| Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
 | |
| University | University of Notre Dame |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| First season | 1911–12 |
| Athletic director | Pete Bevacqua |
| Head coach | Brock Sheahan 1st season, 3–6–1 (.350) |
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Arena | Compton Family Ice Arena Notre Dame, Indiana |
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] |
| NCAA tournament runner-up | |
| 2008, 2018 | |
| NCAA tournament Frozen Four | |
| 2008, 2011, 2017, 2018 | |
| NCAA tournament appearances | |
| 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| ACHA: 1988 CCHA: 2007, 2009, 2013 Big Ten: 2018, 2019 | |
| Conference regular season champions | |
| CCHA: 2007, 2009 Big Ten: 2018 | |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
TheNotre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey team is thecollege ice hockey team of theUniversity of Notre Dame, competing at theNCAADivision I level as an associate member of theBig Ten Conference. The Irish play their home games atCompton Family Ice Arena. The head coach of the Fighting Irish isBrock Sheahan.
Prior to the 2013–14 season, the team competed in theCentral Collegiate Hockey Association, and also won its last ever conference championship. In the 2013–2014 season, the team began to play in theHockey East conference, where it played until the conclusion of the 2016–2017 season. Beginning in the 2017–2018 season, the team joined theBig Ten Conference.[2]
Ice hockey has existed on and off as both a club andvarsity 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, theWestern Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). The team continued playing in the WCHA for a decade until moving to theCentral Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) with the conference's three Michigan schools in 1981.[3]
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 theCentral States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL). Notre Dame finished that season second in the CSCHL with a record of 13–2–0.[4] 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 coachDave Poulin. In 2004, Poulin led the team to its first everNCAA Tournament. However, the following season was dramatically different. They only won five games, the worst season in school history. Poulin resigned after the season.[3]
In 2005,Jeff Jackson took over as head coach. Jackson, who had already won two national championships atLake 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.[3] 2007 was even more successful. The Irish achieved their first ever number one ranking in both the Uscho.com andUSA Today Polls and their first number one seeding for theNCAA Tournament. The following year, the Irish finished fourth in both the CCHA's regular season and playoffs, and again made theNCAA Tournament. Once there, the Irish went on to beat top-seededNew Hampshire 7–3 and third-seededMichigan State 3–1 to advance to theFrozen Four for the first time in school history. From there, they defeated first-seededMichigan in overtime to advance to the national title game, ultimately losing toBoston College 4–1.[5] 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.[5] 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 the2009 NCAA Tournament where the Irish was upset by 16th seededBemidji State 1–5.[6]
The following season, Notre Dame finished with a record of 13–17–8 and ended the season after being swept byOhio State two games to none in the three game opening round series of the CCHA Playoffs.[7][8] 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 defeatingNew Hampshire 2–1 in the Northeast Regional Final. The Fighting Irish faced the East Regional ChampionMinnesota-Duluth in the national semi-finals. The Irish fell to the eventual national champion 3–4.[9]
In October 2011, Notre Dame announced the team will joinHockey East starting in the 2013–14 season, in response to the conference realignment. The university also announced an expanded television broadcast deal withNBC.[10] The Fighting Irish Hockey began the 2011–12 season in theEdmund P. Joyce Center and played the last hockey game at the Joyce Center on October 15, 2011, againstOhio State.[11] The team opened the university's new 5,000-seatCompton Family Ice Arena on October 21, 2011, againstRensselaer.[12] 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[clarification needed] in the NCAA,Boston College, ranked 4th, and 8th rankedWestern Michigan.[13] On January 4, 2012, former coach and long-time Notre Dame Athletic Department employee,Charles "Lefty" Smith died.[14] 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.[14] 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 the2012 CCHA Tournament, sweeping the Buckeyes in two games by scores of 2–0 and 4–2.[15] In the second round of the CCHA Tournament, the team was defeated by theMichigan Wolverines in two games in a series that saw the first game go into a double overtime.[16] 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.[17]
On June 24, 2024, Jackson announced he would step down as head coach following the2024–25 season, after 20 seasons at Notre Dame.[18][19] On March 7, 2025, during the first quarterfinals game of the2025 Big Ten men's ice hockey tournament againstMinnesota, Jackson earned his 600th career victory.[20]
On March 17, 2025,Brock Sheahan was named the head coach for Notre Dame.[21]
Source:[22]
As of completion of 2024–25 season[22]
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911–1912 | No Coach | 1 | 1–0–0 | 1.000 |
| 1912–1913 | G.R. Walsh | 1 | 1–2–0 | .333 |
| 1919–1923 | Paul Castner | 4 | 19–5–1 | .780 |
| 1923–1926 | Tom Lieb | 3 | 3–9–3 | .300 |
| 1926–1927 | Benjamin Dubois | 1 | 3–7–1 | .318 |
| 1968–1987 | Lefty Smith | 18† | 285–314–30 | .477 |
| 1987–1995 | Ric Schafer | 8 | 112–152–15 | .428 |
| 1995–2005 | Dave Poulin | 10 | 139–197–50 | .425 |
| 2005–2025 | Jeff Jackson | 20 | 419–291–74 | .575 |
| 2025–present | Brock Sheahan | 0 | 0–0–0 | – |
| Totals | 9 coaches | 66 Seasons | 982–977–174 | .501 |
† The Program was dropped to club status for the 1983–84 season.
The Fighting Irish have appeared in theNCAA Tournament 13 times.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | No. 4 | Midwest Regional semifinal | #1Minnesota | L 2–5 |
| 2007 | No. 1 | Midwest Regional semifinal Midwest Regional Final | #4 Alabama-Huntsville #3Michigan State | W 3–2 L 1–2 |
| 2008 | No. 4 | West Regional semifinal West Regional Final Frozen Four National Championship | #1New Hampshire #3 Michigan State #1Michigan #2Boston College | W 7–3 W 3–1 W 5–4 L 1–4 |
| 2009 | No. 1 | Midwest Regional semifinal | #4Bemidji State | L 1–5 |
| 2011 | No. 3 | Northeast Regional semifinal Northeast Regional Final Frozen Four | #2Merrimack #4 New Hampshire #3Minnesota-Duluth | W 4–3 W 2–1 L 3–4 |
| 2013 | No. 1 | Midwest Regional semifinal | #4St. Cloud State | L 1–5 |
| 2014 | No. 2 | West Regional semifinal | #3 St. Cloud State | L 3–4 |
| 2016 | No. 3 | Midwest Regional semifinal | #2 Michigan | L 2–3 |
| 2017 | No. 4 | Northeast Regional semifinal Northeast Regional Final Frozen Four | #1 Minnesota #2UMass-Lowell #1Denver | W 3–2 W 3–2 L 1–6 |
| 2018 | No. 1 | East Regional semifinal East Regional Final Frozen Four National Championship | #4Michigan Tech #2Providence #2 Michigan #3 Minnesota-Duluth | W 4–3 W 2–1 W 4–3 L 1–2 |
| 2019 | No. 3 | Northeast Regional semifinal Northeast Regional Final | #2Clarkson #1UMass | W 3–2 L 0–4 |
| 2021 | No. 4 | East Regional semifinal | #1Boston College | No Contest – Covid Cancellation |
| 2022 | No. 3 | East Regional semifinal East Regional Final | #2North Dakota #1Minnesota St. | W 2–1 OT L 0–1 |
Source:[22]
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Walsh | 1973–1977 | 140 | 89 | 145 | 234 | 273 |
| John Noble | 1969–1973 | 123 | 81 | 145 | 226 | 159 |
| Eddie Bumbacco | 1970–1974 | 133 | 103 | 117 | 220 | 71 |
| Ian Williams | 1970–1974 | 126 | 92 | 119 | 211 | 239 |
| Mike McNeill | 1984–1988 | 124 | 83 | 115 | 198 | 80 |
| Dave Poulin | 1978–1982 | 135 | 89 | 107 | 196 | 175 |
| Greg Meredith | 1976–1980 | 149 | 104 | 88 | 192 | 72 |
| Paul Regan | 1969–1973 | 125 | 89 | 97 | 186 | 272 |
| Clark Hamilton | 1973–1977 | 145 | 70 | 113 | 183 | 231 |
| Dave Bankoske | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Pearce | 2005–2009 | 94 | 5506 | 59 | 26 | 7 | 182 | 12 | .918 | 1.98 |
| Cale Morris | 2016–2020 | 73 | 4299 | 46 | 21 | 4 | 148 | 8 | .938 | 2.07 |
| Steve Summerhays | 2010–2014 | 106 | 5909 | 57 | 38 | 5 | 216 | 13 | .914 | 2.19 |
| Cal Petersen | 2014–2017 | 110 | 6499 | 55 | 39 | 15 | 249 | 11 | .924 | 2.31 |
| David Brown | 2003–2007 | 111 | 6326 | 55 | 38 | 11 | 245 | 8 | .916 | 2.32 |
Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.
As of August 16, 2025.[23]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Jimmy Jurcev | Sophomore | D | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2003-05-05 | Palos Heights, Illinois | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 4 |  | Michael Mastrodomenico | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2004-04-19 | Kirkland, Quebec | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 5 |  | Axel Kumlin | Senior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 2002-02-23 | Stockholm, Sweden | Miami (NCHC) | — |
| 6 | | Drew Mackie | Freshman | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2005-06-17 | Anchorage, Alaska | Brooks Bandits (BCHL) | — |
| 8 | | Will Belle | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 2007-01-14 | Minnetonka, Minnesota | USNTDP (USHL) | TOR, 137th overall 2025 |
| 9 | | Cole Brown | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005-04-27 | Aurora, Ontario | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) | NJD, 164th overall 2023 |
| 11 | | Danny Nelson | Junior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 2005-08-03 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | USNTDP (USHL) | NYI, 49th overall 2023 |
| 12 | | Henry Nelson | Junior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | 2003-03-25 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 13 | | Brennan Ali | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2004-02-09 | Glencoe, Illinois | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | DET, 212th overall 2023 |
| 14 | | Maddox Fleming | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 2004-02-13 | Rochester, Minnesota | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | — |
| 15 | | Jayden Davis | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2003-03-02 | Calgary, Alberta | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 16 | | Paul Fischer | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | 2005-01-30 | River Forest, Illinois | USNTDP (USHL) | EDM, 138th overall 2023 |
| 17 | | Pano Fimis | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2004-06-17 | Richmond Hill, Ontario | Erie Otters (OHL) | — |
| 18 | | Jack Larrigan | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | 2004-04-09 | St. Louis, Missouri | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) | — |
| 19 | | Evan Werner | Sophomore | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2003-02-13 | Flower Mound, Texas | Michigan (Big Ten) | — |
| 20 | | Niko Jovanovic | Senior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 223 lb (101 kg) | 2002-06-13 | West Vancouver, British Columbia | Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) | — |
| 21 | | Jaedon Kerr | Sophomore | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | 2003-09-13 | Elk River, Minnesota | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — |
| 22 | | Cole Knuble | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 191 lb (87 kg) | 2004-07-01 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Fargo Force (USHL) | PHI, 103rd overall 2023 |
| 23 | | Michael Schermerhorn | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 216 lb (98 kg) | 2003-10-14 | Traverse City, Michigan | New Mexico Ice Wolves (NAHL) | — |
| 24 | | Dashel Oliver | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2005-02-24 | Bloomington, Indiana | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 25 | | Carter Slaggert | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2005-03-04 | South Bend, Indiana | USNTDP (USHL) | — |
| 27 | | Caeden Carlisle | Freshman | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 2004-01-31 | Mississauga, Ontario | Soo Greyhounds (OHL) | — |
| 28 | | Sutter Muzzatti | Graduate | F | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 240 lb (109 kg) | 2003-06-28 | Okemos, Michigan | Renssealer (ECAC) | NSH, 143rd overall 2023 |
| 29 | | Jack Williams | Senior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2001-06-21 | St. Louis, Missouri | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — |
| 30 | | Luke Pearson | Graduate | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-01-29 | Whitby, Ontario | Yale (ECAC) | — |
| 31 | | Nicholas Kempf | Sophomore | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2006-03-01 | Morton Grove, Illinois | USNTDP (USHL) | WSH, 114th overall 2024 |
Source:[24]
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As of July 1, 2025.[25]
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Several players also were members ofWHA teams.
| Player | Position | Team(s) | Years | Avco Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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.[27] Construction on the 5,022-seat arena began on March 15, 2010, with the venue opening in the Fall of 2011.[28] The arena held its first Notre Dame hockey game on October 21, 2011, when a sellout crowd saw Notre Dame defeatRensselaer 5–2.[29]
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.[30] The Compton Family Center replaced the rink inside theEdmund 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.
