The Michigan State hockey team is returning a lot of key pieces from a Big Ten championship-winning squad. It’s about to get even stronger.

The Spartans’ recruiting class this year includes a number of top prospects, including fourth overall draft pick Cayden Lindstrom, projected second-rounder Eric Nilson and the CHL’s leading goal scorer two seasons ago in Anthony Romani. The class may even include Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick in next year’s draft, who Michigan State is firmly in the running to commit.

Among Michigan State’s underrated additions, though, is Ryker Lee. In a draft class of heavy hitters, Lee could make an immediate impact. The 18-year-old Illinois native is the reigning USHL Rookie of the Year. He’ll also be an NHL Draft pick next week, likely early in the second round.

Lee comes to Michigan State from the USHL’s Madison Capitols, where he played one season after four years at prep school Shattuck-St. Mary’s — the same program that developed Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini, among others, and the same one where Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale cut his teeth as a head coach.

Like many of the Spartans’ recruits, Lee pledged because he wanted to play for Nightingale and his staff.

“The main thing was the coaching staff and their belief in me as a player and how they want to develop guys,” Lee told The Detroit News. “And then obviously, Michigan State is a great school with all the athletics and being a Big Ten school. Good education, it’s not too far from home. My brother also goes there, so I think just a lot of things lined up for me going there.”

Lee arrives with a reputation as a strong playmaker and scorer who is rounding out a complete game. His coach at Shattuck, Tom Ward, compared him to a mix of Cole Eiserman and Celebrini in style, and mentioned there are shades of MSU Hobey Baker winner Isaac Howard in the mix, too.

But one of Lee’s most important attributes may be his patience, especially when joining such a loaded team. It’s part of the reason why so many things have “lined up” for Lee to begin with.

Take his senior year for example. Some hockey players are constantly trying to get to the next level in a sprint. Lee certainly had his opportunity to do so when Madison offered him a roster spot right out of training camp in 2023. But Lee credits much of his success in hockey to the values he learned at Shattuck — work ethic and patience — and he decided to return for his senior year.

That extra year paid off. Once a very undersized player for his age group, Lee hit a growth spurt that took him to his current 6-foot stature. His playmaking and scoring were honed with the disadvantage of being smaller than everyone else. Both areas grew more confidence as Lee could hang physically with anyone on the ice.

“He was going from the littlest guy to a regular-sized guy, which is great for him because he’s got a good game,” Ward told The News. “He’s a great kid, and it was just a matter of time. He had to be patient.”

“That was a question mark — I think for everybody — when he was younger,” Madison coach Andy Brandt told The News, “was just what was his size going to end up being? We all know now that he sprouted up near 6 feet tall, although slight. He’s a competitive hockey player that still wins battles. I think again, if you’re looking at the biggest improvement for him, it’s going to probably come off the ice in terms of developing some muscle mass.”

When he finally did get to Madison, Lee made an outsized impact. He led his team with 31 goals and 68 points, fourth-most in the USHL.

“When he has the talent that he has, he garners respect from his teammates right away because they see how talented he is,” Brandt said. “I think where Ryker separates himself is his work ethic along with his skill and what he can do. He’s the hardest worker. He’s one of the most communicative guys we had. He drove energy for our practices because he enjoyed being on the ice. He’s a special player in that regard.”

That’s pretty much the M.O. for a Nightingale recruit, but the Michigan State coach didn’t promise anything to win Lee over. In fact, it was the opposite that helped seal the deal.

Lee’s commitment came with no guarantees of ice time or role from Nightingale. Both have likely dipped with every commitment that joins his class. But in reality, that’s one of the other areas that attracted Lee to Michigan State.

“A lot of times, teams will try to recruit you and promise you things,” Lee said. “They don’t do that at Michigan State, and I like that. I think you gotta go in and you gotta earn everything.”

Lee’s track record suggests that won’t be a problem. He played for Shattuck and Madison programs that had other top players, and he fit in well. His personality helps him fit in with an established unit. His coaches suggest he isn’t one to come into a room and make demands or alienate himself, but he also isn’t a pushover begging to fit in. He exists comfortably within himself, and that benefits him joining a culture that’s well intact with a number of strong leaders in the mix.

“He knows he’s gotta go there and just shut up and do his job and earn respect from these guys,” Ward said. “But at the same time, he’s not going to back down. He’s not going to kowtow to these guys. … He’s going to go in there and earn a spot and earn ice time. And if guys aren’t ready to go compete with them, they should be ready because he’s a competitive little guy, and he likes the puck, and he wants to go get it.”

That mentality is important when joining a Michigan State team that has so many key returners driven by a distinct mission to make up for last postseason’s early exit. Lee understands what drives Michigan State’s locker room. He sees it as an opportunity for him to learn.

“I think it’s a good thing that we have a lot of guys coming back and older guys that can kind of show me the way and lead the way, and I can learn a lot from them as people,” Lee said. “But also, they’re great players. So it’s going to be fun to play with them and chase that goal of winning a national championship. I know that they’re going to come back with a bad taste in their mouth, and, yeah, I want to win, too.”