It was a good few days for Michigan State hockey, and one national writer agrees.
Michigan State had five, yes, five players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft that took place this weekend. That list of players ranged from incoming defenseman Chase Reid who went No. 7 overall to Seattle to Tommy Bleyl that was picked by Nashville with the No. 31 overall pick. There were three other Spartans selected in the first round in-between.
That impressive showing had Ryan S. Clark of ESPN listing Michigan State hockey and its head coach Adam Nightingale as one of his winners from the NHL Draft. Here’s some of what Clark had to say about Michigan State:
“The idea was that Nightingale could restore Michigan State back to being the type of power that reached 12 Frozen Fours and won three national titles. And the Spartans have returned to prominence in his time there, including three consecutive 20-win seasons in which they’ve reached the NCAA tournament.
Friday might have been one of the biggest days in recent history. The Spartans have five commits — Chase Reid (7th, SEA), Nikita Klepov (15th, ANA), Ethan Belchetz (17th, UTA), Jack Hextall (30th, CGY) and Tommy Bleyl (31st, NSH) — go in the first round. This is a team to watch for the title this season in college hockey.”
Clark is right that Michigan State will enter next season with expectations of winning the national championship. They’ll, of course, need to fair better than they have in recent years in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s clear that the talent is in place for them to be again a top team in the country.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU hockey, Adam Nightingale listed as one of NHL Draft winners
Reporting by Robert Bondy, Spartans Wire / Spartans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Bondy, Spartans Wire | USA TODAY Network
