Port City Podcast: MSU head coach Tom Anastos

MSU's Tom Anastos
(Photo: Michigan State)

With former Lumberjacks sniper Matt Berry coming off a very productive freshman season at Michigan State University and Matt DeBlouw and Travis Walsh heading to East Lansing this summer, there is a strong connection between Muskegon and the Spartans men's hockey program.

Of course, Jacks Senior Advisor Ron Mason won a national championship during his tenure in charge of MSU hockey. One of Mason's players during the 1980s was Tom Anastos, who just completed his first year as head hockey coach at his alma mater.

Anastos, the former commissioner of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), was my guest on this week's edition of the Port City Podcast. Among our topics during our discussion were why Berry had such success (11 goals, 18 points) in his first year on campus and what Anastos expects from DeBlouw and Walsh during the 2012-13 season.

In addition to his lengthy experience in the college game, Anastos was also the president of the Tier II North American Hockey League (NAHL) for several years, making him very familiar with the junior hockey landscape as well. Anastos broke down the importance of junior development and the benefits of following the college route via the USHL.

We also addressed what Anastos learned from Mason that has helped him in his long career in hockey, plus how the Spartans look to build off a winning season that led to their return to the NCAA tournament. Finally, Anastos weighed in on why he thinks MSU's transition to the Big Ten hockey conference will be good for the program and Spartan sports fans:

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