Geary Selected By Sabres On Day Two of NHL Draft

Las Vegas, Nev. -- Rising sophomore Patrick Geary (Buffalo, NY) was the second current Michigan State hockey player drafted in 2024, selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the Upper Deck NHL Draft, Rounds 2-7 concluded on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Geary was selected in the sixth round (172nd selection overall) by his hometown team. A product of the Buffalo Junior Sabres program, Geary is a rapidly-improving force on the young Spartan blueline, which featured four freshmen in the lineup every night in 2023-24. Geary skated in 32 of 38 games, and each of the final 30. He recorded five goals and eight assists on the season (+1), and scored one of the biggest goals of MSU's season – the overtime game winner to seal the Big Ten Tournament championship against Michigan.

"It's super exciting to be drafted by Buffalo," said Geary. "Growing up in the city and going to the games as a little kid - then to hear my name called by them, it felt like a dream. It will be a moment I will never forget for me and my family.

"You dream of being drafted a lot growing up. Every year you watch it to see all the best players from all over the world live out their dreams. It's definitely special. MSU prepared me for this moment from the day I stepped on campus - we are surrounded by world-class people who will do anything to help you live out your dream."

A pair of future Spartans were seventh-round selections – Michigan products and USNTDP alums Lucas VanVliet (Livonia, Mich.) and Austin Baker (White Lake, Mich.) went six picks apart in the seventh round. VanVliet was the 197th selection overall by the Vegas Golden Knights, and Baker was selected by the Detroit Red Wings with pick 203.

MSU 2024 DRAFT NOTES

MSU had four selections in the 2024 draft. Artyom Levshunov went No. 2 overall to Chicago in Friday night's first round.
Levshunov is tied for MSU's second-highest selection in program history, along with Craig Simpson (1985, Pittsburgh). Joe Murphy's pick by the Detroit Red Wings in 1986 was the first-ever college player to be selected No. 1 overall.
The selection of Levshunov by Chicago was their first pick of a Michigan State player since the Blackhawks took Duncan Keith (2nd round, 54th overall) in 2002. Keith went on to earn three Stanley Cup rings with Chicago. (2010, 2013, and 2015). Chicago has selected seven Spartans in their draft history.
A native of Belarus, Levshunov became the highest NHL draft pick of Belarusian descent in hockey history.
MSU had its most selections (4) since 2002, when Jim Slater (ATL), Lee Falardeau (NYR), Duncan Keith (CHI), Brock Radunske (EDM) and Colton Fretter (ATL) made up the fourth-largest draft class for MSU. The Spartans had a program-best eight picks in 1990, seven selections in 1985, and six in 1994, 1989, and 1991. MSU's five-pick years were 2002, 1984, and 1982.
Geary joins classmate Maxim Štrbák (Košice, Slovakia) in the Sabres defensive pipeline. Štrbák was selected No. 45 overall in the 2023 draft. Buffalo has selected eight Spartans all-time, the fourth-most of any teams.
Austin Baker was also selected by his hometown team. A White Lake, Mich. native, is one of eight selections by the Detroit Red Wings in 2024. Baker joins 2021 selection Red Savage and 2023 pick Trey Augustine in the Wings' pipeline.
Lucas Van Vliet is the first-ever future Spartan selected by the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

Players Mentioned

Trey Augustine

Patrick Geary

Artyom Levshunov

Red Savage

Maxim Štrbák

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