One of the biggest keys to Michigan State hockey’s success this winter will be the play up the middle from the center position.
The Spartans will have to replace a pair of middlemen who were key factors in their success over the past two seasons in top-line star Charlie Stramel and penalty-killing stalwart Tiernan Shoudy.
One of the answers for MSU could be incoming freshman Jack Hextall, a 6-foot-1 center out of the United States Hockey League’s Youngstown Phantoms who is expected to be selected in the back half of the first round of this weekend’s NHL draft (June 26-27) in Buffalo, N.Y.
“He’s a two-way center who has been a highly productive junior player and one of the best centers in the USHL this past year,” said Corey Pronman, senior NHL prospects writer and analyst for The Athletic. “He’s smart, has good pace in his game, and is a competitive all-around player. He’s a bigger center, and I think he can be more of a legit play-driving center at the collegiate level.”
Hextall is one of five future MSU players who are projected to be possible first-round picks on Friday. The others are defenseman Chase Reid and forwards Ethan Belchetz, Nikita Klepov and Brooks Rogowski.
Pronman is among the highest of draft analysts in his projection for Hextall, slotting him at No. 19 on his draft rankings. Hextall falls in the middle to late 20s or early 30s on the majority of draft boards, with a few outliers having him graded as a second-round talent.
Hextall played the last two seasons with Youngstown, helping lead the Phantoms to the top record in the USHL’s regular season this past year. He put up eight goals and 26 assists in 2024-2025 before increasing his production to 20 goals and 38 assists in 59 games this season.
“He’s a complete, mature player, and I think at this level you don’t always see the commitment to both sides of the puck in all three zones,” Youngstown coach Ryan Ward said.
The departures of Stramel and Shoudy will leave a big hole at the center spot for MSU.
Stramel had 19 goals and 25 assists while centering the team’s top line and was one of the top faceoff players in the nation. Shoudy, who never missed a game in his four-year career with MSU, played a critical role in the bottom six as a penalty-killer and was a plus-18.
Hextall might be the perfect fit for one of MSU’s open spots in the middle. He has a history as a winner in junior hockey, winning the 15U national championship with the Chicago Mission, when he had 29 goals and 88 points, and helping the U.S. win the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Hextall played in all situations for the Phantoms, developing into one of the team’s best penalty-killing forwards, and scoring nine power play goals last season.
“The thing that’s really special about Jack is that he’s good in any zone on the ice,” Ward said. “His habits and details are excellent. I think he’ll fit in perfectly at Michigan State.”
But first he’ll find out where his NHL future will be this weekend in Buffalo.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Expected first-round pick Jack Hextall could help fill center voids for MSU hockey
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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By Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
