| Current: | 2023–24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey season |
| Team Name: | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| Team Link: | |
| University: | University of Notre Dame |
| Sex: | men's |
| Conference: | Big Ten |
| First Year: | 1911–12 |
| Location: | Notre Dame, Indiana |
| Athletic Director: | Pete Bevacqua |
| Coach: | Jeff Jackson |
| Coach Year: | 20th |
| Coach Wins: | 407 |
| Coach Losses: | 266 |
| Coach Ties: | 73 |
| Arena: | Compton Family Ice Arena |
| Ncaarunnerup: | 2008, 2018 |
| Ncaafrozenfour: | 2008, 2011, 2017, 2018 |
| Ncaatourneys: | 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 |
| Conference Tournament: | CCHA 2007, 2009, 2013 |
| Conference Season: | CCHA 2006–07, 2008–09 |
| Uniform Image: | CCHA-Uniform-ND.png |
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team of the University of Notre Dame, competing at the NCAA Division I level as an associate member of the Big Ten Conference. The Irish play their home games at Compton Family Ice Arena. The head coach of the Fighting Irish is Jeff Jackson, and his assistant coaches are Paul Pooley, Andy Slaggert, and Max Mobley.
Prior to the 2013–14 season, the team competed in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and also won its last ever conference championship. In the 2013–2014 season, the team began to play in the Hockey East conference, where it played until the conclusion of the 2016-2017 season. Beginning in the 2017–2018 season, the team joined the Big Ten Conference.[1]
Ice hockey has existed on and off as both a club and varsity sport at Notre Dame since 1912. The modern era of Notre Dame hockey began in 1968, when the Fighting Irish began to play as a Division I independent. In 1971, the team joined its first conference, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). The team continued playing in the WCHA for a decade until moving to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) with the conference's three Michigan schools in 1981.[2] The Fighting Irish lasted only two years in the new CCHA, when ice hockey was downgraded to a club sport for the 1983–1984 season. During that season, the Fighting Irish played in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL). Notre Dame finished that season second in the CSCHL with a record of 13–2–0.[3] In 1984–1985 Notre Dame Hockey was once again elevated to varsity status with the team playing as a Division I independent. In 1992 Notre Dame rejoined the CCHA. The Irish struggled to remain competitive in the CCHA, but began to improve under head coach Dave Poulin. In 2004, Poulin led the team to its first ever NCAA Tournament. However, the following season was dramatically different. They only won five games, the worst season in school history. Poulin resigned after the season.[2]
In 2005, Jeff Jackson took over as head coach. Jackson, who had already won two national championships at Lake Superior State University, had an immediate impact at Notre Dame. In his first season with the Irish, the team greatly improved upon the five-win season, boosting its record to 13–19–5.[2] 2007 was even more successful. The Irish achieved their first ever number one ranking in both the Uscho.com and USA Today Polls and their first number one seeding for the NCAA Tournament. The following year, the Irish finished fourth in both the CCHA's regular season and playoffs, and again made the NCAA Tournament. Once there, the Irish went on to beat top-seeded New Hampshire 7–3 and third-seeded Michigan State 3–1 to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in school history. From there, they defeated first-seeded Michigan in overtime to advance to the national title game, ultimately losing to Boston College 4–1.[4] Notre Dame also became the first four-seed to advance to the national semi-finals, and eventually to the national title game since the new 16-team format was introduced in 2003.[4] In the 2008–2009 season, the Irish added another CCHA regular season title and a CCHA Tournament title, defeating Michigan 5–2 in the title game. Notre Dame advanced to the 2009 NCAA Tournament where the Irish was upset by 16th seeded Bemidji State 1–5.[5]
The following season, Notre Dame finished with a record of 13–17–8 and ended the season after being swept by Ohio State two games to none in the three game opening round series of the CCHA Playoffs.[6] [7] The Irish rebounded in the 2010–11 regular season at 23–13–5, and clinched their second trip to the Frozen Four in program history by defeating New Hampshire 2–1 in the Northeast Regional Final. The Fighting Irish faced the East Regional Champion Minnesota-Duluth in the national semi-finals. The Irish fell to the eventual national champion 3–4.[8]
In October 2011, Notre Dame announced the team will join Hockey East starting in the 2013–14 season, in response to the conference realignment. The university also announced an expanded television broadcast deal with NBC.[9] The Fighting Irish Hockey began the 2011–12 season in the Edmund P. Joyce Center and played the last hockey game at the Joyce Center on October 15, 2011 against Ohio State.[10] The team opened the university's new 5,000-seat Compton Family Ice Arena on October 21, 2011 against Rensselaer.[11] Following the move into the new arena the Irish improved to a 7–3 home record in the new facility that included wins over future Hockey East rivals, Boston University, ranked 3th in the NCAA, Boston College, ranked 4th, and 8th ranked Western Michigan.[12] On January 4, 2012, former coach and long-time Notre Dame Athletic Department employee, Charles "Lefty" Smith died.[13] Smith coached the team from 1968 to 1987 as the first varsity ice hockey after helping the program transition from club to varsity status. Following his coaching career, he continued at Notre Dame in the athletic department until retiring just three days before his death.[13] The Fighting Irish finished the regular season with an overall record of 17–16–3 and a conference record of 12–13–3. The team defeated Ohio State in the opening round of the 2012 CCHA Tournament, sweeping the Buckeyes in two games by scores of 2–0 and 4–2.[14] In the second round of the CCHA Tournament, the team was defeated by the Michigan Wolverines in two games in a series that saw the first game go into a double overtime.[15] The team was defeated in the first round of the NCAA regional playoffs in 2013 and 2014, both times by the St. Cloud State Huskies.[16]
See main article: List of Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey seasons. Source:[17]
As of completion of 2023–24 season[17]
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911–1912 | No Coach | 1 | 1–0–0 | ||
| 1912–1913 | G.R. Walsh | 1 | 1–2–0 | ||
| 1919–1923 | 4 | 19–5–1 | |||
| 1923–1926 | 3 | 3–9–3 | |||
| 1926–1927 | Benjamin Dubois | 1 | 3–7–1 | ||
| 1968–1987 | 18† | 285–314–30 | |||
| 1987–1995 | 8 | 112–152–15 | |||
| 1995–2005 | 10 | 139–197–50 | |||
| 2005–present | 19 | 407–266–73 | |||
| Totals | 8 coaches | 65 Seasons | 970–952–173 |
The Fighting Irish have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 13 times.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 | Midwest Regional semifinal | L 2-5 | ||||
| No. 1 | Midwest Regional semifinal Midwest Regional Final | W 3-2 L 1-2 | ||||
| No. 4 | West Regional semifinal West Regional Final Frozen Four National Championship | W 7-3 W 3-1 W 5-4 L 1-4 | ||||
| No. 1 | Midwest Regional semifinal | L 1-5 | ||||
| No. 3 | Northeast Regional semifinal Northeast Regional Final Frozen Four | W 4-3 W 2-1 L 3-4 | ||||
| No. 1 | Midwest Regional semifinal | L 1-5 | ||||
| No. 2 | West Regional semifinal |
| L 3-4 | |||
| No. 3 | Midwest Regional semifinal |
| L 2-3 | |||
| No. 4 | Northeast Regional semifinal Northeast Regional Final Frozen Four | W 3-2 W 3-2 L 1-6 | ||||
| No. 1 | East Regional semifinal East Regional Final Frozen Four National Championship |
| W 4-3 W 2-1 W 4-3 L 1-2 | |||
| No. 3 | Northeast Regional semifinal Northeast Regional Final | W 3-2 L 0-4 | ||||
| No. 4 | East Regional semifinal | No Contest - Covid Cancellation | ||||
| No. 3 | East Regional semifinal East Regional Final | W 2-1 OT L 0-1 |
Source:[17]
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–1977 | 140 | 89 | 145 | 234 | 273 | ||
| 1969–1973 | 123 | 81 | 145 | 226 | 159 | ||
| 1970–1974 | 133 | 103 | 117 | 220 | 71 | ||
| 1970–1974 | 126 | 92 | 119 | 211 | 239 | ||
| 1984–1988 | 124 | 83 | 115 | 198 | 80 | ||
| 1978–1982 | 135 | 89 | 107 | 196 | 175 | ||
| 1976–1980 | 149 | 104 | 88 | 192 | 72 | ||
| 1969–1973 | 125 | 89 | 97 | 186 | 272 | ||
| 1973–1977 | 145 | 70 | 113 | 183 | 231 | ||
| 1988–1993 | 141 | 73 | 109 | 182 | 86 |
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
minimum 30 games played
| Player | Years | GP | Min | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2009 | 94 | 5506 | 59 | 26 | 7 | 182 | 12 | .918 | 1.98 | |
| 2016–2020 | 73 | 4299 | 46 | 21 | 4 | 148 | 8 | .938 | 2.07 | |
| 2010–2014 | 106 | 5909 | 57 | 38 | 5 | 216 | 13 | .914 | 2.19 | |
| 2014–2017 | 110 | 6499 | 55 | 39 | 15 | 249 | 11 | .924 | 2.31 | |
| 2003–2007 | 111 | 6326 | 55 | 38 | 11 | 245 | 8 | .916 | 2.32 | |
Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.
As of June 29, 2023.[18]
Source:[19]
2007, 2018
2011
2018
AHCA Second Team All-Americans
Most Valuable Player
1977
Freshman of the Year
1974
Coach of the Year
1973
2007
1998
2011
2011
2007
2007, 2011
2005
2009
1997
2008
2009
2013
2004
Tournament Most Valuable Player
2016
2017
2017
2018
2018
2023
Tournament Most Outstanding Player
As of July 1, 2024.
| = NHL All-Star team | = NHL All-Star[20] | = NHL All-Star and NHL All-Star team | = Hall of Famers |
| Player | Position | Team(s) | Years | Games | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anders Bjork | Left Wing | BOS, BUF, CHI | 2017–2023 | 225 | 0 | |
| Jim Brown | Defenseman | LAK | 1982–1983 | 3 | 0 | |
| Jack Brownschidle | Defenseman | STL, HFD | 1977–1986 | 494 | 0 | |
| Jeff Brownschidle | Defenseman | HFD | 1981–1983 | 7 | 0 | |
| Callahan Burke | Right Wing | COL, CAR | 2022–Present | 3 | 0 | |
| Ian Cole | Defenseman | STL, , CBJ, COL, MIN, CAR, TBL, VAN | 2010–Present | 826 | 2 | |
| Erik Condra | Right Wing | OTT, TBL, DAL | 2010–2019 | 372 | 0 | |
| Thomas Di Pauli | Forward | PIT | 2019–2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| Mark Eaton | Defenseman | PHI, NSH, , NYI | 1999–2013 | 650 | 1 | |
| Jake Evans | Center | MTL | 2019–Present | 268 | 0 | |
| Steven Fogarty | Center | NYR, BUF, BOS, MIN | 2017–2023 | 31 | 0 | |
| Dennis Gilbert | Defenseman | CHI, COL, CGY | 2018–Present | 82 | 0 | |
| Rob Globke | Right Wing | FLA | 2005–2008 | 46 | 0 | |
| Jordan Gross | Defenseman | ARI, COL, NSH | 2019–2023 | 25 | 0 | |
| Christian Hanson | Center | TOR | 2008–2011 | 42 | 0 | |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | Center | CHI, ARI, FLA, BUF, PIT | 2015–Present | 374 | 0 | |
| Don Jackson | Defenseman | MNS, , NYR | 1977–1987 | 315 | 2 | |
| Stephen Johns | Defenseman | DAL | 2015–2020 | 167 | 0 | |
| Brett Lebda | Defenseman | , TOR, CBJ | 2005–2012 | 397 | 1 | |
| Anders Lee | Left Wing | NYI | 2012–Present | 759 | 0 | |
| Mike McNeill | Left Wing | CHI, QUE | 1990–1992 | 63 | 0 |
| Player | Position | Team(s) | Years | Games | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Meredith | Forward | CGY | 1980–1983 | 38 | 0 | |
| Bill Nyrop | Defenseman | , MNS | 1975–1982 | 207 | 3 | |
| Wes O'Neill | Defenseman | COL | 2008–2010 | 5 | 0 | |
| Victor Oreskovich | Right Wing | FLA, VAN | 2009–2012 | 67 | 0 | |
| Kyle Palmieri | Right Wing | ANA, NJD, NYI | 2010–Present | 818 | 0 | |
| Andrew Peeke | Defenseman | CBJ, BOS | 2019–Present | 233 | 0 | |
| Cal Petersen | Goaltender | LAK, PHI | 2018–Present | 106 | 0 | |
| Alex Pirus | Center | MNS, DET | 1976–1980 | 159 | 0 | |
| Dave Poulin | Center | PHI, BOS, WSH | 1982–1995 | 724 | 0 | |
| Robbie Russo | Defenseman | DET | 2016–2017 | 19 | 0 | |
| Bryan Rust | Right Wing | 2014–Present | 567 | 2 | ||
| Riley Sheahan | Center | DET, PIT, FLA, EDM, BUF, SEA | 2011–2023 | 637 | 0 | |
| Ben Simon | Center | ATL, CBJ | 2001–2006 | 81 | 0 | |
| Landon Slaggert | Left Wing | CHI | 2023–Present | 16 | 0 | |
| Spencer Stastney | Defenseman | NSH | 2022–Present | 28 | 0 | |
| Yan Stastny | Center | EDM, BOS, STL | 2005–2010 | 91 | 0 | |
| Alex Steeves | Center | TOR | 2021–Present | 7 | 0 | |
| Ryan Thang | Right Wing | NSH | 2011–2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| T. J. Tynan | Right Wing | CBJ, COL, LAK | 2016–2022 | 21 | 0 | |
| Mark Van Guilder | Center | NSH | 2013–2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| Tim Wallace | Forward | PIT, NYI, TBL, CAR | 2008–2013 | 101 | 0 |
Several players also were members of WHA teams.
| Player | Position | Team(s) | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Delorenzi | Wing | VNC, CAC | 1974–1976 | 0 |
| Larry Israelson | Wing | VNC, CAC | 1974–1977 | 0 |
| Kevin Nugent | Wing | IND | 1978–1979 | 0 |
| Brian Walsh | Right Wing | CAC | 1976–1977 | 0 |
See main article: Compton Family Ice Arena.
In February 2009, The University of Notre Dame announced it will begin construction on a new, freestanding, on-campus ice arena designed to meet the needs of both the Irish hockey team and the local community.[22] Construction on the 5,022-seat arena began on March 15, 2010 with the venue opening in the Fall of 2011.[23] The arena held its first Notre Dame hockey game on October 21, 2011 when a sellout crowd saw Notre Dame defeat Rensselaer 5–2.[24]
The new ice arena is located south of the Joyce Center, just north of Edison Road, and just west of where the new Irish track and field facility is being constructed. The majority of the general public arena seating is of the chair-back variety with bleacher seating in the student section.[25] The Compton Family Center replaced the rink inside the Edmund P. Joyce Center. During the time that the Irish played at the Joyce Center, the facility was the second smallest home rink in the CCHA with a hockey capacity of 2,857. All seats were benchers, and most of the seating consists of temporary bleachers. In 2007, the Irish compiled an impressive 14–2–2 home record at the Joyce Center.