3&Out: Let's talk some Michigan State hockey

There has been some college hockey buzz around East Lansing and Munn Ice Arena in recent days with the Spartans revealing their non-conference opponents for the upcoming season on Thursday, and second-year head coach Adam Nightingale sitting down with media recently for an update on off-season happenings.

Longtime Michigan State hockey observer Ricardo Cooney offers his three takeaways from Nightingale’s recent summer update press conference:

1. The portal, like it or not, is a necessary option

Not unlike Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, Nightingale is not a fan of the transfer portal but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to use to help fortify his roster for his second season at the helm.

“Whether I like the portal or not, it’s here and I think it’s a tool that you can use to help your team,” said Nightingale, who garnered some help from the portal last year during a season which saw Michigan State finish 18-18-2 and fall just short of making the 16-team NCAA Tournament field. “I don’t envision us living in the portal. I really want to make sure we’re developing players. (But) we had this weird situation where we need a lot of guys and we didn’t want to bring in a pile of freshmen. We still had quite a few of them (freshmen) coming in but I think long-term I see it as maybe a plug-in if a guy signs early or it’s late in the summer and a guy decides to go pro or whatever, and you have an opportunity to add a player that can help you right away. 

“That’s where I see it versus what happened this year where we were really active in the portal. Do I like the portal? No, I don’t but I understand that balance. So for me to sit back and say, wait five years until we get (all of) our guys in, that’s not fair to the university. And Alan (Haller) didn’t hire me to come here and not use the rules to the fullest. And we didn’t build this facility to not use the rules to the fullest. So we feel like we’ve done that. I have a comfort level with a lot of the guys we have coming in. It’s not just getting the best players (but) getting the right players, and we feel like the guys, we got are the right players.’’ 

With that being said, Spartan fans and opposing coaches are going to need a gameday program to familiarize themselves with the 2023-24 MSU roster.

Last season, MSU welcomed in 12 new faces, which included six from the portal.

This season, the number of new players is expected to rise to at least 14, with five additions expected from the transfer portal to help replace the seven former Spartans who entered the transfer portal after the end of last season.

That number is fluid and won’t be finalized until the team returns to campus in July for unsupervised practices.

2. Culture Shock? Not Really (But Kind Of)

There’s no doubt that coming out of year one and heading into year two that there is a culture that Nightingale and his staff want to present to potential recruits as Michigan State looks to rebuild a consistently strong and competitive program.

Nightingale reiterated his pitch to recruits looking for a pathway to being part of something special while seeking to improve their stock for the future.

“I’m not into, like, promises and guarantees. I think that’s an easy way to get a kid to come and I don’t think that’s the right way to start a relationship. I want to be open and honest. I promise that you’re (going to get a) scholarship. I promise you, we’re going to coach you, we’re going to care about you and we’re going to push you and we’re going to put our arms around you when things don’t go well. Outside of that, you’ve got to earn it. And what I liked about the guys we’re getting is I think to be the best players, that’s what they’re looking for. They they just want an opportunity because they have real confidence.’’

3. A specific kind of player that meets the Spartan criteria

With an eye on roster-building, the portal, and the need for proper culture, what is said in those one-on-one meetings with a recruit and what is Michigan State looking to establish when pursuing a recruit?

Well, it seems there’s some of the Izzo old school approach when traveling on that thin line of balance between being in on a recruit that represents both character and talent.

Potential recruits may be interviewing the coach but the coach is also interviewing the potential recruit.

“I can’t speak for other teams, I just think for us, when we’re recruiting, you’re starting a relationship and I want it to be genuine and authentic,” Nightingale said. “And I want them to know when they sit in my office, I’m not just selling a bill of goods. That this is how it’s going to be and either you like it and you want to come or you don’t, and you don’t want to come (here). And that’s why we got a lot of kids that want to come here right now.

“So I think that recruiting process is starting to get the kid that decides to come, and that you are starting to make him part of your team. 

“So that (recruiting) process is really establishing what it means to be a Spartan,” Nightingale said. “So when we talked about all of those things, certainly we think we can help them individually and that that’s the best way for our team to be great. It’s to help our guys individually improve. The reason we’re investing all that time is actually investing in them to help them. But the bigger picture is to help Michigan State hockey.’’

Coming tomorrow, a closer look at three key Michigan State hockey newcomers, by hockey scout and advisor Jeremy Dewar.