Michigan State Spartans had a great NHL draft

The Michigan State Spartans hockey team had an unprecedented run last season, and this is just a sign of what’s to come for the Spartans under head coach Adam Nightingale.

Trey Augustine was a standout goalie and was an integral part of the USA Junior team’s gold medal win and the Green-Whites’ en route to the school’s first Big Ten championships. Defenseman Artyom Levshunov was considered a top-five pick in the draft before he even set foot on the ice at Munn Ice Arena.

Now everything has been confirmed for the Spartans. Levshunov was selected second in the 2024 NHL Draft and selected by the Chicago Blackhawks. Levshunov was the first of four Spartans selected in the draft, including both established and soon-to-be-signed players, as well as a total of 12 players from the Big Ten Conference.

Defenseman Patrick Geary was selected No. 172 by the Buffalo Sabres. Geary was the overtime hero in the Big Ten championship game against Michigan. He has five goals and eight assists this season.

Two Spartans who have yet to play for the Green-Whites were selected: defenseman Lucas VanVliet and center Austin Baker. VanVliet was selected No. 197 by the Vegas Golden Knights. Baker was selected No. 203 by his hometown Detroit Red Wings. Both were standouts at the National Training Development Program in Ann Arbor, and although the NTDP supposedly serves as a link to Michigan, both are coming to East Lansing this winter.

Expectations are high for Levshunov to reach the level of another former Spartan who succeeded in Chicago, Duncan Keith. Keith played one year at Michigan State under the legendary Ron Mason before moving to the Canadian Hockey League. The CHL is the premier junior battleground association, which is the typical path for North American figure skaters who want to play at the next level.

Keith happened to play with Nightingale that one season in East Lansing. Keith played a crucial role in helping the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cups, winning two Norris Trophies as the league’s best defenseman and winning the 2015 Conn Smythe Award as the playoffs’ Most Valuable Player.

Michael France is Sports Illustrated’s Michigan State recruiting reporter and covers all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive coverage of the Spartans recruiting.

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