Mike Donnelly (2019) - Hall of Fame - Michigan State University Athletics

Mike Donnelly

Induction:
2019
Class:
1986

Mike Donnelly
Hockey (1982-86)
Livonia, Michigan
MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019

HIGHLIGHTS:
• NCAA single-season record 59 goals in 1985-86
• Scored the game-winning goal in the 1986 National Championship game and was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player
• 1986 First-Team All-American and Hobey Baker Award finalist
• Played 11 seasons in the NHL and helped Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup final

HALL OF FAME FEATURE: CLASS OF 2019

No one has scored more goals in a single season of college hockey than Mike Donnelly.

In one of the most successful eras of Michigan State hockey that produced a multitude of elite players, Donnelly proved to be one of the best.

Donnelly came to Michigan State in 1982 for the start of Coach Ron Mason's fourth year behind the Spartan bench.

"Shawn Walsh was the one that really recruited me and had a lot to do with me coming to Michigan State. I remember talking to Shawn and he said they didn't have any available scholarships to offer me, but they have a new thing called a 'recruited walk-on.' That's Shawn for you right there," Donnelly said with a laugh. "Thank God he got me."

A year after improving their win total by 14 games and finishing second in the CCHA standings, the '82-83 Spartans were looking to make another significant leap in restoring the program to national prominence.

"When I was a freshman, Mark Hamway was captain and the leaders we had were awesome," Donnelly said. "I thought the program was really special then, but I didn't know that it would become elite. It was a start and there were building blocks, but you could see it was an awesome place to play. We had a really good locker room and there were a lot of quality players. We had great coaching – Coach Mason was an awesome coach and we learned so much from him with his system and style."

The Spartans started 8-0 Donnelly's freshman season en route to the program's first 30-win season. After a second place finish during the regular season, the Spartans won their second straight CCHA Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament as Donnelly recorded 20 points, including seven goals, in 24 games.

The 1983-84 Spartans furthered the program's climb, winning 34 games, another CCHA Tournament title and finishing fourth in the NCAA Tournament. Donnelly played in all but two games that sophomore season, chipping in 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points.

"Each year seemed like we got better players and we were just more competitive and I just think the talent pool just grew from my freshman year on," Donnelly said. "(Assistant coaches) Terry Christensen and Shawn Walsh were doing an awesome job and bringing in players. It was almost like a pro development team – the way practices were ran and the way guys competed against each other was unbelievable."

Donnelly was a part of one of the most dominant teams in program history in 1984-85. In going 38-6, Mason's "Dream Team" outscored opponents by a combined 262-100. The Spartans put together a program-best 22-game winning streak, won the CCHA regular season and captured a record fourth consecutive CCHA Tournament title. But the season came to a stunning end at the hands of Providence in the NCAA Tournament regional at Munn.

"We weren't overconfident, we just thought we had so much depth and so much talent we weren't scared of losing to anybody. We thought we could beat anybody," Donnelly said. "After that season there was a huge letdown - I think even more on the coaching side of it. It was devastating with the team we had."

While Donnelly's output increased for the third straight year as he was sixth on the team in points (47) and fourth in goals (26) in 1984-85, the NCAA Tournament loss weighed on the returning players' minds heading into 1985-86.

"Going into the next year after the high expectations with that team, it was kind of like we have to refigure our team," Donnelly said. "We have a bunch of new kids coming in and we might be rebuilding a bit."

Despite 10 newcomers, the retooled Spartans didn't miss a beat – largely due to Donnelly's offensive explosion.

"Earlier in my career, I always wanted more ice time," Donnelly said. "It seemed like I was always fighting for ice time and I didn't get a lot early on. I had a role on the team and I wasn't in the top six on the power play my junior year and I was disappointed, but I understood we had a really good team that was dominating."

Donnelly's increased ice time as a senior led to the best goal-scoring season by a player in the history of college hockey. He had 10 goals in the first 12 games, then put up 20 over the next 13 contests.

In an era without Internet and accessible real-time statistic updates, Donnelly rarely knew where his scoring prowess placed him among other top players around the nation.

"We'd get a copy of the CCHA stats here and there, but I never realized where I stood," Donnelly recalled. "I think one time around Christmas some of the guys said 'Hey, you have more goals than Brett Hull.'

"Today, everything is tracked so closely and everyone knows, but back then, I had no idea. There was no Internet and you just didn't know where everyone stood. Looking back on it, it's kind of funny."

Donnelly's program-record 16-game scoring streak, over which he scored 28 goals, helped the Spartans to a second straight CCHA regular season crown and a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. In the tournament, the Spartans dispatched Boston College in the quarterfinals and then topped Minnesota in the national semifinal, setting up a title game against Harvard.

Prior to the game, Donnelly learned that despite being the nation's leader in goals and ranking in the top three in points, he was not voted winner of the Hobey Baker Award. But Donnelly didn't let the personal setback linger.

"Coach Mason and I talked about it and he gave me his thoughts on why I didn't win it and I said, 'Coach, I'm good with it – I want to win a championship.' I would take a championship over winning that award any day."

The Spartans trailed Harvard, 3-1, early in the second period, but the teams traded goals and Donnelly's tally late in the middle stanza made it a one-goal came heading into the third.

"We were never nervous. I always believed in our team – we had so much talent and were a really good team," Donnelly said.

MSU scored twice early in the third to take its first lead, but Harvard made it 5-5 later on. The game entered the final minutes with the score tied when a faceoff in the Harvard zone turned into a memorable moment.

"We knew their goalie would come way out on faceoffs in their zone, like almost challenging the guy in the faceoff dot," Donnelly said. "So, I remember we talked about it and I told Murph (Joe Murphy), 'If you can win it back, I'll have half the net to shoot at,' and it ended up happening."

Donnelly's goal from the left circle came with 2:51 on the clock and proved to be the difference in a 6-5 Spartan win, giving MSU its second national championship.

Donnelly was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament and was a first team All-America selection. His 59 goals that season remain an NCAA record and one that will likely last for the foreseeable future; only one player has reached 50 since Donnelly with no one recording more than 52.

Donnelly's 97 points in 1985-86 ranked third in the nation and are tied for the third-highest single-season total in program history. Donnelly is tied for 15^th on the Spartans' all-time point list at 196 and is fourth on the all-time goals list with 110.

Today, Donnelly works in player development for the Los Angeles Kings, the NHL club with which he played over 300 games and helped to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. In total, Donnelly's NHL career spanned 11 seasons and 465 games.

"I was shocked when I got the call from Bill Beekman," Donnelly said. "He left me a message and I had no idea why he was calling. When he told me, I was really excited. A lot of different thoughts went through my head.

"I think it means more too when you're older; you appreciate it a lot more. When I was in school, I never thought about something like this – I just wanted to win. Now that you're older, I think it means so much."