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Michigan State hockey commit dubbed best 2-sport Minnesota athlete since Jalen Suggs

ByConnor Muldowney|
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Mason West is selected as the 29th overall pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Mason West is selected as the 29th overall pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Adam Nightingale just continues to load up on elite talent. If there was ever a doubt regarding his ability to identify and secure talent for Michigan State hockey, all anyone had to do was watch the 2025 NHL Draft play out.

The Spartans had more early picks, including Mason West, a soon-to-be high school senior who was selected No. 29 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Getting drafted in hockey is different than football or basketball because this just means the NHL team has rights to him for a certain amount of time before he decides to come out and join the organization. A lot of these kids go the college route until they're ready.

So West coming to Michigan State isn't a surprise, and this draft position doesn't take away from his potential career in East Lansing. He's still expected to join Nightingale and the Spartans.

West is one of the best young hockey stars in the country, but he doesn't just excel at one sport. He's also the starting quarterback for his high school team in Minneapolis, Minn., and he's earned a handful of offers on the gridiron from schools like Kent State, Marshall, and Miami (OH). He's an excellent two-sport athlete.

A recent video (shared by @FromEastLansing on X) from a Minnesota-based TikTok account had some major praise for West, calling him the best two-sport athlete the state has seen since Jalen Suggs.

For those who don't know just how high of praise this is, Suggs was one of the best basketball players to come out of Minnesota in decades, listed as a five-star and the No. 13 overall recruit in 2020. He was also a four-star quarterback and dual-threat who held seven offers there from schools like Minnesota, Iowa, Georgia, Iowa State, and even Michigan State.

Now Suggs is in the NBA as a starter for the Orlando Magic. He's missed a lot of time in his four years in the league, but he's considered one of the brightest young stars the NBA has to offer.

We'll hopefully soon see West do the same in the NHL -- after he helps lead the Spartans to a national title, of course.

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