Michigan State is still the top collegiate men’s hockey team in the nation.
The Spartans (22-6-0) were idle this past weekend, but they remained No. 1 in the latest USCHO.com rankings, which were released on Monday.
Rival Michigan (24-5-1) remained at No. 2 after sweeping Penn State. North Dakota (23-7-0) was ranked third and Western Michigan (22-8-0) was fourth.
Michigan State returns to action in a two-game home series against Notre Dame on Thursday and Friday at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
Michigan will face No. 13 Wisconsin (18-10-2) on Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Michigan Tech (21-10-3) moved up one spot to No. 16. The Huskies are off this week and will host Bowling Green on Feb. 27-28 in Houghton, Mich.
Grand Rapids Griffins captain Dominik Shine was selected American Hockey League Player of the Week on Monday.
Shine returned from the AHL All-Star Classic this week and scored five goals in two games with 13 shots and a plus-six rating for the league-leading Griffins.
The Detroit native had two goals, seven shots and a plus-three rating in Friday’s 4-2 victory over the Texas Stars.
Then, on Sunday, Shine recorded his second hat trick of the season with six shots and a plus-three rating in a 5-0 win over Texas.
He surpassed Mitch Callahan for the third-most goals in franchise history (95) and secured his first-ever 20-goal campaign in the process.
Former Western Michigan goalie Brandon Bussi signed a three-year, $5.7 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.
The 27-year-old undrafted netminder, who could’ve become an unrestricted free agent after this season, is 23-3-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and two shutouts in 27 starts.
He is tied for third in the NHL in wins and second in GAA (minimum 25 games).
“It’s crazy,” Bussi said. “I think if you told me back in October, I would have been like, ‘Yeah, sure. I bet that will happen,’ (signing a contract).
“But I think the hockey world can work in mysterious ways in some sense, and I’m fortunate that I got an opportunity and that Carolina sees me the same way I see myself being here.
“So, I’m very happy, to say the least, that I get to be here for more time.”
Wednesday
▶ Cleveland at Grand Rapids, 7
Thursday
▶ Notre Dame at Michigan State, 7:30
Friday
▶ Chicago at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Notre Dame at Michigan State, 8
▶ Michigan at Wisconsin, 8
▶ Western Michigan at Colorado College, 9
▶ Lake Superior State at Northern Michigan, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Tri-City Storm, 8
Saturday
▶ Grand Rapids at Milwaukee, 7
▶ Michigan at Wisconsin, 7
▶ Western Michigan at Colorado College, 9
▶ Lake Superior State at Northern Michigan, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Tri-City Storm, 8
▶ NTDP U18 at Lindenwood, 8
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