Yes, there are still games to be played in the NHL’s regular season, but all 16 playoff spots have been clinched so we know who is and is not going to be competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Like me, I am sure many of you are fans of the Detroit Red Wings, so you will not have your team in the postseason (again). I’ll take this opportunity to point out that at least the Red Wings did better than my cowriter Steve’s Chicago Blackhawks.
For those who still want to enjoy some playoff hockey and need help
deciding which team to get behind, let’s analyze the 16 playoff rosters in search of former Spartans.
Amazingly, there are only five former MSU skaters currently on an NHL roster. This number does not include players that are signed by NHL teams but who are currently on an affiliate (e.g. AHL) roster. This low number took me by surprise, but it is sure to grow in the next year or two as more of the Adam Nightingale-era players make it to the big league.
Of those five Spartans, three of them are on a playoff-bound team. Those three are:
Isaac Howard – Edmonton Oilers
Jeff Petry – Minnesota Wild
Porter Martone – Philadelphia Flyers
The other two players whose teams did not make the playoffs are Mason Appleton in Detroit and Artyom Levshunov in Chicago.
The regular season wraps up on Thursday and the playoffs are scheduled to start on Saturday. Will you be cheering one of the three teams with a Spartan on it? Do you live in a city with an NHL team that you will be cheering for? Will this be the year that a Canadian team wins the Cup? None have won since 1993. Are you just waiting for football season?
