EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Head Coach Adam Nightingale says he has been happy with how the Spartans’ practices have been going and he really likes the way his team has been working. However, the first true test of the 2022-2023 season will come on Saturday, October 1 when the scoreboard comes on for the first time.

The energy is almost contagious around Munn Ice Arena with the Spartans’ debuting a new coach, new facility upgrades, and a new team ahead of MSU’s first exhibition against the United States National Team Developmental Program on Saturday.

“We are super ready,” Viktor Hurtig, a Freshman Defenseman said. “We have been practicing hard for a couple of weeks now and I think all of the guys have made big improvements during the week.”
“I think we have a really good team going,” Nicolas Müller, a Senior Forward said. “I think we’ve got a really good group of guys here.”

‘New’ and ‘change’ have been two keys words floating around the hockey program since the hiring of Nightingale back in May and with many new additions to the support staff, the team is ready to embark on a new journey on Michigan State Hockey.

“With Coach Nightingale, I think a lot of guys expected a change here and I think we have been doing a really good job with things like playing fast and keeping up the pace,” Dylan St. Cyr, a Graduate Goaltender said. “Honestly I think the games will come relatively easy to us compared to the practices we have been having so I think that was the mindset coming into practices and that is something we have been working on so that the games will come a lot easier and be more natural for us.”

Puck drop between MSU and USNTDP is set for 7 pm on Saturday and as of Thursday, no starters or captains have been named for the green and white.