Michigan State men’s ice hockey has officially lost out on 2006-born center Riley Patterson. The Etobicoke, Ontario-born forward spent the last season with the North York Rangers in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He had 73 points in 52 games last season.
Patterson initially committed to Michigan State back in September, shortly after MSU received commitments from a pair of left-shot defensemen, Garin Ludwig and Frédéric Deschênes.
In the third round of last year’s OHL Draft, Patterson was selected by the Flint Firebirds. Yesterday, Patterson’s OHL rights were traded from Flint to the Barrie Colts for six draft picks between this year and 2027. Today, the centerman made it official and committed to Barrie.
Despite being different leagues, a commitment to Barrie is effectively a decommitment from Michigan State. The OHL is one of three junior hockey leagues in Canada that the NCAA considers “semi-pro” since players receive a small stipend. For that reason, players who participate in the Canadian Hockey League lose all future NCAA eligibility.
Patterson was expected to join Michigan State's roster for the 2024-2025 season.
MSU’s 2006 recruiting class is still one of the best among Division I men’s hockey programs. It includes five-star prospect Christian Humphreys and four-stars Austin Baker and Lucas Van Vliet, all currently part of the Team USA National Team Development Program.
