Lansing Sun

Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov was selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. This marks a significant moment for Michigan State University, as Levshunov is the highest Spartan draft pick in 36 years. The last time a Spartan was drafted this high was when Rod Brind'Amour went ninth to the St. Louis Blues in 1988.

"Arty's hard work has paid off," said Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale. "It's a dream come true for a young hockey player to experience what he did tonight."

The draft event took place at Sphere, where Connor Bedard, who was the Blackhawks' first-round pick in 2023 and won the Calder Trophy in 2024, announced Levshunov's selection. The top two picks of this year's draft were both from college hockey programs: Levshunov and Macklin Celebrini from Boston University.

Levshunov becomes the 12th first-round selection from Michigan State and joins recent draftees Isaac Howard and Charlie Stramel on MSU's roster. During his freshman season with MSU, Levshunov earned several accolades including Second Team All-America honors and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

He played on MSU's top defensive pair alongside senior captain Nash Nienhuis and achieved impressive statistics, ranking among national leaders for freshman defensemen.

Levshunov participated in several events during draft week, including an NHL Top Prospects clinic alongside other notable players like Anson Carter and Macklin Celebrini.

The second day of the NHL entry draft will cover rounds two through seven starting Saturday morning at 11:30 ET (8:30 PT) and will be broadcast live on ESPN.