Steve Swistak, who played 37 games for Michigan State from 2000 to 2004, passed away on June 11 after a 2 1/2-year battle with esophageal cancer. Swistak was just 33. According to a Facebook post from his father, Len, Swistak was surrounded by his extended family “just as he had lived – with dignity, love, … Read more
Michigan State freshman defenseman Josh Jacobs has left school and will join the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting for the 2015-16 season, according to MiHockey. Jacobs, a New Jersey Devils second-round draft pick (41st overall) in 2014, posted nine assists in 35 games last year for the Spartans. “I informed Coach [Tom] Anastos that I … Read more
Former Michigan State forward Chris Luongo has been named an assistant coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. Luongo also coached in the NCAA ranks with Alabama-Huntsville and Wayne State.
The junior faced 49 shots in the Big Ten semifinal, one shy of his career high.
Let’s Play Hockey and the Herb Brooks Foundation announced Wednesday the five finalists for the 2015 Mike Richter Award, which honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men’s hockey. The second annual award will be presented by Mike Richter himself at the 2015 Frozen Four in Boston. The five finalists are: St. Lawrence freshman Kyle … Read more
The Big Ten announced Monday its All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners. Michigan State’s Jake Hildebrand was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year. Hildebrand started all 20 conference games, registering a .940 save percentage and five shutouts. Hildebrand recorded a 1.94 GAA and 11 conference wins. For the … Read more
Michigan State freshmen Dylan Pavelek and Carson Gatt have been suspended indefinitely by the team for a unspecified violation of team rules, the Lansing State Journal’s Chris Solari reported on Twitter.
The teams play Sunday and Monday in Detroit.
The Big Ten on Saturday suspended Michigan State’s Brent Darnell for one game after the senior was called for hitting from behind in Friday’s win over Massachusetts. Darnell, a forward who had two goals and eight points in 31 games last season, must sit out Saturday’s rematch with the Minutemen. He was issued a major … Read more
The Spartans’ offense mustered 2.19 goals per game last season, only six places above the bottom in all of Division I.
Fourteen teams will compete this fall in the second Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge. Nine of 12 Hockey East schools will join five of the six Big Ten schools in 20 designated games to be played between Oct. 10 and Nov. 29, with 10 games scheduled in Hockey East arenas and 10 in Big Ten venues. … Read more
Last season’s top goaltender is playing pro hockey, but a number of successful netminders are back.
Michigan State’s Munn Ice Arena will undergo enhancements over the coming year with several of the upgrades taking place over the course of the upcoming season as the opening phase of a complete building renovation. “As Munn Ice Arena approaches on its 40th anniversary, we’re excited to announce the upcoming improvements that will significantly enhance … Read more
Minnesota has been selected as the top team in the Big Ten preseason coaches’ poll, as announced Wednesday. The Gophers went 28-7-6 in 2013-14, including a 14-3-3- mark in conference play, and were the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, eventually losing in the championship final to Union. In addition, the Big Ten … Read more
According to Crain’s Chicago Business, the third-annual Hockey City Classic is slated for Soldier Field on Feb. 7, 2015. Michigan will play Michigan State and Miami will play Western Michigan at the event. The 2013-14 event was held at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Chicago-based sports and entertainment company Intersport is bringing the event back … Read more
Tyler Walsh has been named an intern assistant coach for the U.S. National Under-17 Team, part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 2014-15 season. Walsh spent 2013-14 as director of hockey operations at Canisius, where he was responsible for the program’s video coordination, travel management and assistance … Read more
Seven goaltenders have been invited to the 2014 U.S. National Junior goaltender evaluation camp, set for June 9-11, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Of the seven, two (Thatcher Demko/Boston College and Evan Cowley/Denver) are current collegians and one more (Edwin Minney/Michigan State) is an incoming freshman. The netminders will audition for a spot on the U.S. … Read more
Update: The original version of this story cited the Globe and Mail in claiming that Richard Lord was the first black player in college hockey. That has been disputed. Richard Lord, one of the first black college hockey players in 1950 when he suited up for Michigan State, passed away in his native Montreal on … Read more
The last three meetings between the teams before Thursday’s Big Ten tournament contest were decided in shootouts.
Minnesota sophomore goaltender Adam Wilcox heads up the inaugural Big Ten year-end awards as he was named the conference’s player of the year and goaltender of the year on Monday. Wilcox is 23-4-6 this season with a 1.91 GAA and a .934 save percentage with three shutouts. Gophers’ sophomore defenseman Mike Reilly was selected defensive … Read more