Teddy Ruth Class: Junior Hometown: Naperville, IL High School: Huron (Ann Arbor) Height / Weight: 6-1 / 208 Position: Defenseman Birthdate: 02/14/1989 Last Team: U.S. National Under-18 Team

Recognized as one of the top shutdown defensemen in the nation ... will serve as an assistant captain for the Irish in 2008-09 ... candidate for CCHA postseason honors ... tough, hardnosed, stay-at-home defender who makes life miserable for opposing forwards ... character player who is a leader on and off the ice ... a force in the defensive zone where he uses his size and strength in the corners and in front of the net ... will look to expand his all-around game this season by getting more involved in the offensive attack ... has a strong shot from the point that gets through to the net ... smart, intelligent player who knows when to pick his spots to jump into the play ... has earned two monograms in his first two years at Notre Dame ... played in 36 games last season with two goals and five assists for seven points while turning in a +11 for the campaign ... in 78 career games, has four goals and eight assists for 12 points and is +24 ... joined the Irish after two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Mich. ... was the highest ranked Notre Dame player by Central Scouting prior to the 2007 NHL Entry Draft ... ranked 32nd among 210 North American skaters and the 11th-best North American defenseman ... was chosen in the second round, 46th overall, by the Washington Capitals ... had his rights traded at the 2008 NHL trading deadline to the Columbus Blue Jackets for future Hall of Famer Sergei Federov ... one of five Illinois natives on the Notre Dame roster joining Dan Kissel (Crestwood), Tom O'Brien (Mokena), Billy Maday (Burr Ridge) and Sam Calabrese (Park Ridge) ... one of eight former USNTDP alums on the roster along with senior Kyle Lawson, fellow juniors Ian Cole and Brad Phillips, sophomores Patrick Gaul and Sean Lorenz and freshmen Calabrese and Kyle Palmieri ... one of 23 USNTDP alums to have played at Notre Dame ... one of six players to sign in the early-signing period (Nov. of `06) along with Ian Cole, Maday (deferred to `08), Phillips, Calle Ridderwall and Ben Ryan.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Played in 36 of the team's 40 games, missing two games with an injury and two while playing for Team USA in the World Junior Championships ... scored a pair of goals with five assists for seven points ... had 17 penalties for 42 minutes ... tied for fifth on the team with a +11 ... missed the first two games of the season with an injury ... picked up his first point of the season, scoring a goal in a 5-2 win over Lake Superior State (Nov. 15) ... second goal of the season came in 3-1 win at Bowling Green (Dec. 12) ... along with teammate Ian Cole was a member of the U.S. Junior National team that finished fifth at the World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ont. ... played in all six games with no points and 25 minutes in penalties ... recorded five assists over the remainder of the season, including a two-assist night at Northern Michigan on Feb. 13 ... was +4 in the postseason, while not scoring any points.

AS A FRESHMAN: Played in 42 games in 2007-08, scoring a pair of goals with three assists for five points ... had 14 penalties for 36 minutes ... was second on the squad with a +13 rating ... Notre Dame's rookie of the year in `07-'08 ... went scoreless for his first 17 games, but got his first goal and assist in a two-point night against Nebraska-Omaha in a 5-0 shutout on Dec. 1 ... missed five games with an injury from Dec. 8 to Jan. 5 ... picked up second assist of the season in 5-3 loss to Ferris State (Feb. 8) ... had final assist of the season in game three of CCHA second round when he helped set up Dan Kissel's goal that made it 1-0 in a 2-1 win for Notre Dame ... final goal of the season came versus Michigan State in the NCAA West Regional when he hammered a shot from the right point past Jeff Lerg with under five minutes left to insure the 3-1 win that sent the Irish to the Frozen Four ... in nine postseason games, had one goal and one assist for two points.

WITH USA HOCKEY: Selected to the 2009 U.S. Junior National Team that participated in the World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ont. ... played in all six games with no points and 25 minutes in penalties as Team USA finished fifth overall ... participated in two U.S. Junior National Evaluation Camps (2007 and 2008) ... played two seasons for the U.S. National Team Developmental Program ... in 2006-07, served as an alternate captain ... played in 39 games with five goals and 11 assists for 16 points ... three of his five goals came on the power play and one was a game winner ... recorded 64 minutes in penalties ... as a member of the U.S. Under-17 team in 2005-06, had three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 66 games ... was selected as the most outstanding defenseman at the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament ... advanced to the U.S. program after playing for the Chicago Mission Midget major program and Team Illinois.

PREP & PERSONAL: Graduated from Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Mich. ... played midget hockey in the Chicago area for the Chicago Mission Midget major program and Team Illinois ... full name is Theodore John Ruth ... son of Richard and Barbara Ruth ... has two brothers ... born February, 14, 1989 in St. Charles, Mo. ... finance major in the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame.

Ruth's Career Statistics