Carson Gatt remains steady anchor on Spartans blue line

With his Michigan State hockey career quickly winding down, Carson Gatt's main goal is to leave a positive impact on the program and soak up every moment.

The fourth-year senior defenseman from South Lyon is adjusting to a new coaching staff led by Danton Cole, who is off to a 9-14-1 start in his inaugural season.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Gatt has appeared in all 24 games this season with two goals and 11 assists. He has 35 career points (with five goals) and wants to go out on a high note for Cole, the new coaching staff and his two fellow seniors Ed Minney and Dylan Pavelek.

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"Even coach Cole said for us, 'Our mark on the program will be left more with the culture and off the ice, not necessarily on the ice, so kind of just help bring that revival back and that hunger to win, and bring champions back to the East Lansing, and to make Munn (Arena) an awesome fan experience and a hard place to play for the other team,'" Gatt said. "Kind of just keeping the team together and most importantly just to have fun. I think we have 10 games left and it's crazy to think that there's only those games left in my Spartan career, but just go out there and have fun with my teammates and hopefully bring some wins back."

Coming off a weekend split at Wisconsin, MSU is currently 3-10-1 in the Big Ten heading into a two-game series with Minnesota, which includes a Saturday night game at Madison Square Garden. The Spartans are 7-5-1 at home this season and 2-9-1 in road and neutral site games.

Despite being in last place in the Big Ten standings, there's still hope the Spartans can catch lightning in a bottle during the postseason.

"That's the fun part of it," Gatt said. "You can win one game in the Big Ten, make it to the Big Ten Tournament, get hot, win that and then you're in the NCAA Tournament. You want to be playing your best in early March, and so that's always kind of been the motto of what you're striving for. You never know, you can get hot at the right time and really ride that wave into the postseason."

Following in the footsteps of his older brother Nickolas, who was a Spartans' defenseman from 2012-14, Carson was recruited by Tom Anastos, who stepped down after last season. The Spartans finished 17-15-2, 10-23-4 and 7-24-4 overall in Gatt's first three seasons.

As a junior, Gatt was voted to the All-Big Ten honorable mention team. As a sophomore he played in all 37 games, registering a career-best seven assists. In 2014-15 as a freshman, he appeared in 29 games.

It's been a smooth transition for the senior adapting to the new coaching regime.

"It's been really good," Gatt said. "I'm one of three seniors on the team, so didn't really know what to expect, but they've been awesome teaching us, helping us transition. It is a transition that breaks some old habits and changed the style of play, but it's been awesome. I've really enjoyed the knowledge from the coaching staff and their eagerness to teach us."

Gatt's has also adjusted to some subtle changes in his role as defenseman under the direction of Cole.

"Actually right now we're starting to work on the defensemen being more of a part of the forecheck and shrinking the zone a little bit," said Gatt, who played three seasons at Detroit Catholic Central High School before heading to the North American Hockey League's Muskegon Lumberjacks his senior year. "And that's kind of something, I think, they want to us to do and it was just going to have be to take a little time to get used to it. But there's definitely more freedom, but it's really about picking your spots. As much as we want the defensemen to jump into the play, we can't sacrifice defense at the same time and give up odd man rushes."

Gatt is a respectable minus-5 while he's on the ice, but he's most proud of being second on the team in block shots with 45.

"That's funny, because if you asked anybody on the team, or especially the trainer Dave Carrier, somehow the pucks find me," Gatt said. "It's like a rubber magnet. Even in practice or even in games, I won't be trying to block a shot, but they'll end up hitting me. So I've guess I kind of got a knack for it. As a defenseman you kind of like it on the penalty kill, too. You block a shot, it hurts for a little bit and you see the bench go nuts, and your teammates are there to pick you up. So I've got to like blocking shots as much as you can like blocking shots."

Gatt, an All-Academic Big Ten honoree, will graduate from MSU's James Madiscon College in May majoring in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy

"After I graduate I was thinking of law," Gatt said. "See how hockey season goes. If I can play after here, that would be great. I'm kind of just seeing what hockey brings and if not, I'll probably do something and look for a job in government or politics. Lansing is a great place, since it's the capitol of Michigan, so there's plenty of stuff to get involved in around here.

"People have told me I'd be a good lawyer because I like to argue a lot, so I've always had that knack in history. I had an A.P. government class in high school that kind of really sparked my interest in government. Ever since then liking history and that class I've really been fond and interested in government and politics."

Gatt's favorite team is the Detroit Red Wings and his favorite player Henrik Zetterberg. During the Great Lakes Invitational on Jan. 1-2 at the new Little Caesars Arena, Gatt was somewhat awestruck by the surroundings.  

"There were two really big crowds and the arena is first class," he said. "When we dropping off our bags on New Year's Eve the Red Wings played that night against the Penguins, so as we were coming we saw the Penguins' bus. It's was just crazy to think guys like Sydney Crosby and Malkin, and all those . . . I mean, they're the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs and we were 40 feet away from their locker room. It was just a surreal experience knowing that you're in the same building and playing on the same ice as the Stanley Cup champions, and obviously the history of the Red Wings, too. Not as much as Joe Louis (Arena), but any time you can play were the best players in the world play it's pretty cool."

Contact Brad Emons: bemons@hometownlife. Follow him on Twitter: @BradEmons1