Penguins Sign Michigan State's Russell, Sixth All-Time Spartan Scorer

The last time Daniel Russell made national headlines, he was burying an overtime winner at Wrigley Field with 1.4 seconds left on the clock. Now the Michigan State forward gets to make his case in a professional lineup.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signed Russell, 24, to an AHL contract beginning with the 2026-27 season and brought the Traverse City, Michigan native in immediately on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of this spring. The signing was announced April 2.

Russell leaves East Lansing as one of the program's most productive forwards in recent memory, posting 119 points on 45 goals and 74 assists across 150 NCAA games, a total that ranked him sixth all-time among active Spartan scorers when he played his final collegiate game. He cleared double digits in goals in each of his last three seasons, a standard of consistency the Penguins are banking on translating to the professional level.

The number that stands out most, though, is seven. That was Russell's game-winning goal total in 2024-25, a figure that led Michigan State and ranked third nationally. His biggest moment from that run came in the Frozen Confines outdoor game at Wrigley Field against Wisconsin, where he finished off a win in overtime with 1.4 seconds remaining, earning Big Ten Second Star of the Week honors. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament after scoring in both Michigan State games en route to the championship. The Spartans won back-to-back Big Ten titles in 2024 and 2025, with Russell contributing throughout.

His senior season added 39 points, 11 goals and 28 assists, earning him All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition. He also posted a plus-17 rating in 2024-25, third-best among MSU forwards, and was named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree. The collegiate linemates he skated alongside included Isaac Howard, Charlie Stramel, Porter Martone, Karsen Dorwart, and Joey Larson, a group that drew consistent NHL interest throughout their careers under head coach Adam Nightingale.

Russell is the fourth player from Michigan State's 2025-26 roster to sign a professional contract. On the same day WBS announced his deal, MSU defenseman Matt Basgall inked his own AHL agreement with the San Diego Gulls. The Spartans finished the college season as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Worcester Region, the program's 30th NCAA Tournament appearance, before falling to Wisconsin in the Regional Final.

The timing of Russell's arrival in Wilkes-Barre reflects the organizational churn that defines late-season AHL rosters. The Penguins had already lost forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty to Pittsburgh call-ups on March 24 and March 29, respectively, and signed Ohio State defenseman Broten Sabo to an ATO just two days before Russell came aboard on March 30. The flurry of moves signals an active front office managing both a playoff push at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza and a longer-term effort to stock the prospect pipeline.

For Russell, the path is clear: prove his clutch-moment college resume translates to AHL minutes before the Calder Cup postseason begins, and turn a one-year contract into a genuine foothold in professional hockey.