Hockey roundup: Westland's Hayes scores hat trick in OHL Game 7 win; MSU opens vs. NTDP
Westland's Avery Hayes scored three goals in the Hamilton Bulldogs' 6-1 victory over the Windsor Spitfires in Game 7 of the Ontario Hockey League final at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton on Wednesday.
Hayes, a 19-year-old center who played for Compuware and Honeybaked from 2015-2018, had 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 16 playoff games after 41 goals and 38 assists for 79 points in 66 regular-season games. He had six shots and was plus-4 in Game 7.
Northville's Ryan Humphrey was scoreless with two shots for Hamilton on Wednesday. The 19-year-old left winger, who played for Michigan's Victory Honda and Honeybaked from 2016-2019, had four goals and five assists for nine points in 19 playoff games after 25 goals and 37 assists for 62 points in 68 regular-season games.
The Bulldogs advance to the Memorial Cup along with the Edmonton Oil Kings, Shawinigan Cataractes and host Saint John Sea Dogs.
MSU to open vs. NTDP
The Michigan State Spartans will open the 2022-23 hockey season with an exhibition game against the United States National Team Development Program on Oct. 1 at the upgraded Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
The game will mark coach Adam Nightingale's first game with the Spartans and his first game against the NTDP program which he coached for two years after three years as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings.
The first regular-season non-conference series will be Oct. 7-8 when MSU takes on Bowling Green in a home-and-home series, Friday at Bowling Green and Saturday at Munn Arena.
A Thursday-Friday series with UMass-Lowell is on tap Oct. 13-14. Division I newcomer Long Island embarks on its second varsity season and comes to East Lansing for a pair of games Oct. 21-22.
The final non-conference series is Thanksgiving weekend when the Spartans return a trip to Miami after the Red Hawks play at Munn.
The Big Ten conference schedule will be released later this summer and will feature both home-and-away series with all six Big Ten programs.