Michigan State University Athletics
First Look At Anastos-Era Spartans Monday at Munn
10/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 2, 2011
• Former Spartan Skater (1982-85) and assistant coach Tom Anastos takes the reigns of the Michigan State hockey program, becoming just the sixth head coach in the modern history of the program. Anastos spent the previous 13 seasons as the commissioner of the CCHA.
• Admission is free for all MSU students to Monday night's exhibition game.
• Anastos welcomes back 20 letterwinners, which includes 10 seniors, to his first-ever roster as a head coach at Michigan State.
• Michigan State assistant coach Tom Newton is the longest-tenured assistant coach in the CCHA. Entering his 22nd season at Michigan State, Newton has worked for three head coaches and been a part of more than 450 victories as a part of the Spartan program.
• Former MSU and NHL player Kelly Miller is in his first season as an assistant coach. He and head coach Tom Anastos were classmates at MSU from 1981-85. He was the fourth member of his family (out of an eventual 10) to play hockey at Michigan State, and he remains one of the program's all-time leading scorers. A ninth-round draft choice of the New York Rangers in 1982, his NHL career spanned more than 1,000 games over 15 seasons, including three years with the New York Rangers and 12 with the Washington Capitals. A Selke Trophy finalist (best defensive forward) in 1989, he helped the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998, and served as an assistant captain for the franchise for more than a decade. He was an assistant coach for both the New York Islanders and Anaheim Ducks when his playing career had finished.
• All four MSU coaches - Anastos, Miller, Newton and goaltender coach Mike Gilmore - played college hockey for Ron Mason. Newton skated for Mason at Bowling Green in the late 1970's.
• Junior captain Torey Krug returns to the Spartan blueline after earning First Team All-CCHA and the league's Best Offensive Forward honors as a sophomore. He anchors a defense which returns all six starters from a year ago, and four of those players are seniors. Krug was voted as a Pre-Season All-CCHA selection by the conference's head coaches.
• Krug is the fifth player in MSU history to wear the captain's "C" on his jersey for two seasons. Last year, he was the program's first solo captain as a sophomore in team history.
• The Spartans will need to replace the scoring of the team's departed leading scorer Derek Grant (8-25-33; opted to forego final two seasons of eligibility and sign with the Senators) and fourth-leading scorer and 2011 graduate Dustin Gazley (11-15-26). Four of the team's five freshnen are forwards.
• MSU has 10 seniors on the roster this season, the largest senior class since the 1977-78 season, which also boasted 10.
• Freshman Tanner Sorenson is a rare species in college hockey - the player who enters college directly after playing for his high school team. Sorenson played for Shattuck St. Mary's, winning a 18-U Tier I National Championship in 2011. Since the 1991-92 season, Sorenson is just the third MSU player to skate for his high school team in the season before enrolling at MSU - Brian Clifford (1991-95) and Chris Mueller (2004-08) both played for the Nichols School in their hometown of Buffalo. Both Clifford and Mueller also played a split season, playing for both their high school and the local AAA team during their senior years. Sorenson played solely for Shattuck last year.
• Western Ontario played Notre Dame last night, with the Irish taking a 4-0 victory. The Mustangs opened their season with a 3-2 loss to CIS rival Waterloo.
& nbsp; On Friday, Western Ontario played the Rochester Americans - the American Hockey League affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, on Friday evening. Kevin Baker scored the only goal of the night for the Mustangs, while Josh Unice and Alain Valiquette finished with 42 combined saves in the Mustang crease. Former Spartan Corey Tropp played for the Amerks, recording an assist in the win.
• The Spartans officially open the season this Friday in the IceBreaker Tournament, which will be played on the campus of the University of North Dakota. MSU's first-round opponent will be Boston College, and the Spartans will play either Air Force or the host Fighting Sioux on Saturday.
