Michigan State Hockey: A Look at the Roster Refresh

New Year, New Spartans, Same Mission for Michigan State Hockey

Hockey season is back in East Lansing! The Spartan hockey team is entering the season as the No. 3 ranked team in the country and looks prepared to make another run at the Big Ten. While the mission remains the same for the Spartans, there has been some notable changes to the roster compared to last season. Let’s do a breakdown to see what is new at Munn Ice Arena this season.

Infusion of Offensive Talent

Since Adam Nightingale became the head coach at Michigan State there has been a major upgrade in talent infusion. The program now boasts a roster where almost every starter is now an NHL draft pick. There are sixteen to be exact. Many of those draft picks are recent additions. On offense the biggest newcomers include freshmen Ethan Belchetz, Jack Hextall, Mason West, as well as transfers Cullen Potter and Jimmy Clark.

Jack Hextall

Jack is part of a continuation of a hockey dynasty. He is part of the 4th generation of Hextall’s trying to make the NHL. He is coming over from the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms where he scored twenty goals in his 2nd season. Hextall was picked 30th overall last summer by the Calgary Flames. He comes to the Spartans with a great IQ and playmaking ability. He has been a distribution wizard in every location he has been previously and looks to play that role on the top line in East Lansing.

Mason West

Also on offense we have Mason West. West is also coming over from the USHL having spent time with the Fargo Force. West made headlines last year as he waited and stayed in high school at Edina High in Minnesota so that he could play his senior season of football. They would end up winning a state championship with West at quarterback bringing the school their first state title since 1978. He brings a high IQ and a very physical style of play which mixes well with Adam Nightingale’s scheme. West was selected 29th overall in 2025 by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ethan Belchetz

Finally on offense we have Ethan Belchetz. Belchetz comes to the Spartans from the Windsor Spitfire of the Ontario Hockey League. Belchetz excelled last year scoring 34 goals. He is a power forward who uses his size to cause problems for opposing defenses. He was selected last summer at 17th overall by the Utah Mammoth. For Spartan fans, he has a very similar style of play to Porter Martone which will be needed as the Spartans look to fill that hole.

Cullen Potter

Two years ago, Cullen Potter was a highly sought after commit by the Spartans. He initially committed to play for the Spartans starting in the 2024-2025 season, but late in the process flipped to Arizona State, with the Spartans standing firm on his timeline.  After two seasons in the desert, Potter decided to transfer to the school he originally committed to. He is a gifted center who stood out on a very capable Sun Devil team. Last season with ASU, he scored 12 goals, a year removed from being selected 32nd overall by Calgary. Last year he had limited games due to an injury. This season he looks to share a line with fellow Flames prospect Jack Hextall as they begin to build chemistry they hope will carry over to the NHL.

Jimmy Clark

Someone who is very familiar with the Adam Nightingale Spartans is Jimmy Clark. The senior transfer is coming over from Minnesota to join the Spartans. While he is considered more of a depth player, he got drafted by the Minnesota Wild back in 2023. He also has a connection with freshman Mason West as they both are from Edina, Minnesota. Clark was praised at Minnesota for being a glue guy and a tough forward to play against with some offensive finish. It fits very well into the blue collar attitude that coach Nightingale has built in his time at MSU.

Defensive Debuts

On the back end of the ice, the most notable are all freshmen including Brady Peddle, Tommy Bleyl, and Chase Reid. All three come from strong junior programs and show a strong ability to move the puck. They also have strong offensive IQ’s that can add fuel to a very strong Spartan offense. This has been a staple of the Nightingale era and allows for high end defensive play on special teams without sacrificing offense.

Brady Peddle

Peddle is a former 3rd round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins who comes to the Spartans from the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. Last season with the Islander’s he was able to get 19 points in his second season in the junior leagues. He is known as a puck moving defenseman who has a high IQ when it comes to making tight passes to his forwards.

Tommy Bleyl

Tommy Bleyl comes to the Spartans following an explosive offensive campaign with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL. He totaled 81 points in the regular season, leading his team to a 2nd place finish in the QMJHL playoffs. Bleyl is exceptionally gifted at distributing the puck on the power play and finding teammates in the offensive zone. This is all done while also having a strong defensive game which allows him to hold the blue line. He was a 1st round pick last summer by the Nashville Predators and will look to improve on his skill as a two way defenseman this season with the Spartans.

Chase Reid

Chase Reid is a great comeback story for college hockey. He started his junior career in tier two after getting cut by his USHL team. He then fought his way back to get to the OHL and made an impact on the Soo Greyhounds. That story caught the attention of the Spartans and they were able to get him to commit in 2024. He since became a top ten overall pick by the Seattle Kraken, drafted seventh overall in the 2026 draft. Reid fits the mold of the other two defenseman that have been mentioned but has another thing that makes him even more dangerous, his speed. Reid’s speed and ability to move the puck make him a real danger on any part of the ice and the Spartan blue line will be very dangerous with him playing back there.

Between the Pipes

After losing one of the greatest goalies in school history in Trey Augustine, the space in between the pipes is wide open. There is a lot of opportunities available for the entire goaltending room. The first few weeks of the season will be very telling to see who takes control of the net. Many would assume that it will be Joshua Ravensbergen who was a first round pick in 2025 by the San Jose Sharks. Quentin Sigurdson who is a Northeastern transfer will look to challenge for the net early in the season.

Joshua Ravensbergen

One of the most highly anticipated freshman goalies coming into this season, Joshua Ravensbergen is looking to make a statement. A former first round pick, he is assumed to be the heir apparent to Trey Augustine. Ravensbergen spent last season backstopping for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League. He posted a 32-13-0 record and a very solid .919 save percentage. Ravesbergen fits the archetype of the athletic goalie, similar in build to prospects like Sebastian Cossa and Ben Bishop. The biggest difference though is his technical skills. He also fits a similar mold to Trey Augustine. He looks to be a very exciting addition to a strong Spartan team.

Quentin Sigurdson

Sigurdson comes to East Lansing as a junior transfer from Northeastern University in Boston. While he did not receive a ton of playing time at Northeastern he brings solid numbers with a career save percentage of .920. With a stronger team in front of him he can easily make an impact on this Spartan team. He is a very calm goalie in the crease and doesn’t overreact to plays. While he is not as big as Ravensbergen, he will provide a steady option in net that could possibly challenge the freshman early on in the season.