The transition from college to professional hockey is different than other major American sports. Top players avoid the offseason draft that affects football, basketball, and baseball and end their college careers with draft rights granted to their teams. When these players complete their final college seasons in March or April, there will be less than a month left in the National Hockey League season. Most teams are looking to solidify their status as Stanley Cup contenders or evaluate young talent for future seasons.
It's the perfect time to incorporate a new player into your routine, and that's exactly what the Chicago Blackhawks did with Landon Slaggert.
Notre Dame's senior captain and top left winger has long had his sights set on Chicago. The Blackhawks selected Slaggert in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and the South Bend native answered the bell in the college ranks, scoring a combined 48 points in his first two seasons at Notre Dame. However, due to a downturn in production in 2022-23, Slaggert decided to work with the Irishman for another year, and it paid off. Slaggert, who has established himself as one of Notre Dame's top forwards, exploded with 20 goals and 11 assists, leading the team in scoring.
Slaggert signed a two-year entry-level contract on March 10, less than 24 hours after playing his final collegiate game at Michigan. Five days later, he made his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center. Surrounded by recent first-round picks like Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nasar and Calder Memorial Trophy favorite Connor Bedard, Slaggert hopes to help Chicago emerge from its rebuild and return to contention. thinking. But for now, he's focused on learning from older players like assistant captain Nick Foligno.
“Them [veterans] “They're real professionals, really great players. Just great personalities,” Slaggert said after an April 12 game against the Nashville Predators. We have a lot to offer and many years of experience. [I’m] I'm definitely a lucky guy to be around those guys in the locker room. ”
For his own performance, Slaggert finished the 2023-24 pro season with four points in 16 games. He scored his first career goal on April 10 against St. Louis, completing a comeback attempt late in the third period. Less than two weeks into his first offseason as a pro, Slaggert realized what his month in the NHL had revealed to him.
“It gives you a good roadmap of what to work on. The ability to score goals – obviously goalkeepers and defensemen are very good in this league – and the ability to play down low as well. That's I think it’s a big thing,” Slaggert said. “I will continue to maintain more pucks and overall composure to play at a high level. It gives me a good idea of how difficult this league is and what I can improve on to be successful here.” I did.”
Irish alumni who played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Slaggert's Blackhawks will have an early pick in this summer's NHL Draft, but several other Irish players have appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the past. The search for Lord Stanley began two weeks ago on Saturday and will continue until the champion is crowned in mid-June.
Blueline journeyman Ian Cole, in his 14th NHL season, looked comfortable in his first year with the up-and-coming Vancouver Canucks. Cole played at least 17 minutes in each of Vancouver's first four games in the opening series against Nashville and recorded an assist in Game 2. After appearing in 78 regular season games in 2023-24, Cole has 193 points in 826 career games. He suited up and played for eight different NHL teams. The 35-year-old was a first-team All-CCHA and All-American selection at Notre Dame in 2008-09 after being taken 17th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by St. Louis. Cole spent three seasons in an Irish uniform, scoring 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points in 111 games.
Although his team, the New York Islanders, could not defeat Carolina in the first round of the series, left winger Anders Lee had a very good performance. New York's captain had a point in each of the first four games of the series, scoring on the power play in Game 2. Lee is in his 12th season in the NHL, all with the Islanders, who took him in the sixth round in 2009 and is currently in his 12th NHL season. He has scored 260 goals and 453 points at the highest level. Lee, a former Irish national team captain, played at Notre Dame from 2010 to 2013 and earned All-American Second Team status as a junior. During his time in South Bend, Lee had 61 goals and 55 assists for 116 points in 125 career games.
Lee's teammate, right wing Kyle Palmieri, also carried the momentum from his 30-goal regular season into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 14-year NHL player scored in Game 2 of the Carolina series and had an assist in Game 3. The 26th overall pick of the Anaheim Ducks has played in 818 career games, scoring 246 goals and 233 assists for 479 career points. Palmieri, who played just his freshman season at Notre Dame before moving on to the NHL, had 17 points, nine goals and eight assists in the 2009-10 season.
After being traded from Columbus to Boston on March 8, defenseman Andrew Peek helped the Bruins get off to a hot start against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Peek, who finished the regular season with 10 points and 88 blocks in 38 games, blocked three shots in the first two games of the playoffs. The Blue Jackets selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft and played at Notre Dame from 2016 to 2019. There he scored at least 14 points in all three seasons, including 24 points with 21 assists in 2018-19. as the team captain.
Spencer Stastny, a 2018 fifth-round draft pick, starred on the blue line in the playoffs for the Nashville Predators. Through the first three games of Nashville's series against the Vancouver Canucks, Stastny posted a +1 rating on blocked shots. After making his NHL debut a season ago, he played in 20 regular season games this year, scoring his first two professional goals, blocking 29 shots, and posting a +9 rating. From 2018 to 2022, the former Irish defenseman appeared in 143 games for Notre Dame, totaling 63 points and 212 blocks. Stastny scored seven goals and 27 points in his senior season and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors in 2021-22.
