Not enough for a full story but just a couple updates with both signing day opening yesterday and 5 Nations getting under way today to kick off the International Play for the 2023-24 season for the 18s (MSU has 3 commits there in Finland).
So far MSU inked 2 players to their NLIs. Dman Jack Sparkes (a rare Danton Cole commit allowed to matriculate to campus) signed. He is with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. The 2003 born native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is exhausting his junior eligibility this season and would need to be on campus next year and his signature signals that he will not be looking elsewhere. Sparkes is a LA Kings drfat pick (6th round 2022) and stands at 6'8" 238 pounds.
Also signing yesterday was Nathan Mackie, one of the handful of Western Canadians to commit to the Spartans since the hire of Adam Nightingale (and more to the point Western Canada native/assistant coach Mike Towns). Mackie was injured to start this season and has just begun playing for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks the last few weeks (this is the junior organization that produced Spartans alum/Grand RapidsGriffins/Detroit Red Wings forward) Taro Hirose. Mackie is a 2004 born forward who put up 50 pts in 54 games for the Silverbacks last season.
Team USA U18s are overseas for their first taste of international play this week/weekend for the 5 Nations Tournament in Finland. This tournament happens annually bringing together USA, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Czechia. I expect all 3 Spartans with the 18s (Lucan VaN, Vliet, Austin Baker, and Shane Vansaghi) to sign and be announced once the boys return to the States, for next season. LVV got his tourney started off well this morning with a penalty shot goal to put the US up 5-0 on Sweden. The game is in the 3rd period right now
So far MSU inked 2 players to their NLIs. Dman Jack Sparkes (a rare Danton Cole commit allowed to matriculate to campus) signed. He is with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. The 2003 born native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is exhausting his junior eligibility this season and would need to be on campus next year and his signature signals that he will not be looking elsewhere. Sparkes is a LA Kings drfat pick (6th round 2022) and stands at 6'8" 238 pounds.
Also signing yesterday was Nathan Mackie, one of the handful of Western Canadians to commit to the Spartans since the hire of Adam Nightingale (and more to the point Western Canada native/assistant coach Mike Towns). Mackie was injured to start this season and has just begun playing for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks the last few weeks (this is the junior organization that produced Spartans alum/Grand RapidsGriffins/Detroit Red Wings forward) Taro Hirose. Mackie is a 2004 born forward who put up 50 pts in 54 games for the Silverbacks last season.
Team USA U18s are overseas for their first taste of international play this week/weekend for the 5 Nations Tournament in Finland. This tournament happens annually bringing together USA, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Czechia. I expect all 3 Spartans with the 18s (Lucan VaN, Vliet, Austin Baker, and Shane Vansaghi) to sign and be announced once the boys return to the States, for next season. LVV got his tourney started off well this morning with a penalty shot goal to put the US up 5-0 on Sweden. The game is in the 3rd period right now
