Michigan State men's ice hockey has gained another superstar from the transfer portal: right wing Joey Larson from Northern Michigan University. He will come to MSU as a sophomore.
In his freshman season with the Wildcats, Larson had 13 goals and 14 assists, adding up to a total of 27 points in 36 games.
A native of Brighton, Michigan, Larson stands at 6-foot-1 and can shoot the puck. He has three years of NCAA eligibility remaining and is an alum of the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks where he had 66 points in 61 games.
Larson is a huge add for Michigan State's 2023-2024 roster, as the Spartans hope to improve upon its fifth-place standing in the Big Ten from this past season.
Second-year head coach Adam Nightingale is utilizing the portal more frequently, and more efficiently, than he did in his introductory season. MSU hopes that this closes the gap between its own talent and elite teams such as Minnesota.
Already, Michigan State has added right wing Reed Lebster from UMass; center Red Savage, a draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings from Miami; left wing Isaac Howard, a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick from Minnesota-Duluth; defenseman James Crossman from Brown; and now Larson.
MSU's outgoing talent — with Zach Dubinsky, Powell Connor, Jesse Tucker, Kyle Haskins, Ryan Nolan and A.J. Hodges all entering the transfer portal — has not quite matched the talent coming into the program, and the Spartans already look to have a stronger overall roster in 2023-2024.