Several MSU Hockey Players Enter Portal, Find New Homes

Tons of focus is on what basketball will do, but it is now transfer portal season for college hockey, too.

It was a busy day for the Spartans and Adam Nightingale, who already added first-round NHL draft pick Cullen Potter from Arizona State. MSU lost four players to the portal, too, with two already committing elsewhere.

Day 1 Portal Departures

G Melvin Strahl

Backup goalie Melvin Strahl is one of the first players to enter the transfer portal. He's already reportedly headed to Minnesota. Interestingly, that means the Golden Gophers (under different head coaches) have taken MSU's backup goaltender out of the portal in back-to-back seasons. Last year, it was Luca Di Pasquo. This year, it's Strahl, who had a 2.27 GAA and a .922 save percentage in four appearances this season.

Strahl ended up only spending one season with Michigan State. He is still an interesting prospect, having been drafted in the fifth round, 156th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He just happened to be caught behind superstar goalie Trey Augustine and the incoming commitment of Joshua Ravensbergen, a former first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2025.

G Dolan Gilbert

Also joining the group of entrants in the portal is third-string goalie Dolan Gilbert. He's been a part of the program for the last two seasons, appearing in two games. Before going to MSU, Gilbert played for Concordia (Wisconsin), where he appeared in 10 games.

F Nathan Mackie

Also headed elsewhere is sophomore forward Nathan Mackie. The British Columbia native played sporadically during his two seasons with the program, skating in nine games as a freshman and 11 this past season. Mackie only has one career point, picking up an assist at Notre Dame in March 2025.

F Austin Baker

Michigan State's second NHL draft pick who has entered the transfer portal is freshman forward Austin Baker, who is also reportedly headed to play for Miami (OH). Baker was picked 203rd overall in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He's also from White Lake, Mich., and he played with the U.S. National Development Team Program and for Sioux Falls in the USHL before coming to MSU.

Baker was also a guy who was in and out of the lineup during his lone season with the Spartans. He appeared in 14 games this past season and recorded just one assist at Northern Michigan back in October.

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