Hurricanes Advance, Wild Triumphs

Jackson Blake (North Dakota) scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, and added an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the host Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, early last night. The Hurricanes swept the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series, four games to zero, and are now 8-0 so far in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Trevor Zegras (Boston University) and Porter Martone (Michigan State) both assisted on Philadelphia's game-opening goal as the Flyers finished their longest playoff run since 2000. Carolina will now await the winner of the Buffalo-Montreal series, which is tied at one game apiece.

Late Saturday night, the Minnesota Wild climbed back into their Western Conference series with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche. Quinn Hughes (Michigan), Brock Faber (Minnesota) and Matt Boldy (Boston College) scored goals for the Wild, handing top-seeded Colorado its first loss so far this postseason, while Faber also posted two assists. Game Three will be held in St. Paul on Monday night, with the Avalanche still leading the series, two games to one.

NCAA Skaters Stars in NHL Playoff Openers

The NHL's 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs got underway this weekend, with several former NCAA players playing key roles in Game One first-round victories.

•  Jackson Blake (North Dakota) had two assists as Carolina topped Ottawa, 2-0.

• Matt Boldy (Boston College) scored two goals and set up another as Minnesota routed host Dallas, 6-1.

• Porter Martone (Michigan State) notched his first career NHL playoff goal, the game-winner in Philadelphia's 3-2 victory at Pittsburgh.

• Logan O'Connor (Denver) scored the game-winner in Colorado's 2-1 triumph over Los Angeles, assisted by Jack Drury (Harvard).

• • Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) notched two assists, both on the power play, and Jakub Dobeš (Ohio State) made 20 saves in Montreal's 4-3 overtime win at Tampa Bay.

• Tage Thompson (UConn) scored two goals and added an assist as Buffalo rebounded for a 4-3 victory over Boston.

• Nic Dowd (St. Cloud State) collected the game-winner as Vegas outlasted Utah, 4-2.

The eighth series, between Anaheim and Edmonton, gets underway tonight.

Three MSU Spartans Turn Pro

Michigan State will have to do without three key contributors going forward, all of whom recently signed NHL contracts.

Freshman right wing Porter Martone was the first to go, signing on Sunday with the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him sixth overall last year. Martone, 19, paced the Spartans this past year with 25 goals and 50 points in his only NCAA campaign, after skating three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. The Peterborough, Ont. native, who played in two IIHF World Junior Championships for Canada, made his NHL debut on March 31 at Washington, and picked up his first pro point with an assist against Detroit tonight. 

Junior goaltender Trey Augustine has signed with the Detroit Red Wings, who selected him 41st overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and has been assigned to Detroit's top minor-league affiliate in Grand Rapids (AHL). Augustine, 21, from South Lyon, Mich. fashioned a 24-9-1 record in 34 games this past season, with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, while earning Big Ten Goaltender of the Year accolades. In three years with the Spartans, he went 66-25-7 with a 2.40 GAA over 99 career outings while notching nine shutouts and backstopping MSU to three consecutive Big Ten conference regular-season titles and two tournament crowns. He also won two gold medals with the U.S. at the WJCs, after prepping with the U.S. National Junior Team Development Program, and is a finalist this year for both the Mike Richter Award (top NCAA goalie) and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award (top NCAA player). 

Junior defenseman Maxim Strbak has signed with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him 45th overall in 2023, and has been assigned to Rochester (AHL). Strbak, 20, from Kosice, Slovakia, notched three goals and 15 assists for 18 points in 37 games this past season with MSU, and in three years in East Lansing collected 8-38—46 points over 102 appearances. A product of Sioux Falls (USHL), he also participated in four consecutive WJCs for Slovakia. 

MSU's 2025-26 campaign ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to Big Ten rival Wisconsin in the NCAA Worcester (Mass.) Regional final on March 29, one game short of the Frozen Four. 

ADDENDUM: Michigan State sophomore defenseman Colin Ralph and senior forward Daniel Russell have also signed pro contracts, with the St. Louis Blues and Wilkes-Barre Scranton (AHL), respectively. Ralph, 20, from Maple Grove, Minn., collected 2-16—18 points in 69 career games with St. Cloud State and MSU, after being drafted 48th overall by the Blues in 2024. Russell, from Traverse City, Mich., totaled 43-70—113 points in 140 career outings at MSU, after playing three years in the USHL and one in the NAHL. 

MSU Tops Penn State Outdoors

Charlie Stramel capped his first career collegiate hat trick with the game-winning goal in overtime as No. 2 Michigan State defeated fifth-ranked host Penn State, 5-4, before 74,575 spectators at Beaver Stadium this afternoon. MSU is now 3-2-1 in outdoor contests since the original Cold War was contested back in 2001.

Stramel scored just over three minutes into the extra session at the home of Penn State football, after the Spartans had battled back from 3-2 and 4-3 deficits in regulation. He also recorded an assist to go with his three goals, while linemates Porter Martone and Daniel Russell also finished with four points apiece. Trey Augustine made 31 saves for MSU (21-5-0 overall, 12-4-0 Big Ten), which swept its weekend Big Ten series with PSU following a 6-3 win at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday night. The Spartans have also won six straight games overall, and 10 of their last 11 outings.

Aidan Fink scored twice for Penn State (18-8-0, 10-6-0), while Dane Dowiak set up three goals for the Nittany Lions, who got 35 stops in net from Kevin Reider. MSU outshot PSU, 40-35, on the day, and also went 1-for-2 on the power play, with Stramel supplying that goal. The Spartans will now face No 1 Michigan twice next weekend, including the annual "Duel in the D" matchup in Detroit, while PSU is off until playing at Michigan on Feb. 13-14. 

U.S., Canada Win in 2026 WJC Openers

Will Zellers (North Dakota) scored two goals and set up another, and Cole Hutson (Boston University) tallied two assists as the host United States defeated Germany, 6-3, tonight in its opener of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in St. Paul, Minn. The U.S., which has won the last two WJC gold medals, will next face off tomorrow with Switzerland, which will be playing in its first game of the tournament.

In the nightcap in Minneapolis, Canada outlasted Czechia, 7-5, by scoring four times in the third period. Michael Hage (Michigan) notched a goal and two assists for the Canadians, who also got two assists from Gavin McKenna (Penn State) and an empty-net goal from Porter Martone (Michigan State). Canada will next face Latvia on Saturday.

ADDENDUM: Team USA edged Switzerland, 2-1, on a goal by Zellers, while Canada topped Latvia by the same score on an overtime goal from Hage.