Michigan State Enters the Season Ranked No. 3

The Michigan State Spartans enter the 2026-27 season ranked inside the top three of the USCHO preseason poll, trailing only last year's national champion, Denver, and in-state rival Michigan, which comes in at No. 2.

The Spartans are one of five Big Ten teams ranked inside the top 20 of the preseason poll. Michigan is No. 2, Michigan State is No. 3, Wisconsin is No. 6, Minnesota is No. 14 and Penn State is No. 17. Ohio State and Notre Dame also received votes but did not receive enough to crack the top 20.

Michigan State enters the season looking to capture its fourth consecutive regular-season Big Ten championship and, for the first time in nearly two decades, push deep into the NCAA Tournament and reach the Frozen Four.

That will be no easy task.

With a roster featuring plenty of youth, head coach Adam Nightingale will have to lean on his veterans early while the freshmen find their footing.

The Spartans' incoming freshmen are certainly nothing to scoff at. Michigan State has plenty of NHL-caliber talent joining the program, including first-round picks from the 2026 NHL Draft such as Chase Reid, Ethan Belchetz and Tommy Bleyl.

As talented as that group is, those players will still need time to adapt to the college game. That's where Nightingale will have to rely on his veterans to help the newcomers adjust quickly.

The youth movement has also taken over between the pipes.

For the first time in three years, the Spartans will not have Trey Augustine anchoring the crease. Augustine has embarked on his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, leaving Michigan State to turn to freshman Joshua Ravensbergen.

Ravensbergen was selected No. 30 overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2025 NHL Draft and enters East Lansing as one of the most highly regarded young goaltenders in college hockey.

Ravensbergen has the talent to perform at a high level, but being thrust into a major NCAA role comes with a learning curve for any freshman. Nightingale and the veterans around him will have to help him navigate that adjustment.

That will be the case all over the ice, especially early in the season.

As the season progresses, however, the Spartans should have an opportunity to find their footing. Early-season growing pains are possible with such a young roster, but the hope in East Lansing is that the team will continue improving as the season moves along.

It's no surprise to see the Spartans sitting at No. 3 despite having one of the most talented rosters in the country. The inexperience is what creates questions surrounding Michigan State entering the season, but one thing that has not gotten younger is Nightingale.

Nightingale has continued to gain experience during his time behind the Michigan State bench and will be tasked with getting the most out of everyone on the roster, from the freshmen to the senior leaders.

The Spartans are loaded with talent from top to bottom, and after three consecutive regular-season Big Ten titles, Michigan State is ready to embark on the pursuit of a fourth.

The season will be here before we know it.