The 2026 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game will feature a historic collection of NHL draft talent when No. 4 Michigan State hockey faces No. 8 North Dakota on Saturday in Cedar Park, Texas.
The matchup at H-E-B Center will feature 31 NHL draft picks, including a record 13 first-round selections, the most ever in a single college hockey game. MSU accounts for nine of those first-round picks, while North Dakota has four.
MSU and North Dakota enter the weekend looking to rebound after disappointing results. The Spartans split their series at New Hampshire, while Minnesota swept the Fighting Hawks, losing both games 5-3.
The Spartans have 17 NHL draft picks on their roster, tied for the most in program history with the 1990-91 team. Their nine first-round selections are the most of any NCAA team this season. North Dakota has 14 drafted players, giving the two programs 31 NHL draft picks combined.
MSU’s nine first-round selections represent 30% of the 30 first-round picks currently playing college hockey this season. The matchup also features 19 NHL organizations, with nine professional teams represented by multiple players.
The Calgary Flames have the largest contingent, with four draft picks in the game. The Toronto Maple Leafs have three, while the New York Rangers, Seattle Kraken, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins all have two.
The game’s 13 first-round picks span three drafts, from the 2024 NHL draft to the 2026 NHL draft.
MSU’s rostered first-round picks include:
- Cayden Lindstrom, forward — Columbus Blue Jackets, fourth overall, 2024
- Ryker Lee, forward — Nashville Predators, 26th overall, 2025
- Mason West, forward — Chicago Blackhawks, 29th overall, 2025
- Joshua Ravensbergen, goaltender — San Jose Sharks, 30th overall, 2025
- Cullen Potter, forward — Calgary Flames, 32nd overall, 2025
- Chase Reid, defenseman — Seattle Kraken, seventh overall, 2026
- Ethan Belchetz, forward — Utah Mammoth, 17th overall, 2026
- Jack Hextall, forward — Calgary Flames, 30th overall, 2026
- Tommy Bleyl, defenseman — Nashville Predators, 31st overall, 2026
North Dakota’s rostered first-round picks include:
- EJ Emery, defenseman — New York Rangers, 30th overall, 2024
- Cole Reschny, forward — Calgary Flames, 18th overall, 2025
- Carson Carels, defenseman — Calgary Flames, sixth overall, 2026
- Keaton Verhoeff, defenseman — San Jose Sharks, ninth overall, 2026
Four were top-10 picks. Columbus selected Lindstrom as the fourth overall pick in 2024, while Carels went sixth overall to Calgary and Reid went seventh overall to Seattle in 2026. Verhoeff, San Jose’s ninth overall pick in 2026, rounds out the group.
Despite the amount of NHL draft talent on both rosters, head coach Adam Nightingale said Michigan State’s success will depend on its work ethic.
“You can think you’re some type of big deal as a player because of your draft status or the year you had last year, and really none of that matters when the puck drops and the scoreboard’s on,” Nightingale said. “You got to go out there and earn it.”
Nightingale will also have a milestone within reach.
He enters the game with 99 career wins behind the Spartans’ bench and will have a chance to earn his 100th at 8:07 p.m. ET Saturday when the puck drops.
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