Hockey Consensus No. 3 in Preseason Polls
9/29/2025 5:17:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State hockey opens the 2025-26 season as the consensus No. 3 team in the country via national polls from USCHO.com and USA Hockey.
USCHO Poll
USA Hockey Poll
Michigan State concluded last season as the No. 6 team in both national polls following a year in which the Spartans won their second of back-to-back Big Ten regular season and tournament championships.
MSU returns 14 letterwinners from a year ago while welcoming a much-anticipated class of 13 newcomers. MSU boasts 15 National Hockey League draft picks on its roster, which includes four first round selections and five second round picks.
The Spartans were selected by the Big Ten coaches as the league favorite for 2025-26, with junior goaltender Trey Augustine and senior defenseman Matt Basgall earning Preseason All-Big Ten First team. Head Coach Adam Nightingale returns to the Spartan bench for his fourth season as head coach boasting a career 69-35-9 (.650) record, which places him as the winningest coach in program history over one's first three seasons.
Five other Big Ten foes will open the season in both the USCHO and USA Hockey polls: Penn State (5/5), Minnesota (8/7), Michigan (12/12), Ohio State (16/17), Wisconsin (20/19).
Michigan State gets its season underway this weekend when it welcomes Windsor for an exhibition on Friday, October 3.
USCHO Poll
USA Hockey Poll
Michigan State concluded last season as the No. 6 team in both national polls following a year in which the Spartans won their second of back-to-back Big Ten regular season and tournament championships.
MSU returns 14 letterwinners from a year ago while welcoming a much-anticipated class of 13 newcomers. MSU boasts 15 National Hockey League draft picks on its roster, which includes four first round selections and five second round picks.
The Spartans were selected by the Big Ten coaches as the league favorite for 2025-26, with junior goaltender Trey Augustine and senior defenseman Matt Basgall earning Preseason All-Big Ten First team. Head Coach Adam Nightingale returns to the Spartan bench for his fourth season as head coach boasting a career 69-35-9 (.650) record, which places him as the winningest coach in program history over one's first three seasons.
Five other Big Ten foes will open the season in both the USCHO and USA Hockey polls: Penn State (5/5), Minnesota (8/7), Michigan (12/12), Ohio State (16/17), Wisconsin (20/19).
Michigan State gets its season underway this weekend when it welcomes Windsor for an exhibition on Friday, October 3.
The votes are in - We'll start the 2025-26 season as the consensus No. 3 team in the national polls! pic.twitter.com/sWUcYoxZv2
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) September 29, 2025
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Ice Hockey
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