Toronto Maple Leafs prospect defenceman Matt Lahey has officially announced his commitment to Michigan State University for the 2025-26 season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃.
Congratulations to Force defenseman and <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MapleLeafs</a> draft pick Matt Lahey on his commitment to play D1 College Hockey for the Michigan State Spartans!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForceNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForceNation</a>⚡️ | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USHL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USHL</a> <a href="https://t.co/LiFQIIb6t5">pic.twitter.com/LiFQIIb6t5</a>
&mdash; Fargo Force (@FargoForce) <a href="https://twitter.com/FargoForce/status/1869518365833982251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Lahey, 18, is a towering blueliner who was drafted in the seventh round (200th overall) by the Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Draft. He was drafted from the BCHL&#8217;s Nanaimo Clippers, British Columbia&#8217;s second-highest junior league behind the Western Hockey League (WHL), and has spent the 2024-25 season playing across the border for the USHL&#8217;s Fargo Force. To date, he has one goal and seven points in 25 games. He was previously committed to playing for Clarkson University in 2025-26, but will now have the opportunity to play for a school with a bigger program and some bigger names on his team.
Though most of the big names in recent memory have graduated to either the AHL or NHL at this point, Michigan State is a bigger name in terms of draw which will likely lead to more eyes on him. Among the NHL prospects currently playing there are Tampa Bay Lightning first-round pick Isaac Howard and Minnesota Wild first-round pick Charlie Stramel.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 207 pounds, the left-hander plays a game reminiscent of fellow Leafs prospect Cade Webber, another all-defence no-offence blueliner with great size and a physical game that&#8217;s centred more around boxing out opposing forwards and keeping them off of the puck rather than laying bone-crushing hits. Here&#8217;s what EliteProspects&#8217; <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft-center?nation=cze">Draft guide</a> had to say about him.
<blockquote>Playing an average of 20:07 as a 17-year-old, the Victoria-born left-shot defender regularly ate over two minutes of shorthanded time per game. Lahey is not just a physical force, but a strategic player who intelligently leverages his size advantages. His defensive style isn’t really centred around cataclysmic hits, but about disrupting the game. He excels at sealing the boards, often pinning puck carriers, trapping feet, and forcing pucks to the outside, showcasing his cerebral approach to the game.</blockquote>
Lahey will debut for Michigan State as a 19-year-old and could parlay his commitment into an entry-level contract if he can prove his value as a stay-at-home defenceman while honing his offensive skills.

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect defenceman Matt Lahey has officially announced his commitment to Michigan State University for the 2025-26 season.

https://twitter.com/FargoForce/status/1869518365833982251

Lahey, 18, is a towering blueliner who was drafted in the seventh round (200th overall) by the Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Draft. He was drafted from the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers, British Columbia's second-highest junior league behind the Western Hockey League (WHL), and has spent the 2024-25 season playing across the border for the USHL's Fargo Force. To date, he has one goal and seven points in 25 games. He was previously committed to playing for Clarkson University in 2025-26, but will now have the opportunity to play for a school with a bigger program and some bigger names on his team.

Though most of the big names in recent memory have graduated to either the AHL or NHL at this point, Michigan State is a bigger name in terms of draw which will likely lead to more eyes on him. Among the NHL prospects currently playing there are Tampa Bay Lightning first-round pick Isaac Howard and Minnesota Wild first-round pick Charlie Stramel.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 207 pounds, the left-hander plays a game reminiscent of fellow Leafs prospect Cade Webber, another all-defence no-offence blueliner with great size and a physical game that's centred more around boxing out opposing forwards and keeping them off of the puck rather than laying bone-crushing hits. Here's what EliteProspects' <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft-center?nation=cze">Draft guide</a> had to say about him.
<blockquote>Playing an average of 20:07 as a 17-year-old, the Victoria-born left-shot defender regularly ate over two minutes of shorthanded time per game. Lahey is not just a physical force, but a strategic player who intelligently leverages his size advantages. His defensive style isn’t really centred around cataclysmic hits, but about disrupting the game. He excels at sealing the boards, often pinning puck carriers, trapping feet, and forcing pucks to the outside, showcasing his cerebral approach to the game.</blockquote>
Lahey will debut for Michigan State as a 19-year-old and could parlay his commitment into an entry-level contract if he can prove his value as a stay-at-home defenceman while honing his offensive skills.

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