3 Storylines on MSU Hockey's NCAA Tourney Game vs. UConn

Here are the things fans must know about the Spartans' upcoming hockey clash against the Huskies.

Michigan State's Maxim Strb‡k, center, points to the sky after his goal against Minnesota during the third period on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's tournament time for Michigan State hockey.

The Spartans are the No. 1 seed in the Worcester (Mass.) Region and third overall in the nation. They've drawn UConn in the first round of the single-elimination, 16-team tournament. Puck drop is set for 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday on ESPN2. Here are three things to know about the matchup:

Last Team In

Feb 25, 2025; Storrs, CT, USA; UConn defenseman Kai Janviriya (11) moves the puck against Boston University during the third period at Toscano Family Ice Forum. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Huskies just barely got into the tournament. UConn is ranked 14th in the NPI, the computer rankings that are used to determine who gets into the tournament and how they're seeded. That gave it the very last at-large spot, with auto-bids going to Merrimack (19th in NPI) and Bentley (23rd in NPI) to fill out overall seeds 15 and 16.

UConn is entering the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 20-12-5 on the season. It also finished third in the Hockey East regular season standings with 41 points and a conference record of 12-9-3.

Michigan State's Notre Dame's during the third period on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at the Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Huskies nearly got the auto-bid by reaching the Hockey East Tournament title game, but they lost to Merrimack. The Warriors winning the conference tournament and getting into the tournament was a bit of a stunner; they finished eighth in the 11-team conference.

Rust a Slight Concern

Michigan State's head coach Adam Nightingale talks with players on the bench during the second period in the game against Michigan on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, at Munn Arena in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan State, only playing one game in the Big Ten Tournament, an overtime loss to Ohio State in the semifinal, is a bit of a concern. Thursday's game will be the Spartans' first in 12 days, and the clash against the Buckeyes will be the team's first in eight days. That's only one game in 20 days before entering a single-elimination tournament.

This is not nearly as much of a concern for UConn. The Huskies played three games during the Hockey East Tournament, including two games this past Friday and Saturday, while MSU was on bye.

Getting Over the Hump

Michigan State Spartans goalie Trey Augustine talks with a referee during a game against the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at Munn Ice Arena. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Anything less than two wins in this tournament would feel like a big disappointment for MSU and Adam Nightingale. The Spartans have been in the elite tier of college hockey for three years now, but they need at least a Frozen Four banner to show for it in order to truly prove their staying power.

Michigan State lost to Michigan in the regional final two years ago and was stunned by Cornell in the first round last year, both times as the top seed in its region. If MSU cannot reach the Frozen Four as a favorite again, the label of a program that falls short when the lights are brightest will start to stick.

Michigan State and Minnesota wear 'DS' patches in honor of the late hockey staffer Dan Sturges during the third period in the game against on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. Pictured is MSU's Charlie Stramel, right, and Beckett Hendrickson. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Getting to the Frozen Four would also end the drought that has gone on since 2007, the program's longest one since it first got there in 1959.