Russell, a scoring engine with elite vision, joins the Pittsburgh Penguins' organization, the latest Spartan to advance to professional hockey.
Right now, the Spartans feel a little like a freshly killed animal, with NHL teams circling like vultures — each one calling dibs on a different piece before swooping in to collect once the season came to an end.
And now, another one is gone.
The fourth Spartan to take the next step has officially made his move to professional hockey. 24-year-old Daniel Russell is signing an ATO with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he will finish the season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL.
Russell was a huge part of Michigan State’s success this past season, leading the Spartans with 28 assists. Playing on the team’s top scoring line — and one of the most dangerous lines in the nation — Russell certainly benefited from the elite finishing ability of Porter Martone and Charlie Stramel.
But Russell’s production wasn’t just a byproduct of great linemates.
Time and time again, Russell proved he was the engine that helped make things go. He consistently put the puck in the perfect spots for his teammates to capitalize, showing the kind of vision and awareness that doesn’t always get the same attention as goals do on the stat sheet.
Still, his numbers speak for themselves.
Russell finished the season with 39 total points, adding 11 goals on 114 shots. He also finished second on the team in plus/minus at +25. He was tied for third on the team with four power-play goals, while also adding one shorthanded goal and three game-winning goals.
Most importantly, he was a steady and reliable presence every night.
Russell appeared in all 37 games for the Spartans this season, giving Michigan State consistency, experience, and leadership from start to finish.
As his career in green and white comes to a close, Russell leaves East Lansing with a résumé that deserves plenty of appreciation.
He finished his Michigan State career with 203 games played and 157 total points, including 48 goals and 109 assists. He also posted a .094 shooting percentage and delivered multiple game-winning moments throughout his time as a Spartan. In his four seasons with MSU, Russell never finished with fewer than 25 points, which speaks volumes about both his consistency and his value to the program.
More than just his individual numbers, though, Russell helped bring Michigan State hockey back to national relevance.
Over his final three seasons, he played a major role in helping lead the Spartans back into the national spotlight, contributing to three straight Big Ten titles and helping restore the kind of standard that fans in East Lansing had been desperate to see return.
Now, Russell becomes the latest name to join the growing list of Spartans heading toward the NHL.
He joins Porter Martone, Trey Augustine, and Maxim Strbak as the latest Michigan State players to move on to the professional ranks, and his departure is just another reminder of how much talent has recently come through East Lansing.
The first domino to fall was Martone, and he has wasted no time adjusting to the NHL level.
Unlike the others, Martone skipped the AHL route and joined the Philadelphia Flyers immediately. Just two games into his NHL career, he has already recorded 15 shots and picked up his first career point against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Augustine and Strbak are taking the AHL path in hopes of making the jump to the NHL next season — and that’s the same road Russell will now travel.
While he won’t be joining Pittsburgh right away at the NHL level, Russell will get his opportunity with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’ll look to showcase the same skill set that had him flying around Munn Ice Arena for the last four years.
And honestly, Spartans fans are watching this happen in real time.
These Michigan State players are dropping like flies, and from a fan perspective, it’s tough to watch. It feels like the roster is being stripped down to its core.
But at the same time, it says everything about what this program has become.
Adam Nightingale has turned Michigan State into a consistent powerhouse. With three consecutive Big Ten titles under his belt, he has helped build a culture that not only wins, but develops players into legitimate professional talent.
That kind of reputation doesn’t happen by accident.
When Martone made the jump, the Flyers couldn’t stop praising Nightingale and the entire Michigan State program for helping prepare him. And chances are, the same kind of praise is being echoed by the other organizations now bringing Spartans into their systems.
That’s what strong programs do.
They win, they develop, and eventually, they send players on to the next level.
Russell will absolutely be missed in East Lansing, but his impact on the ice — and on the rise of this program — won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Once a Spartan, always a Spartan.