MiCHO Week 8 Results

The Michigan Tech Huskies are the only remaining unbeaten D-1
team in the country. (photo courtesy Bemidji State Athletics) 

The Michigan Tech Huskies are #1 for the first time in their storied history after a two-game sweep at Bemidji State.

Friday- MTU 2, BSU 1
Saturday- MTU 4, BSU 2

Ferris State got a pair of easy wins in Big Rapids as they racked up 14 goals in a demolition of Alaska-Anchorage.

Friday- UAA 2, FSU 10
Saturday- UAA 0, FSU 4

Lake Superior went south and earned a split at Alabama-Huntsville.

Fri- LSSU 1, UAH 0
Sat- LSSU 2, UAH 5

It's back to the win column for the Michigan Wolverines after a home sweep of American International in Ann Arbor.

Fri- AI 2, U of M 5
Sat- AI 3, U of M 6

Michigan State played a single game in East Lansing and were narrowly clipped by the BC Eagles.

Fri- BC 3, MSU 2

And finally, Western Michigan made it interesting against St. Cloud State in Kalamazoo with a close loss and shootout win.

Fri- SCS 4, WMU 3
Sat- SCS 1, WMU 1 (Broncos win shootout, 1-0, in 6 rounds) 

MiCHO Week 4 Results

The Michigan State Spartans began the new season with a 5-3 win over UMass in East Lansing.
(photo courtesy of Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications)

#10 Michigan rallied at Yost for a two-game split with visiting New Hampshire.

Friday recap -  UNH 5, U of M 1
Saturday recap - UNH 1, U of M 2

The Northern Michigan Wildcats opened their season with a bang as they swept the #18 Wisconsin Badgers at the Resch Center in Green Bay.

Friday recap - NMU 2, U of W 0
Saturday recap - NMU 4, U of W 1

Michigan State began the campaign with a split at Munn against Massachusetts.

Friday recap - UMass 3, MSU 5
Saturday recap - UMass 4, MSU 3

There was no joy at the Lawson Arena as the WMU Broncos were swept aside by Nebraska-Omaha.

Friday recap - UNO 5, WMU 2
Saturday recap - UNO 3, WMU 0

#4 Ferris State went on the road and split with St. Lawrence in Canton, NY.

Friday recap - FSU 3, St. Lawrence 2
Saturday recap - FSU 0, St. Lawrence 2

Lake Superior is still searching for their first win of the year as they hammered by Notre Dame in South Bend.

Friday recap - LSSU 3, ND 5
Saturday recap - LSSU 1, ND 5

MiCHO Week 2 Results

Broncos win Border Battle in K'Zoo (photo courtesy of GS Photo / WMU Athletics) 

#9 Ferris State slips past #8 Michigan in Big Rapids. 

• Saturday recaps - FSU UofM USCHO 

Michigan Tech sweeps Lake Superior in the Sault. 

• Saturday recaps - MTU LSSU USCHO
• Sunday recaps - MTU LSSU USCHO

Western Michigan and Toronto finish 2-2, Broncos win in shootout at the Lawson Arena.

• Saturday recap - WMU

Michigan puts up a touchdown in exhibition win over the US Under-18 squad at Yost.

• Monday recap - UofM

Michigan State skates to a 2-2 tuneup tie at Munn against Windsor.

• Tuesday recap- MSU

MSU Hockey Pro Camp heats up Munn

The Michigan State Spartans welcome back 20 hockey alum, including 11 who skated in the NHL last season, to the annual MSU Hockey Pro Camp that runs August 18-22.

U of M, MSU, and WMU to play in Hockey City Classic

Photo courtesy Coyote Hockey City Classic

The Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, and Western Michigan Broncos will all be heading to Soldier Field in Chicago for the Hockey City Classic on Feb. 7, 2015. 

Former Spartan Greg Wolfe heads to Fort Wayne

Former Spartans' captain Greg Wolfe (2010-14) signs with the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets.

Spartans nab USHL recruit

MSU gets a commitment from a potential USHL star in Mason Appleton.

Ferrantino to captain the Green and White

Michael Ferrantino named Michigan State captain for 2014-15 season.

Bulldogs conclude 2013 with 15-game unbeaten streak

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Testing their talents against schools in the newly-formed Big Ten conference (and former fellow CCHA rivals) Michigan and Michigan State, No. 4 ranked Ferris State escaped unscathed this past weekend, tying the school record for most consecutive games without a loss at 15.

The Bulldogs ventured to Ann Arbor on Wednesday night, where they skated to a 2-2 tie. Freshman forward Kyle Schempp registered his seventh goal in unassisted fashion at 13:06 in the first, before the Wolverines' Andrew Copp netted the equalizer 1:20 later. Earning helpers on that play were Phil DiGiuseepe and Tyler Motte (brother of Ferris State goaltender C.J. Motte).

No. 3 ranked Michigan grabbed their only lead of the net in the opening minute of the second, as Alex Guptill snuck the puck past Motte 38 seconds into the restart.

The 2-1 lead stood until less than six minutes left in regulation, when defenseman Brandon Anselmini fired a shot from the point to force the extra session.

With neither team able to produce the game-winning goal in overtime, the contest officially goes into the NCAA record-books as a tie. However, under Big Ten rules, the home team has to power to declare a shootout, even in a non-conference game.

Garret Thompson of Ferris State and Michigan's Copp both found the back of the net in the second round of the shootout, but it wouldn't be decided until five rounds later, when Alex Kile's shot was determined by officials to have crossed the goal line to give the Wolverines the win.

Zach Nagelvoort had a slight advantage in the saves department over Motte, 29-28.

In Saturday's contest in East Lansing - dubbed the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game - the Bulldogs closed out the 2013 calendar year with a 2-0 triumph over Michigan State.

Freshman Chad McDonald produced the game-winning goal just shy of the midway point of the first period off a feed from linemate Kenny Babinski. The score is McDonald's fourth of the campaign and first since November 22 in a 5-3 win over Alaska.

A five-minute major levied against Michigan State's Matt DeBlouw for boarding in the early moments of the ensuing frame helped spur a scoring opportunity for the Bulldogs on the power-play. Junior forward Justin Buzzeo produced his eighth goal this season, with freshmen Gerald Mayhew and Ryan Lowney each registering assists on that play.

Motte recorded his second shutout of 2013-2014 with a 16 save effort to improve to 14-0-3 as a starter.

Taking the loss in net for the Spartans was Jake Hildebrand, who stopped 20 of 22 shots faced.

Ferris State (14-2-3 overall) is idle until January 3, when they face RPI in the opening round of the Mariucci Classic. Pending the result of that game, the Bulldogs will face either Colgate or host Minnesota the following night.

Up next for both Michigan (10-2-2) and Michigan State (5-9-1) is the Great Lakes Invitational on December 27-28 at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Wolverines draw Western Michigan in the opening round, while the Spartans clash with Michigan Tech. All four games can be seen on either Fox Sports Detroit or Fox Sports Detroit Plus at 3:30 and 7:00 pm both nights.

Spartans announce three more commitments for '13-14

Michigan State Press Release

Michigan State has announced that three more players will be joining the Spartan hockey program for the fall of 2013.

Forwards Thomas Ebbing (Troy/Chicago Steel), Villiam Haag (Gothenberg, Sweden) and defenseman Chris Knudson (North Barrington, Ill./Wichita Falls Wildcats) will join previously-signed forwards Joe Cox (Chelsea), JT Stenglein (Greece, N.Y.) and Mackenzie MacEachern (Troy) as the newcomers for the 2013-14 season.

"We are very excited about this class," said MSU coach Tom Anastos. "They possess a nice blend of scoring ability, size, speed, toughness and tenacity that will help us continue our evolution into a championship-caliber team."

Five of the six played at least part of the 2012-13 season in the United States Hockey League, while Knudson is a veteran of the North American Hockey League.

A total of 14 returning veterans played in either the USHL or NAHL before joining the Spartan program.

Michigan State graduates four seniors from the 2012-13 team - three forwards (Anthony Hayes, Chris Forfar and Kevin Walrod) and defenseman Matt Grassi.

Knudson photo courtesy NAHL

CCHA honors former players with All-Decade Team

CCHA Press Release

Continuing to ‘Celebrate The Legacy’ in its’ 42nd and final season, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has released the All-Decade Team for 2000-13 to honor the league’s top performers from the past 13 years.

 

The illustrious group of 12 players, selected by a committee of coaches, administrators and media, joins the league’s All-Decade teams from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s that were selected in 2001.

All 12 players selected to the CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Team were All-Americans (six multiple All-Americans) and graduated to professional careers. Eleven played in the National Hockey League (NHL), Michigan State goaltender Ryan Miller (pictured) blossomed into an NHL All-Star and U.S. Olympian, while Ferris State forward Chris Kunitz has captured the Stanley Cup with both Anaheim and Pittsburgh.

 

The CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Team was chosen from a pool of Hobey Baker Award winners and All-Americans that played at least three years of college hockey. The selections were made by a committee of coaches, administrators and media that have been involved with the league for the better part of the last three decades.

 

Below is the team in alphabetical order by position with their overall career totals. Miller won the 2002 Hobey Baker Award and was a two-time CCHA Player of the Year and two-time Goaltender of the Year. Other Hobey Baker Award winners on the All-Decade Team include Michigan forward Kevin Porter (2008) and Miami forward Andy Miele (2011).

 

CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade First Team

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts.
T.J. Hensick	F	Michigan	164	75	147	222
Chris Kunitz	F	Ferris State	152	99	76	175
Kevin Porter	F	Michigan	168	85	98	183
Andy Greene	D	Miami	159	27	87	114
John-Michael Liles	D	Michigan State	162	44	94	138

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Ryan Miller	G	Michigan State	73-18-12	1.54	.941

CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Second Team

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts.
Ryan Jones	F	Miami	161	90	57	147
Andy Miele	F	Miami	141	60	100	160
Scott Parse	F	Nebraska Omaha	159	79	118	197
Brad Fast	D	Michigan State	164	30	84	114
Greg Zanon	D	Nebraska Omaha	154	30	77	107

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Cody Reichard	G	Miami	53-24-9	2.10	.912

Bulldogs outshine MSU with Thompson hat trick

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

In their first game back to ring in the new year, Ferris State extended their winning streak to two games following a 3-0 decision at home against Michigan State on Saturday.

The victory avenges a 3-1 loss to the Spartans from three weeks prior and moves them into a fourth-place tie with Ohio State in the CCHA standings.

Junior forward Garrett Thompson began his night-long terror midway through the second period by beating Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand while on the man-advantage. Assists were credited to junior defenseman Scott Czarnowczan and senior forward Travis Ouellette.

It wasn't long after until Thompson found the net again, this time from the right corner off a breakaway pass by sophomore defenseman Jason Binkley with 15:17 elapsed.

Freshman forward Matt Roberston fed Thompson a pass with 34 seconds remaining in the third to complete the hat trick, which came via an empty-netter.

Sophomore netminder C.J. Motte stopped 23 shots to record his third shutout of the campaign and improve to 8-8-3 as a starter.

At the other end of the ice, Hildebrand (3-7-2) had 28 saves to his credit.

The Bulldogs (9-8-3 overall, 7-6-1 CCHA) look to break away from Ohio State in the standings this weekend when the two play in Big Rapids, while the Spartans (5-12-3 overall, 4-9-1 CCHA) welcome conference leader Notre Dame to Munn Ice Arena.

Bulldogs retreat in 3-1 loss to Michigan State

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

All that Ferris State wants for Christmas is a victory.

Winless thus far in the month of December, the Bulldogs saw their losing streak extend to four games over the weekend after dropping a 3-1 decision on the road against Michigan State.

The Spartans, who themselves put an end to their six-game schneid, struck first in the second period with a goal by Matt Berry from Matt DeBlouw and Brent Darnell at the 6:52 mark.

Nearly nine minutes would pass before Ferris State was able to return the favor, which came on a slapshot by defenseman Jason Binkley from just inside the blue line. Earning helpers on that play were forwards Cory Kane and T.J. Schlueter.

Chris Forfar broke the tie for Michigan State just 1:32 into the final frame, which would turn out to be the game-winning goal.

A little past the midway point, R.J. Boyd tallied his second assist of the contest by setting-up Tanner Sorensen's marker from the left faceoff circle.

With his 23 saves, the Spartans' Jake Hillebrand improved his ledger to 3-5-1, while C.J. Motte of the Bulldogs (19 saves) dropped to 7-7-3.

Michigan State (5-10-2 overall, 4-8-1 CCHA) is idle until December 29th, when they travel to the Joe Louis Arena to kickoff the Great Lakes Invitational against Western Michigan.

Ferris State (7-7-3 overall, 6-6-1 CCHA) also returns to action in two weeks, where they will face Cornell in the opening round of the Florida College Classic on the 28th.

MSU's Carney retires after severe neck injury

Michigan State Press Release

Michigan State defenseman Branden Carney has come to a decision to end his hockey playing career on the advice of medical professionals.

Carney’s doctors have determined that it is not in his best interest to participate in a contact/collision sport as he continues to recover from a severe neck injury.

Carney fractured his C1 and C2 vertebrae during practice at Munn Ice Arena on Nov. 3, 2011. He was participating in drills during the Spartans’ practice session when he went head-first into the dasher boards. He was transported to Sparrow Hospital for treatment and Carney was immediately (and has continued for the last 13 months) under the care of neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Bill.

“Obviously, getting that final word that I cannot play again was difficult,” said Carney. “I’ve had some time to think about it since my appointment and it’s been a blessing that I have been able to be able to play the game that I love for as long as I did.

“I have to thank the medical staff at MSU – particularly Dr. Robert Norris and athletic trainer Dave Carrier – as well as the emergency response staff who were among the first on the scene. Dr. Bill has been overseeing my care from the minute I arrived at Sparrow Hospital and everyone there was wonderful to me and my family in a time filled with anxiety. I know that I received the absolute best care possible throughout this situation.

“I have received unbelievable support from everyone in the hockey program and throughout the university. My teammates have been amazing – from coming to the hospital the day of the accident to each and every one of them reaching out to me on Thursday after I learned the news. The staff has been there for me every single step of the way, genuinely concerned about my well-being. A big thank you has to go out to coaches Anastos, Miller, Newton and Gilmore, as well as everyone in the program, for the support they have provided me over the last 13 months.”

“Our program has been committed to support Branden and his family as he has gone through the recovery process,” said MSU head coach Tom Anastos. “This news is obviously a disappointment to all of us. However, in the big picture, Branden will, as I understand it, lead a full life in which he can participate in normal, everyday activities, as well as participate in non-contact recreational sports. Many people who have sustained a similar injury have not been as fortunate to experience such a recovery, so in spite of the disappointing news that Branden’s playing career is over, we’re thrilled that Branden has made such a remarkable recovery.

"Branden is a part of this program and the Michigan State hockey family and this medical decision will not change that. Branden is a Spartan and we will discuss over the coming weeks what his role will be with our program day-to-day going forward.”

Spartans announce two more commits for 2013-14

Michigan State Press Release 

Michigan State announced today that forward Joe Cox (Chelsea/Muskegon Lumberjacks), and J.T. Stenglein (Greece, N.Y./Youngstown Phantoms) will join the Spartan hockey program in the fall of 2013.

Cox and Stenglein (pictured) join Mackenzie MacEachern (Troy/Chicago Steel) as the committed players for the fall of 2013.

“We are very excited about this class,” said MSU head coach Tom Anastos. “They possess a nice blend of scoring ability, size, speed, toughness and tenacity that will help us continue our evolution into a championship-caliber team."

MacEachern signed his National Letter of Intent last spring and was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the NHL Entry Draft in June.

All three are currently playing in the United States Hockey League, a developmental league in which 14 of MSU’s current 27 players competed prior to enrolling at MSU.

Photo courtesy Rob Bindler

Michigan State beats, ties AHA's Niagara

Compiled by MiCHO Staff 

The Michigan State Spartans welcomed Atlantic Hockey member Niagara to Munn Arena this past weekend and defeated the Purple Eagles Friday night before settling for a tie in the second game on Saturday night.

In the series finale, the Spartans trailed 2-0 entering the final period, tied the game 3-3 on Brent Darnell's goal off a faceoff with 49.4 seconds left. Darnell also set up Matt DeBlouw's goal that tied the game at 2-2 and scored the only goal in the shootout.

MSU captain Greg Wolfe scored the other goal for the Spartans, who got 31 saves from goalie Will Yanakeff.

Friday night, Michigan State scored three goals in the third period to take a 3-2 win.

Jake Chelios, Lee Reimer and Matt Berry tallied for MSU and Yanakeff stopped 22 shots for the victory.

The Spartans (1-2-1 overall) open CCHA play this weekend with a two-game set on the road at Lake Superior State. 

Spartans unveil new home, away jerseys

Michigan State Press Release 

The Michigan State hockey program will have four new jersey designs for the 2012-13 season, which includes new standard home and away jerseys as well as a set of vintage Michigan State sweaters that will debut in the Great Lakes Invitational.

“In developing this new design, we gathered a lot of feedback from our players about the jersey’s fit, feel, performance and look,” said MSU head coach Tom Anastos. “We feel that the design that Nike has developed has a cutting-edge look and embraces the values of the Spartan brand.”

The Spartans will wear home whites similar to the uniforms worn by the team over the last two years since the rebranding in the athletics department. The green Spartan head logo is in the center of the chest, with the same logo on the shoulders; the player number is both on the upper arm and on the back, where it is green and outlined in bronze. The sleeves have vertical green stripes from the shoulders to the wrist, as well as three green vertical stripes – a thick stripe in the middle and thinner on either side – down the flank.

The road jerseys are a photo-opposite – white stripes on the green sweater, with a white Spartan head logo on the chest, and the player number on the back in white outlined in bronze.

The home and away socks mirror the stripes on the flank of the jerseys – a thick stripe between two thinner stripes in the opposite color.

For the 2012 Great Lakes Invitational, MSU will unveil a “vintage” sweater which brings back the familiar script Michigan State jerseys worn by the Spartan hockey program for nearly 30 years.

The white vintage sweaters have the script “Michigan State” in green, with a green stripe from the shoulder to the wrist; there is also a horizontal green stripe across the bottom. The player number is on the back in green with bronze outline.

The green jerseys will be green with the white script Michigan State logo, with a white player number outlined in bronze and the white stripe from shoulder to wrist and horizontal stripe across the hips. The vintage-style jerseys will be used primarily for special events – the Spartan helmet logo jerseys will be the primary uniform for MSU.

The Spartans will wear them for the first time at the 2012 Great Lakes Invitational, which will be played outdoors at Comerica Park as a part of the Hockeytown Winter Festival and feature MSU, Michigan, Michigan Tech and invitee Western Michigan.

Comerica will also host several other events in advance of NHL’s Winter Classic on New Year’s Day between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, which include an AHL game between the top affiliates of each team game and two games which will feature alumni of both storied organizations.

“The script ‘Michigan State’ logo was introduced in my freshman season [1980-81] and over the course of time, became one of the iconic jerseys in college hockey,” said Anastos . “We will be bringing this design back on a limited basis, and will wear them for special events and for select games. Our players are really excited about it and we know that it resonates with so many of our alumni and fans.”

Incoming Michigan State quartet drafted in Pittsburgh

Michigan State Press Release 

Four incoming Michigan State players were drafted on the second day of the National Hockey League Entry Draft on Saturday and the four selections in this year’s draft were the most selections for the Spartans in a season since 2006.

“We are very pleased for the guys who were drafted today,” said MSU coach Tom Anastos, who himself was drafted in the sixth round by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1981 draft.

“All four of them have excellent futures ahead of them and we are excited about them beginning the next phase of their development at Michigan State.”

The future Spartan players started to hear their names early in the third round.

Birmingham Brother Rice graduate Mackenzie Maceachern (Troy) and defenseman John Draeger (Edina, Minn) went in back-to-back picks, Maceachern at No. 67 overall to the St. Louis Blues. Draeger heard his name called by his home-state Minnesota Wild at No. 68. Maceachern is the ninth-ever MSU draft pick by the Blues and the first since Trevor Nill in 2006. Draeger is just the second-ever Minnesota Wild draft pick for the Spartans and both were defensemen (AJ Thelen was a first-round pick of the Wild in 2004).

Rhett Holland (Calgary, Alberta) went to Phoenix with their fourth-round selection. Four former Spartan players were drafted by the old Winnipeg Jets prior to the team relocating to Phoenix in 1996.

MSU’s fourth selection of the day was Matt DeBlouw (Chesterfield), Calgary’s seventh-round pick at No. 186 overall. He is the fifth Spartan selected and first since 1991 when Kelly Harper was picked by Calgary in the seventh round as well.

MSU had four players selected in the NHL draft for the first time since 2006 when Mike Ratchuk (Philadelphia), Jeff Petry (Edmonton), Ryan Turek (St. Louis) and Nick Sucharski (Columbus) heard their names called on draft day.

Michigan State had 15 former players appear in at least one NHL game during the 2011-12 season.

Draeger, Holland and DeBlouw are set to join the Spartans for the 2012-13 season, while Maceachern will play this coming season in the USHL for the Chicago Steel, which selected him fourth overall in the USHL draft earlier this spring. Maceachern was Michigan’s "Mr. Hockey" after leading Brother Rice to a state title. Draeger helped lead Shattuck St. Mary’s to back-to-back national Tier I championships in 2011 and 2012.

Maceachern photo by MiHockeyNow.com

Spartans announce six more commitments

Michigan State Press Release 

Michigan State has announced that six more players have committed to play hockey at the university.

Two players have signed national letters of intent – forwards Mackenzie MacEachern (Troy) and Mike Ferrantino (Plymouth).

Defenseman Nickolas Gatt (Farmington Hills) will transfer from Alabama-Huntsville and has signed his Big Ten tender of financial aid. David Bondra (Annapolis, Md.), Brock Krygier (Novi) and Connor Wood (Bloomfield Hills) have all enrolled at MSU for the fall semester and will round out a class that as of June 14, sits at 11 newcomers for the 2012-13 season.

MacEachern, who recently completed his senior season at Brother Rice High School, has deferred admission to MSU and will enroll in the fall of 2013. He will play the upcoming season for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League.

Bondra, Gatt, Ferrantino, Krygier and Wood will join six previous signees – forwards Matt DeBlouw (Chesterfield) and Ryan Keller (Farmington Hills), goaltender Jake Hildebrand (Butler, Penn.) and defensemen John Draeger (Fairibault, Minn.), Rhett Holland (Calgary, Alberta) and Travis Walsh (Lansing) on the Spartan roster for next season.

“We lost a large class last season, which included a lot of experienced players,” said MSU head coach Tom Anastos. “We are excited about this group as it has a nice blend of talent, leadership and toughness. As they gain experience, we look for these players to make big contributions to our program.”

More HERE.

Spartans' captain Krug leaves school for Bruins' deal

Michigan State Press Release

Michigan State defenseman Torey Krug announced today that he has signed a professional contract with the National Hockey League's defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

Krug, a 20-year-old Livonia native, will forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"I couldn't be happier for Torey," said MSU coach Tom Anastos. "He's had an incredible season, an outstanding career at Michigan State and is ready to take the next step in his hockey career. While I know that we will certainly miss his talent and leadership next season, he will be back to complete his degree, and has left a lasting impression on his teammates that will most certainly continue to have a long term impact on our program."

"Torey has had an outstanding collegiate career at Michigan State," said Boston GM Peter Chiarelli. "He is a very intelligent player who is a terrific skater and shooter, but what stands out the most with Torey is his character. He is a two-time captain and a tremendous competitor. We are thrilled to have signed him and look forward to a seeing him contribute to the Bruins."

"This obviously came quickly after our season ended, but it was a really difficult decision to make," said Krug. "I love everything about Michigan State, my teammates, and our hockey program, and it was an outstanding place for me to grow and develop both as a hockey player and a person. It is very hard for me to leave, but I am incredibly thankful for the support shown to me by coach Anastos as I went through this process. I'm very proud to have worn a Michigan State jersey and serve as a captain. It's bittersweet, because we have worked hard to get MSU hockey back where we want it to be, challenging for conference and national championships.

"There are so many people to thank. To all of my teammates, our coaches and staff, the athletic department, and the university - thank you for making my three years as a part of this program such a special time in my life. I will always be a proud Spartan, and will do my best to represent Michigan State University in a way that you will all be proud.

"I would also like to thank the Boston Bruins organization for this tremendous opportunity. Every hockey player has the dream to play in the National Hockey League, and I am excited about my chance to prove myself at the next level."

Krug recently completed a standout season in which he distinguished himself among the top players in college hockey. He is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given annually to honor the top men's collegiate hockey player in the country.

At the recent CCHA awards show, Krug took home five awards - tying fellow Spartan (and current Edmonton Oiler) Shawn Horcoff for the most all-time in a single season. Krug was voted the league's Player of the Year, and for the second season in a row took home Best Offensive Defenseman honors. He was a unanimous selection to the All-CCHA First Team, and was MSU's Perani Cup winner (most "Three Stars of the Game" distinctions throughout the CCHA season).

In addition, with his game-winning goal in the final game of the regular season at Notre Dame, Krug shared the CCHA scoring title with Irish forward TJ Tynan. Krug became just the second defenseman in CCHA history - and the fifth overall in the college game - to win his league's scoring title.

Krug finished his junior season with a 12-22-34 scoring line, his best offensive season at MSU and his second consecutive season as the top goal-scoring defenseman in the conference. He ranks seventh overall in the conference in scoring, is eighth in assists, and 19th overall in goals. He tied for third in power-play goals (7) and owns the fourth-most game-winning tallies (3) in the CCHA as well. Krug plays in excess of 29 minutes per game, and plays in all situations.

In the last two seasons, Krug compiled 23 goals, (second-most among collegiate defensemen), and 62 points (third-best among Division I blueliners).

In his three-year career, Krug appeared in 114 career games, scoring 26 goals and adding 57 assists for 83 points, the most of any player in his three seasons on the roster. He is a career +7 and had 175 PIMs.

Photo (2011 GLI) by Matt Mackinder/MiCHO