Munn Arena Rink To Be Named After Legendary Coach

Michigan State University announced on Wednesday morning that the ice rink inside Munn Ice Arena will be renamed in honor of the late, great Spartan coach, Ron Mason.

The school will make the official dedication before the Spartans regular season opener on October 7th against Lake Superior State.

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Mason is the second-winningest coach in NCAA hockey history with 924 wins in 36 seasons (only Jerry York has more with 1,123 in 50 seasons).

Coach Mason led the Spartans to the NCAA title in 1986 (beating Harvard in the final, 6-5) and a runner-up finish to North Dakota in 1987.  He got over 600 of his victories with the Spartans.  Before joining MSU in 1979, Mason coached previously at Lake Superior State and Bowling Green.

MSU Athletic Director Alan Haller said this about Wednesday's announcement:

"Ron Mason is one of the iconic coaches in the history of Michigan State Athletics, naming the rink in his honor provides a reminder of what he meant to Spartan Hockey, MSU Athletics and our entire community as Munn Ice Arena was a gathering place for Spartan fans and one of the toughest tickets around. Capacity crowds have returned to Munn, connecting the present and future with our storied past. We look forward to this dedication with Ron's family and friends to celebrate his legacy in a permanent way."

Current Spartan head coach (and former MSU player) Adam Nightengale said this about coach Mason:

"The legacy of Ron Mason is felt throughout our arena every day, he set high standards and had some of the most legendary teams and athletes in the sport under his guidance.  This rink is where his teams entertained hundreds of thousands of fans during a decades-long sellout streak and he developed players into NHL prospects every day.  It is a fitting tribute to a coaching legend for all he meant not only to us here at Michigan State, but also the game of college hockey."

Ron Mason passed away on June 13th, 2016 at the age of 76.