MSU Hockey News Roundup: NHL signings, transfer portal and Team USA highlights MSU news

It has been an eventful few weeks since the Michigan State Spartans saw their season end in the Worcester Regional Final, where they lost a 3–1 lead in the final five minutes of the third period before surrendering the game-winning goal less than a minute into overtime. The Spartans have still not returned to the Frozen Four since their 2007 national championship, and after this past weekend, the Big Ten remains without a title since 2007 as well, as Wisconsin fell to Denver in the national championship game Saturday evening.

Since the season ended, seven Spartans have made their professional debuts. Porter Martone has quickly become one of the hottest names in the NHL, helping lead the Philadelphia Flyers into the playoffs. Trey Augustine was awarded the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender, and Adam Nightingale was officially announced as the head coach for Team USA at the 2027 World Junior Championship. The transfer portal has also been active, with three Spartans departing and three new commitments coming in.

Today, here is a look at everything that has happened in Michigan State hockey since the season ended on March 28.

The Porter Martone show

When Michigan State’s season ended that Saturday evening, things moved quickly for Porter Martone to join the Philadelphia Flyers. The 2025 first-round NHL draft pick and first-team All-Big Ten selection made his NHL debut on Tuesday, March 31, and has been producing ever since. Martone has recorded nine points in nine games, including a goal in front of his former coaches and teammates in Detroit, and has played a role in helping the Flyers secure a spot in the NHL playoffs, which begin next week.

Martone has provided a much-needed jolt of positive momentum for the Spartans following a disappointing end to the season. He has been effusive in his praise of his time in East Lansing, calling it the best decision of his life. Reflecting on the end of his Spartan career, he said, “That night, I was just trying to spend it with my teammates, with our seniors who are moving on. I felt like we really created a brotherhood there at Michigan State. I love that place so much.”

The praise has not stopped there. The Flyers’ coaching staff, along with general manager Danny Briere, have also spoken highly of Michigan State’s program, particularly the work done in strength and conditioning under Will Morlock.

“The way he’s developed physically, that was the biggest reason for encouraging the move to the NCAA this season,” Briere said. “To have that kind of stepping stone from the OHL to the NHL, developing his body and getting stronger. I think the amount of time he spent in the gym, you can see in his body how it’s changed. It’s almost like going from a teenager to a man. His play on the ice spoke for itself. You guys have all seen what he’s done and how dominant he was.”

Comments like those, along with the visual proof of Martone’s transformation, should carry real weight for Michigan State as it continues to recruit high-end CHL talent, including players currently being evaluated during the OHL playoffs.

Spartan pros everywhere

It was not long ago that the end of a Michigan State season meant a handful of ECHL debuts and limited traction beyond graduating seniors. Under head coach Adam Nightingale, that reality has shifted each year, and this spring has felt like a full-scale surge of professional movement as teams look to add players for playoff runs and late-season evaluations.

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