Artyom Levshunov contributed to a huge turnaround season for Michigan State hockey and earned another individual award.
The freshman defenseman from Belarus was named to the All-American Second Team by the American Hockey Coaches Association on Friday. It capped off an outstanding year for a star player on the verge of becoming one of the top NHL draft picks.
Levshunov finished with nine goals and 26 assists for 35 points, tied for second on the Spartans (25-10-3). He was previously named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year as Michigan State won its first Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.
Under second-year coach Adam Nightingale, the Spartans advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. They regained their momentum and defeated Western Michigan in the season opener, but lost to Michigan in the regional final, finishing with their most wins since 2007-2008.
Michigan State hockey's magical season ends, but a sleeping giant awakens
Levshunov becomes the 57th player with the Spartans to earn All-American honors. He is the first defenseman to do so since Torey Krug in 2012, and the program overall since Taro Hirose in 2019.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Levshunov played one season in the USHL for Green Bay and was named to the All-Rookie team before joining the Spartans. Only 18 years old, he quickly became one of the best defensemen in college hockey. Playing on Michigan State's top defensive pairing, he ranked first in the Big Ten with a plus-27 while also being named to the all-conference first team.
Levshunov is young and has great skills, making him a big name heading into June's NHL Draft. He is considered a top-10 pick and was recently projected by ESPN to go No. 2 overall to the Blackhawks. It's unclear whether he will return to Michigan State for his second season or turn pro.
