History of Notre Dame Hockey
From its revitalization in 1968 after a 41-year hiatus, to its second
stint as a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, the
University of Notre Dame has played hockey at every level imaginable.
And now, under the direction of second-year coach and former National
Hockey League all-star Dave Poulin, Notre Dame looks to add new chapters
of success and return to among the nation's elite programs.
Notre Dame first played intercollegiate hockey during the 1912-13
academic year and then from 1919-20 through the 1926-27 season, posting
a 25-24-4 record and at least one recorded Western Intercollegiate
Championship during that span. One of the most famous of all Notre Dame
athletes, Jim Crowley of Four Horseman fame, was a freshman goaltender
on the 1921-22 team that was 8-1, but his career was put on ice by
legendary football coach Knute Rockne.
While there may have been sporadic competition in hockey from 1928 to
1967, including one game in which Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner
Angelo Bertelli was reported to have scored four goals, Notre Dame
hockey began in earnest with the arrival of Charles "Lefty" Smith in
1968. The beginning of Smith's career coincided with the opening of the
Joyce Center and it wasn't long before the Irish were facing off against
the best teams in collegiate hockey.
The Irish competed as an independent from 1968-71, giving Smith three
seasons to build a competitive program before Notre Dame became a member
of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the 1971-72 season.
Notre Dame struggled to a 10-16-0 record and barely qualified for the
playoffs in its first WCHA campaign, but the following year the Irish
proved they were capable of skating with the best teams in the nation.
Eddie Bumbacco's 31-goal, 65-point effort led the WCHA in scoring and
propelled the Irish to a series sweep of No. 1 Wisconsin and a
second-place finish during the 1972-73 season with a 19-9-0 conference
record. Smith was named WCHA coach of the year while Bill Nyrop and
Bumbacco became Notre Dame's first hockey All-Americans. The Irish
defeated North Dakota 13-3 in a two-game, total goal series, but lost to
eventual national champion Wisconsin, 8-7, in the second round.
The Irish remained competitive in the WCHA over the next eight years but
could do no better than another second-place finish during 1976-77.
Several Notre Dame players gained national notoriety during that time,
most notably Jack Brownschidle, who earned All-America honors in '76 and
77 and remains Notre Dame hockey's only two-time All-American. Brian
Walsh earned All-America status and was named the 1976-77 WCHA MVP and
Greg Meredith earned All-America honors in 1979-80.
Four years later, Notre Dame joined Michigan, Michigan State and
Michigan Tech as the newest members of the Central Collegiate Hockey
Association. In 1981-82, Poulin--a finalist for the Hobey Baker
award--led Notre Dame to a 23-15-2 record, a Great Lakes Invitational
championship and a fourth-place finish in the regular-season standings.
Following a first-round playoff series win over Michigan, the Irish
defeated Bowling Green 8-5 to advance to the CCHA championship game at
Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. Notre Dame fell one win short of the CCHA
championship and NCAA tournament berth, after a 4-1 loss to Michigan
State in the title game.
The Irish were unable to sustain that level of play the following season
and struggled to a 13-21-2 overall record. Following Notre Dame's loss
to Bowling Green in a first-round playoff series, it was announced that
Notre Dame would no longer play hockey as a varsity sport. But after
competing as a club sport during 1983-84, varsity hockey returned to
Notre Dame with the Irish competing as a non-scholarship independent
team.
Smith remained at the helm through the end of the 1986-87 campaign,
compiling a 19-year record of 307-320-30. The most impressive statistic
from the Smith era is that all 126 players that completed their
collegiate eligibility earned a degree. In 1987, Smith turned the
program over to Ric Schafer, a four-time monogram winner for the Irish
from 1970-74 and an assistant coach under Smith from 1975-80.
Notre Dame continued to play as an independent during the first four
season's of Schafer's tenure, but with each year the schedule became
increasingly difficult and soon was littered with CCHA opponents.
Schafer also convinced the Notre Dame administration to allocate
scholarships as the program continued to grow and his efforts culminated
with Notre Dame's return to the CCHA for the 1992-93 season. Prior to
stepping down as head coach following the 1994-95 campaign, Schafer
compiled a 111-153-16 record over eight seasons, but he will be
remebered as the coach that brought Notre Dame hockey back to the big
time.
Over the last 28 years, during what is regarded as the modern era of
Notre Dame hockey, 31 Irish players have been drafted by National Hockey
League teams, with more than 10 others having signed as free agents. The
most familiar names among Notre Dame's NHL alumni are Poulin, whose
12-year career included three trips to the Stanley Cup finals and a pair
of all-star appearances, and Bill Nyrop, who was a member of several
Stanley Cup championship teams while playing for the Montreal Canadiens.
Most recently, Mike McNeill signed as a free agent with the Chicago
Blackhawks in 1989 and spent two seasons with the Quebec Nordiques.
