Michigan State hockey will play at Madison Square Garden in 2018

ST. LOUIS - APRIL 7: Chris Snavely
ST. LOUIS - APRIL 7: Chris Snavely /
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The Michigan State Spartans hockey team will play the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Madison Square Garden in New York on January 20.

The Michigan State Spartans hockey team will play at Madison Square Garden in 2018, taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Big Ten game on January 20. It will be the second of the Big Ten’s “Super Saturday” series, which began last season, and Minnesota’s men’s basketball team will play Ohio State’s men’s basketball team on the same date.

Michigan State’s men’s basketball team played at the Garden last season, losing 69-48 on November 16 to the Kentucky Wildcats and the 2018 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will be held in the Garden starting February 28.

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Michigan State will play a 24-game conference schedule, beginning November 3 at Minnesota and ending on February 24 against new conference opponent Notre Dame before the Big Ten quarterfinals on March 2.

Michigan State hockey will be helmed in 2017-18 by former Spartan hockey player and former USA Hockey National Teamp Development Program coach Danton Cole. Cole spent ten seasons in major league hockey, starting in

Cole says he wants to return Michigan State hockey to a “commitment to excellence,” referring to the teams coached by the late Ron Mason which made the Spartans one of the nation’s top programs.

Cole spent ten seasons in major league hockey, starting in 1995, when he won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils. Cole was head coach at Alabama-Huntsville from 2007-2010, where he went 23-59-12.He has described the Michigan State hockey coach position as his “dream job” to the Detroit Free Press.

He has described the Michigan State hockey coach position as his “dream job” to the Detroit Free Press.

Cole replaces Tom Anastos, who resigned on March 21. Anastos went 78-122-24 in six seasons as Michigan State’s coach, including 7-24-4 in 2016-17.

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The Spartans will begin their new season with a home exhibition against Toronto on October 7. Their regular season begins on October 13 at Bowling Green.