Former Michigan State University hockey player Dan Sturges has died “unexpectedly” at the age of 40.
“Dan Sturges was a beloved member of the Michigan State hockey family, and our entire community is shocked by this devastating news,” said the Michigan State head hockey coach. Adam Nightingale announced on Monday January 19confirming the death of the former player. “He was a loving father and devoted husband, and our hearts are broken for his wife Becky and their children”.
Becky, a former field hockey player at Michigan State, met Dan during their overlapping time as student-athletes. They married in 2013 and have two children: Kellan i Cooper.
No cause of death has been disclosed.
Dan was a member of the 2007 national championship team at Michigan State. He returned to the program in 2019 and was the acting director of hockey operations at the time of his death.
“As a player and later as a member of our staff, Dan loved being a Spartan and worked every day to make the program the best it could be,” Nightingale, 46, continued Monday. “His passion, dedication and impact will leave a lasting legacy.”
Vice President and Director of Athletics at Michigan State University J Batt added, “The prayers of the Michigan State athletics family are with the Sturges family and the entire Spartan hockey program. He cared deeply about the student-athletes and staff of the hockey program and built genuine relationships with people throughout the department.”
Batt, 43, concluded. “Losing him so suddenly is a shock to all. The department’s top priority at this time will be providing support resources to members of the hockey program and athletic department as they grieve.”
Becky reflected on the early days of her relationship with Dan in an article for the MSU Varsity S Club in 2022.
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“Dan came to cheer me on at my field hockey games and I enjoyed going to his games to freeze,” she wrote. “Our two teams even played a field hockey game against each other in a spring training session and to this day there is still a lot of debate about who won. Dan’s teammates and his significant others became my friends and my teammates.”
He continued, “I still remember watching MSU ice hockey win the National Championship in 2007 and then waiting for his flight back so I could celebrate in person. Those are memories I will treasure forever.”
After graduating from college, Becky worked for 12 years as a keeper at the Denver Zoo. However, when Dan was offered the opportunity to return to work at his alma mater, the couple knew what they had to do.
“It was an easy decision for our family to make,” Becky wrote. “Being able to experience the Michigan State student-athlete experience from a different perspective gives me a sense of pride and excitement for this new era of young athletes. We love coming back to East Lansing with our two boys, Kellan and Cooper, and experiencing all of the Spartan traditions through their eyes.”