A legendary era of Notre Dame hockey came to a close last spring when Jeff Jackson stood behind the Irish bench for one final game, ending his 20 years as head coach. Jackson took control of the Irish in the 2005-06 season and has since brought the program to 12 of their 13 NCAA tournament appearances, including four Frozen Fours and two national championship games. Though in no way tainting the impact Jackson had on Notre Dame hockey, his closing few seasons were tough for the Blue and Gold, going 12-25-1 in 2024-25 and 15-19-2 in 2023-24. One of his previous players, Brock Sheahan, who skated for the Irish from 2004 to 2008 and returned as associate head coach in 2023, officially took the helm in March following Jackson’s retirement.
Sheahan’s previous head coaching jobs were for the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel from 2019-2022, during which he brought the team to their winningest season and a league championship in 2021, and the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves in 2022-23, which, under his guidance, earned a 35-29-5 regular-season record.
In his introductory press conference on April 9, Sheahan announced a focus on offensive capability and speed, saying it was a strong point of his previous teams and something to hone this year for the Irish. And, while the team would be young and inexperienced, Sheahan believed the talent on hand could reestablish Notre Dame hockey’s tradition of excellence, emphasizing that this season is not a rebuilding period. “We have way more talent than people think in our locker room,” he stated. In discussing the current coaching staff and returning players, he later added, “I feel like we’re well-positioned to adapt.”
As Notre Dame starts anew this season, the entirety of college hockey will undergo transformation. In conjunction with the NIL era, a recent rule change now permits players who have previously skated for one of the top Canadian junior leagues (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Western Hockey League) to play in the NCAA. While it is uncertain how teams will adjust to the looming changes, the influx of talent will certainly be glaring. Most notably, freshman forwards Cayden Lindstrom and Porter Martone, two early first-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 NHL Entry Drafts, will be playing for Michigan State University, and freshman forward Gavin McKenna, the expected No. 1 pick for the 2026 Draft, will skate for Penn State University.
Three Irish freshmen are coming in from the OHL — forwards Cole Brown and Pano Fimis and defenseman Caeden Carlisle, each with strong credentials. Notably, Brown was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft, and Fimis was a two-time nominee for most outstanding player in the OHL. Additionally, last Thursday, 17-year-old OHL forward Beckham Edwards, a top 2026 Draft prospect, announced his commitment to Notre Dame. Though he will not be seen wearing blue and gold until 2027, Sheahan has made his presence known in recruitment and has made clear his ability to adapt to the NIL landscape.
Moreover, if Notre Dame is to return to form this season, it must start with better defense, after giving up the most shots in the nation last year. The goaltending is expected to be solid behind Nicholas Kempf, a highly touted sophomore, and Yale graduate transfer Luke Pearson. Kempf shared duties with Owen Say last year (who departed for the Calgary Flames) and flashed the talent that made him a fourth-round pick in the 2024 Draft. The second-year netminder, known for his high-level athleticism and sound technique, provides the foundation necessary for a defensive turnaround.
However, in the wake of the Irish surrendering a Big Ten high of 3.34 goals per game last year, despite solid play in the net, the backline needs to provide improved support. Senior defensemen Michael Mastrodomenico (a captain) and Axel Kumlin spearhead the unit, and juniors Paul Fischer and Henry Nelson both look to build on promising sophomore seasons. Fischer, a fifth-round pick in 2023 and preseason All-Big Ten Second Team selection, led the Irish in blocks with 61 and provided some offensive punch with 19 assists last season. Nelson chipped in with 40 blocks. Sophomores Jimmy Jurcev and Jaedon Kerr, who both earned time last year, and newcomers Carlisle and Drew Mackie round out the corps.
The young Irish offense will need to find its footing in the early days of the season. Of last year’s 288 points, 38% were earned by non-returning players, most notably, forwards Justin Janicke and Blake Biondi, who averaged the second and third-highest points per game with 0.89 and 0.71, respectively. The Irish’s scoring offense ranked No. 39 in 2024-25, with 2.68 points per game. Though less experienced on college ice, as Sheahan asserted, this season’s team has the talent needed to establish a vastly improved offensive power, an area in which the Irish have lacked in recent history.
Junior forwards Cole Knuble, who led the team in points and assists his sophomore season with 39 and 27, respectively, and Danny Nelson (a captain), who added 26 and 13, respectively, will return as the cornerstones of the Irish offense. With his performance in the preseason, Knuble was selected for the preseason All-Big Ten First Team after being 2024’s only all-conference honoree for the Irish. Junior Carter Slaggert will back him and Nelson following an impressive display last season with 10 points. The hometown product also offers defensive help, accumulating 20 blocks last year.
In addition to the two OHL forwards and freshmen Will Belle, Charlie Pardue and Dashel Oliver, two highly regarded transfers will join the roster. Junior Evan Werner is coming from the University of Michigan, where he amassed 11 goals and 11 assists, the third most points earned by a Wolverine last season. Graduate student Sutter Muzzatti also enters with good credentials from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; he had a promising freshman year, followed by injury-riddled seasons. Notre Dame will need both the returning forwards to further develop and the highly regarded new faces to produce in order to succeed in a challenging schedule.
The Irish are set to officially kick off their season on Oct. 10 with a matchup against Arizona State, before beginning the home slate on Oct. 16 against St. Lawrence. Starting in week three, their schedule heightens to a difficulty it remains at until the end of their season, with back-to-back games against No. 12 Michigan, No. 8 Minnesota and No. 3 Michigan State. In late November and early December, the Irish battle No. 2 Boston College, No. 20 Wisconsin and defending champion No. 1 Western Michigan. January will bring more heat with matchups against No. 5 Penn State and No. 16 Ohio State.
Sheahan is being thrown into the fire this first season, with little time for a learning curve. Fortunately, at his disposal, he has top-flight powers in Knuble and Nelson for the offense, Fischer for the blueline and Kempf in the crease. Given the Irish’s schedule and inexperience, a bid to this year’s tournament would nonetheless be extremely impressive; they are predicted to finish last in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll. But Sheahan affirms that Notre Dame has the promise to shine. “We’ll get better every day,” he said in his April press conference, “and that’s what you’ll see from our program [and] our players.”
