F *1974-75: Tom Ross, F *1975-76: Tom Ross, F *1981-82:

Ron Scott Ronald Scott (born July 21, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Scott played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings. Amateur career Scott played for the Cornwall Royals in the ...

, G *1982-83:

, G *1984-85:

Dan McFall Daniel B. McFall (born April 8, 1963 in Kenmore, New York and raised in Buffalo, New York) is an American retired professional ice hockey player who played nine games in the National Hockey League between 1985 and 1986 with the Winnipeg Jets ...

, D; Kelly Miller, F;

Craig Simpson Craig Andrew Simpson (born February 15, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres. He is currently a broadc ...

, F *1985-86:

, F *1986-87:

Mitch Messier Mitch Ronald Messier (born August 21, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 20 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the Minnesota North Stars between 1987 and 1991. He played at Michigan State Univer ...

, F *1988-89:

, F;

, F *1989-90:

, F *1990-91: Jason Woolley, D *1991-92:

Joby Messier Joby Messier (born March 2, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 25 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers between 1993 and 1995. Playing career Joby Messier was a member of the Notre D ...

, D;

Dwayne Norris Carl Dwayne Norris (born January 8, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played briefly in the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 1990s with the Quebec Nordiques and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He was a member of Ca ...

, F *1992-93:

Bryan Smolinski Bryan Anthony Smolinski (born December 27, 1971) is an American former professional ice hockey center. The Boston Bruins drafted him 21st overall in 1990. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islander ...

, F *1997-98: Chad Alban, G;

Mike York Michael Allan York (born January 3, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger. He last played and captained the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Playing career York was born in Waterford, Michigan. ...

, F *1998-99: Joe Blackburn, G;

, F *1999-00:

Shawn Horcoff Shawn Paul Horcoff (born September 17, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 99th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he played 11 seasons and served as ...

, F *2000-01:

, G *2001-02:

, G *2002-03:

John-Michael Liles John-Michael Liles (born November 25, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins. In additio ...

, D *2011-12:

Torey Krug Torey Krug ( ; born April 12, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. Krug previously played for the Boston Bruins from 2012 to 2020. Being undrafted, he p ...

, D *2014-15:

Jake Hildebrand Jake Hildebrand (born June 19, 1993) is an American ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Löwen Frankfurt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Playing career In 2012, Hildebrand enrolled at Michigan State University to play ...

, G *2018-19: Taro Hirose, F AHCA Second Team All-Americans *1983-84:

, D *1984-85: Gary Haight, D *1985-86: Donald McSween, D *1986-87: Donald McSween, D *1989-90: Jason Muzzatti, G *1991-92: Doug Zmolek, D *1993-94: Steve Guolla, F *1994-95:

Anson Carter Anson Horace Carter (born June 6, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eight teams, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. He was l ...

, F *1997-98: Tyler Harlton, D; Sean Berens, F *1998-99: Mike Weaver, F *1999-00: Mike Weaver, F *2001-02: Andrew Hutchinson, D;

, D *2002-03:

Brad Fast Bradley M. Fast (born February 21, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He spent his amateur career in the British Columbia Hockey League, and was selected in the third round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, 84th overall, by ...

, D *2003-04: A. J. Thelen, D; Jim Slater, F *2007-08:

Jeff Lerg Jeff Lerg (born April 9, 1986) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the North American minor league, most notably for the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, and in Europe. Playing career Prior to his college hockey care ...

, G *2009-10:

Jeff Petry Jeffrey Petry ( ; born December 9, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, 45th overall, at the 2006 NH ...

, D

WCHA

Individual awards

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

* Tom Ross, C: 1975 Sophomore of the Year * Don Thompson, F: 1970 Freshman of the Year *

, G: 1981

All-Conference Teams

First Team All-WCHA *1965–66: Doug Volmar, F *1966–67:

Tom Mikkola Entwine was a Finnish gothic metal band from Lahti, Finland. Entwine played their last gig 9.Nov.2019 at Lahti History Entwine was originally assembled under the name ''Kaamos'' in 1995 by guitarist and vocalist Tom Mikkola, drummer Aksu Hanttu ...

, F *1970–71: Don Thompson, F *1971–72: Jim Watt, G *1972–73: Bob Boyd, D *1973–74:

, D; Steve Colp, F *1974–75: Tom Ross, F *1975–76: Tom Ross, F *1980–81:

, G Second Team All-WCHA *1957–58: Joe Selinger, G *1963–64: Carl Lackey, G *1964–65: Doug Roberts, G *1971–72: Bob Boyd, D; Don Thompson, F *1973–74: Tom Ross, F *1975–76: Steve Colp, F

CCHA

Individual awards

Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is he ...

, LW: 1990 *

, D: 1992 * Chad Alban, G: 1998 *

, C: 1999 *

, C: 2000 *

, G: 2001 *

, G: 2002 *

, D: 2012 Best Defensive Forward *

, C: 1999 *

, C: 2000 * John Nail, RW: 2001 *

Drew Miller Drew Miller (born February 17, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. Miller was drafted in the sixth round, ...

, LW: 2006 *

, C: 2008 Best Defensive Defenseman *

: 1992 * Tyler Harlton: 1997, 1998 * Mike Weaver: 1999, 2000 * Andrew Hutchinson: 2001 *

: 2003 Best Offensive Defenseman * Jason Woolley: 1991 *

: 2002, 2003 * A. J. Thelen: 2004 *

: 2011, 2012 Best Goaltender *

: 2001, 2002 *

Dominic Vicari Dominic Vicari (born October 30, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. Prior to turning professional, Vicari attended Michigan State University (MSU) where he played three seasons ( 2003 – 2006) of NCAA Men's Divisi ...

: 2004 * Scott Borek: 2000

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...

: 1985, 1989, 1990, 1999 Perani Cup *

, G: 2007 * Drew Palmisano, G: 2010 Scholar-Athlete of the Year *

, G: 2008

Terry Flanagan Memorial Award The Terry Flanagan Memorial Award was an annual award given out at the conclusion of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season to the player who best demonstrates perseverance, dedication and courage while overcoming severe adversi ...

Wes McCauley Wes McCauley (born January 11, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current National Hockey League (NHL) referee. He is the son of John McCauley, who was also an NHL referee, and his wife Irene. A defenceman during his p ...

, D: 1993 * Jon Gaskins, D: 1996 *

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...

, LW: 1998 * Brian Maloney, LW: 2003 Best Defensive Forward * Bill Shibicky, F: 1984 * Joe Murphy, RW: 1986 *

Rod Brind'Amour Roderic Jean Brind'Amour (born August 9, 1970) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the head coach for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Brind'Amour played 20 seasons in the National H ...

, C: 1989 *

, G: 2006 Ilitch Humanitarian Award *

, LW: 2006 *

, C: 2008 *

, G: 2009 * Trevor Nill, C: 2011 Tournament Most Valuable Player *

, G:

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

* Norm Foster, G: 1985 *

, RW:

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

* Jason Muzzatti, G: 1989 * Peter White, C:

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, C: 1998 *

, G:

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, G:

All-Conference Teams

First Team All-CCHA *1981–82:

, G; Newell Brown, F *1982–83:

, G; Ken Leiter, D *1983–84:

, D *1984–85:

Bob Essensa Robert Earle Essensa (born January 14, 1965) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former goaltender who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Since 2003, he has served as the goaltending coach for the Boston Bruins. Playing career ...

, G; Gary Haight, D; Donald McSween, D;

, F; Kelly Miller, F *1985–86: Donald McSween, D;

, F *1986–87: Donald McSween, D;

, F *1987–88: Tim Tilley, D *1988–89:

, F *1989–90: Jason Muzzatti, G;

, F *1990–91: Jason Woolley, D *1991–92:

, D;

, F *1992–93:

, F *1993–94:

, F *1994–95:

, F *1997–98: Chad Alban, G; Tyler Harlton, D; Sean Berens, F *1998–99: Mike Weaver, D;

, F *1999–00: Mike Weaver, D;

, F *2000–01:

, G *2001–02:

, G;

, D *2002–03:

, D;

, D; Jim Slater, F *2003–04: A. J. Thelen, D; Jim Slater, F *2007–08:

, G *2010–11:

, D *2011–12:

, D Second Team All-CCHA *1981–82: Gary Haight, D; Mark Hamway, F *1982–83: Gary Haight, D *1983–84: Norm Foster, G *1984–85:

, D; Tom Anastos, F *1985–86:

, G *1986–87: Bill Shibicky, F *1987–88: Jason Muzzatti, G;

, F *1988–89: Chris Luongo, D;

, F *1989–90:

Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoy ...

, D; Pat Murray, F *1990–91: Mike Gilmore, G *1993–94: Mike Buzak, G; Steve Guolla, F *1994–95: Mike Buzak, G;

Rem Murray Raymond Joseph "Rem" Murray (born October 9, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. Murray was selected in the sixth round, 135th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, and he played in the National ...

, F *1995–96:

, F *1996–97: Sean Berens, F *1997–98:

, F *1998–99: Joe Blackburn, G *1999–00:

, G; Adam Hall, F *2000–01: Andrew Hutchinson, D;

, D *2001–02: Andrew Hutchinson, D *2007–08: Tim Kennedy, F *2008–09:

, G *2009–10: Drew Palmisano, G;

, D;

Corey Tropp Corey Tropp (born July 25, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He last played for the Vienna Capitals of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He has previously played in the National Hockey L ...

, F CCHA All-Rookie Team *1988–89: Jason Woolley, D;

, F; Peter White, F *1991–92:

, F; Steve Suk, F *1995–96: Chris Bogas, D;

, F *1997–98: Rustyn Dolyny, F *1998–99: Adam Hall, F *1999–00:

, G *2001–02: Jim Slater, F *2002–03: David Booth, F *2003–04:

, G; A. J. Thelen, D *2005–06:

, G *2007–08:

, D *2009–10:

, D

Big Ten

Individual awards

, G: 2015 * Taro Hirose, F: 2019 Goaltender of the Year *

, G: 2015 Freshman of the Year * Mitchell Lewandowski, F: 2018 Scoring Champion * Taro Hirose, F: 2019

All-Conference Teams

First Team All-Big Ten *2014–15:

, G *2018–19: Taro Hirose, F Second Team All-Big Ten *2014–15: Travis Walsh, D *2017–18: Taro Hirose, F *2018–19: Patrick Khodorenko, F Big Ten All-Rookie Team *2014–15:

Josh Jacobs Joshua Jacobs (born February 11, 1998) is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was drafted by the Raiders in the first round of the 2019 NFL ...

, D *2015–16: Zach Osburn, D *2017–18: Mitchell Lewandowski, F *2018–19: Dennis Cesana, D; Drew DeRidder, G

Statistical leaders

Source:

Career points leaders

Career goaltending leaders

''GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% =

Save percentage Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVS%, SVP, PCT) is a statistic in various goal-scoring sports that track saves as a statistic. In ice hockey and lacrosse, it is a statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal ...

; GAA =

Goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on s ...

'' Minimum 30 games Statistics current through the start of the 2020–21 season.

Olympians

This is a list of Michigan State alumni were a part of an Olympic team.

Players

Current roster

As of July 11, 2022.

Spartans in the NHL

As of July 1, 2022. File:Justin Abdelkader's Stanley Cup2008.jpg,

File:David Booth.jpg, David Booth File:BrindAmour 2009-01-06 1562v1 wiki.jpg,

File:Anson Carter.jpg,

File:Derek Grant 2018-12-14 1.jpg, Derek Grant File:Adam Hall Lightning 2012-02-12.JPG, Adam Hall File:Shawn Horcoff 2010.png,

File:Andrew_Hutchinson.jpg, Andrew Hutchinson File:Duncan_Keith_2011-02-16.jpg,

Duncan Keith Duncan Keith (born July 16, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers. He won three Stanley Cup championships with Chicago in ...

File:Tim Kennedy.jpg, Tim Kennedy File:Torey Krug - Boston Bruins.jpg,

File:Bryan Lerg.jpg,

Bryan Lerg Bryan Lerg (born January 20, 1986) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks. Lerg made his NHL debut after spending 7 years in the American Hockey League (AHL). ...

File:John-Michael Liles 1 2012-03-07.JPG,

File:Drew Miller Red Wings (cropped3)).png,

File:Ryan Miller skating 2011-10-15.JPG,

File:Chris Mueller - New York Rangers.jpg, Chris Mueller File:Jason_Muzzatti.JPG, Jason Muzzatti File:Jeff Petry - Montreal Canadiens.jpg,

File:Corey Potter April 2014.png, Corey Potter File:Jim Slater - Winnipeg Jets.jpg, Jim Slater File:Corey Tropp - Columbus Blue Jackets (cropped).jpg,

File:Mike Weaver.jpg, Mike Weaver Source:

Program records

The following are the Michigan State school records. Statistics are accurate as of the 2010–11 season. Note: Italics indicate a player is still an active Spartan.

Career

*Most goals in a career: 138 Tom Ross (1972–76) *Most assists in a career: 186 Tom Ross (1972–76) *Most points in a career: 324 Tom Ross (1972–76) *Most penalty minutes in a career: 466 Don Gibson (1986–90) *Most points in a career, defenseman: 164 Steve Beadle (1986–90) *Most wins in a career: 83 Jason Muzzatti (1987–91) *Most shutouts in a career: Ryan Miller *Most healthy scratches in a career: 48 David Bondra (2012–16)

Season

Players *Most goals in a season: 59 Mike Donnelly 1985-86 *Most assists in a season: 60 Pat Murray 1989-90 *Most points in a season: 105 Tom Ross 1975-76 *Most penalty minutes in a season: 167 Don Gibson 1989-90 *Most points in a season, defenseman: 64 Norm Barnes (1973–74) *Most points in a season, rookie: *Most wins in a season: 32 Jason Muzzatti (1988–89) *Most shutouts in a season: 4 Joe Selinger (1958–59) *Most power play goals in a season (since 1975): Team (since 1950) *Most wins in a season: 38 1984-85 *Most WCHA wins in a season: 20 1975-76 *Most overtime games in a season: 11 (1991–92; 1986–87) *Longest overall unbeaten streak: 22 (Dec. 29, 1984-Feb. 15, 1985)

Game

Player *Most goals in a game: 5, Mike Donnelly vs. Ohio State (Dec. 14, 1985), Tom Ross vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 10, 1973), Don Thompson vs. Michigan (Feb 21, 1970), Bob Doyle vs. Ohio (Feb. 17, 1961) *Most assists in a game: 6, Steve Colp vs. Michigan (Dec. 14, 1974), Daryl Rice vs. Boston College (Dec. 27, 1973), Real Turcotte vs. Ohio (Feb. 17, 1961) *Most points in a game: 9, Bob Doyle vs. Ohio (Feb. 17, 1961), Real Turcotte vs. Ohio (Feb. 17, 1961) *Most penalty minutes in a game: 21, Tony Tuzzolino vs. Western Michigan (Oct. 19, 1996) Team *Most goals in a game: 18 vs. Ohio State (Dec. 7, 1957) *Most goals in a period: 8 vs. Ohio State (Dec. 7, 1957, 3rd) *Most assists in a period: 14 vs. Ferris State (March 3, 1990, 2nd) *Most penalty minutes in a game: 60 vs. Northeastern (Oct. 15, 1983) *Most penalty minutes in a period: 53 vs. Ferris State (Dec. 16, 1988, 2nd)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Michigan State Spartans Men's Ice Hockey Ice hockey teams in Michigan Big Ten Conference ice hockey

History

Early history

Amo Bessone era

Ron Mason era

Rick Comley era

Tom Anastos and Big Ten Conference era

Danton Cole era

Adam Nightingale era

Season-by-season results

Coaches

All-time coaching records

Awards and honors

United States Hockey Hall of Fame

NCAA

Individual awards

All-Americans

WCHA

Individual awards

All-Conference Teams

CCHA

Individual awards

All-Conference Teams

Big Ten

Individual awards

All-Conference Teams

Statistical leaders

Career points leaders

Career goaltending leaders

Olympians

Players

Current roster

Spartans in the NHL

Program records

Career

Season

Game

See also

References

External links