Michigan State hockey adds to high-powered offense with highly ranked Swedish forward Eric Nilson
Nathaniel BottThe Michigan State hockey team landed a commitment from Swedish forward Eric Nilson on Friday afternoon, adding more firepower to one of the NCAA's top offenses from last season.
Nilson, a 6-foot, 154-pound center, is ranked seventh by NHL Central Scouting among European skaters eligible for the upcoming 2025 NHL draft. He is the son of Marcus Nilson, who played nine NHL seasons with the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames.
Nilson competed with Sweden at the most recent U-18 World Junior Championships, scoring two goals and adding three assists in seven games to help Sweden win the silver medal. Nilson played up a level for Djurgårdens IF in the J20 Nationell league, scoring 12 goals with 26 assists in 37 games. In nine playoff games, Nilson had six goals and seven assists for Djurgårdens IF.
MSU lost one expected incoming defenseman in Tyson Jugnauth, who decided to sign with the Seattle Kraken after winning the WHL Defenseman of the Year with the Portland Winterhawks. But MSU was quick to find a replacement for Jugnauth, landing Ferris State transfer defenseman Travis Shoudy – the brother of MSU forward Tiernan Shoudy.
Travis Shoudy had six goals and 12 assists with the Bulldogs last season as the team's captain and is now reunited with his brother, who will both be suiting up as seniors for the Spartans. Shoudy originally committed to Colorado College out of the transfer portal, but jumped at the opportunity to play at MSU when a spot opened up with Jugnauth's departure.
Last week, MSU received a commitment from OHL forward Anthony Romani – a sixth round pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2024 draft.
Romani had 19 goals and 11 assists in 29 games with the Barrie Colts this past season and shined in the OHL playoffs, scoring 12 goals and assisting on 12 others in just 16 games.
The year prior, Romani scored 58 goals with 53 assists in 68 games with the OHL's North Bay Battalion.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott