Talk about a heartbreaking weekend. Michigan State fans watched as their basketball and hockey teams were elinated from their respective NCAA Tournaments in heartbreaking fashion.
Tom Izzo and the basketball team stormed back from down 19 to take a lead against UConn in the second half of Friday's Sweet 16 game only to choke that away and lost by four. Adam Nightingale and the hockey team choked away a 3-1 lead late in the third period to fall just short of Michigan State's first Frozen Four since 2007.
To make matters even worse, Nightingale had to share some heartbreaking news regarding one of his star players who left Saturday's game in the first period.
Charlie Stramel went down after blocking a shot on his fourth shift and came up hobbling, barely able to put any weight on his skate. He exited the game and was immediately ruled out. Though it won't matter for Michigan State because the Spartans lost so his Spartan career was over regardless, Stramel suffered an injury that's going to affect his immediate NHL career.
Nightingale shared that Stramel broke his ankle while trying to block a Wisconsin shot.
Adam Nightingale confirms postgame that Charlie Stramel broke his ankle blocking a shot in the first period (his 4th shift).
— Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonCHN) March 29, 2026
The Spartans scored two goals right after this happened to take a 2-1 lead, and then added another one late before Wisconsin scored two in 34 seconds to tie things up with under five minutes left and then the Badgers won on a really unfortunate miss by Trey Augustine early in overtime.
For a third straight season, Big Ten champion Michigan State is bounced early.
Charlie Stramel's NHL career is now put on hold
Stramel is a former first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild back in 2023 and they were probably looking forward to adding him for a Stanley Cup run. Unfortunately, that won't be an option because a broken ankle is going to take some time to recover from.
The Hobey Baker Award finalist was one of the lead Spartans this season, helping Michigan State win a third straight Big Ten title and he was trying to eliminate his former program in the NCAA Tournament before exiting in painful fashion.
You have to feel for Stramel who probably felt like he was leading the team with the best shot to win a national title, and he had to sit and watch them choke a lead away late to end his MSU career.
Nightingale is going to get back to the NCAA Tournament, but it's hard to fathom not making a Frozen Four over the past few seasons with guys like Red Savage, Artyom Levshunov, Trey Augustine, Stramel, Porter Martone, and Isaac Howard filtering through the program.
It's time to end the drought next season. No excuses.