SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey program wraps up its 2024-25 regular season slate with a two-game series against the third-ranked Michigan State Spartans. A weekend full of festivities gets underway Friday evening (Feb. 28) as the team is set to honor its seniors prior to puck drop. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to the game for a 6:45 p.m. pre-game ceremony on the ice to recognize the 11 members of the Irish graduating class. As part of tradition on senior night, the team will don their green sweaters as part of the annual Irish Wear Green game.
Saturday marks the end of the 2024-25 regular season as the Irish and Spartans clash once more with a 6:05 p.m. puck drop. The regular season finale will serve as the team’s alumni night as well as a celebration for Catalino Family Head Hockey Coach Jeff Jackson in his final game as head coach inside Compton Family Ice Arena.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Michigan State Spartans | Feb. 28-March 1
Location: South Bend, Ind. | Compton Family Ice Arena
Schedule: 7p.m. (Fri.) | 6p.m. (Sat.)
TV: Peacock
Themes: Senior Night & Irish Wear Green (Fri.) | Alumni Night (Sat.)
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame
QUICK HITS
- The Irish are set to face off against the third-ranked Michigan State Spartans this weekend in the regular season finale.
- The two teams previously met in East Lansing, Michigan, earlier this season with the Spartans skating away with a one-goal victory in their last tilt.
- Prior to Friday night’s puck drop, the team will honor its senior class with an on-ice ceremony set to begin at 6:45 p.m.
- Eleven seniors and grad students are set to be recognized Friday as part of senior night.
- Friday’s contest will also serve as the annual Irish Wear Green game.
- Following Saturday’s contest, fans are encouraged to stick around for a short ceremony honoring Catalino Family Head Hockey Coach Jeff Jackson in his final home game.
- The Irish roster currently boasts four individuals with 20+ points, including Knuble who leads the team with 34 points (11-23-34). His 23 assists is the most for an Irish skater since Bobby Nardella in 2018-19, and most by a forward since Jake Evans in 2017-18.
- Senior Justin Janicke holds a career-best 31 points on the season thus far off 13 goals and 18 assists. With his totals, the forward has posted career-bests in goals, assists and points this season.
- Janicke also leads the team in goals with 13 alongside Danny Nelson. The pair picked up four points last weekend at Wisconsin to sit tied in first on the team for goals. Nelson’s 24 total points (13-11-24) ranks fourth on the team and is one shy of Blake Biondi’s 25 (12-13-25).
- Prior to their tilts at Minnesota, Justin Janicke was appointed captain by his teammates, as announced by Catalino Family Head Hockey Coach on Jan. 18.
- The Irish team returned 19 student-athletes from the 2023-24 roster, including 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders. The forwards include graduate senior Grant Silianoff and seniors Justin Janicke, Hunter Strand and Tyler Carpenter. Returning defensemen include four who appeared in the final series of the 2023-24 season in Michael Mastrodomenico, Paul Fischer, Zach Plucinski and Henry Nelson.
- Notre Dame returned two 20+ point scorers from a season ago as Danny Nelson (9-14-23) and Cole Knuble (9-11-20) are now in their sophomore seasons with the Irish.
- In total, eight returners posted double-digit points last season. In addition to Nelson and Knuble, Hunter Strand (4-15-19), Justin Janicke (4-12-16), Paul Fischer (2-14-16), Brennan Ali (3-10-13), Maddox Fleming (3-9-12) and Grant Silianoff (4-7-11) look to improve upon their double-digit performances a season ago.
- At the last line of defense, the Irish return Jack Williams in goal and added two new netminders to the mix in Nicholas Kempf (USNTDP) and Owen Say (Mercyhurst).
- The Irish added 10 new faces to the squad in 2024-25, including five freshmen and five transfers. The 10 newcomers consist of five forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.
NOTRE DAME vs. MICHIGAN STATE
- The Irish close out the regular season with a two-game series against Michigan State.
- The two teams met earlier this year in which the Irish dropped a close game two to the Spartans, 4-3.
- In their last meeting, Blake Biondi set a career-high in points with the Irish, registering a goal and two assists as the Irish fell to the Spartans in game two of the weekend series.
- Three individuals, including Biondi, registered three points on the weekend as Danny Nelson’s two goals in game one was followed up by an assist on Saturday night. Paul Fischer led the team with three assists on the weekend.
- With an assist in game one of the series, freshman Jack Larrigan registered his first collegiate point.
- The last time these two teams clashed inside Compton Family Ice Arena, the Irish earned a weekend split with the Spartans to open February 2024.
- Cole Knuble and Justin Janicke each posted two points in the game one win over the Spartans as the Irish earned the 4-1 victory.
THANK YOU SENIORS
- The Irish are set to honor its veteran group Friday evening with senior night. Prior to puck drop, the team will recognize the 11 members of its graduating class with an on-ice ceremony.
- Those being recognized include seniors Hunter Weiss, Justin Janicke, Hunter Strand, Ryan Helliwell, Tyler Carpenter and Jimmy Mooney, in addition to its graduate students Grant Silianoff, Ian Murphy, Zach Plucinski, Blake Biondi and Luke Robinson.
- The group has combined to play in 856 games for the Gold and Blue, and owns 266 points off 100 goals and 166 assists.
- The graduating class has been a part of great success at Notre Dame and left their impact on the program, including two NCAA tournament appearances, numerous conference honors and 83 Irish victories.
A HISTORIC CAREER
- After 20 seasons behind the Irish bench, this weekend’s games against Michigan State will be Catalino Family Head Hockey Coach Jeff Jackson’s final regular season games at Notre Dame.
- Jackson joined the Irish in 2005 and has elevated the program to new heights during his tenure, including 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and four Frozen Fours.
- In just his second year with the Irish, Jackson returned the program to the national stage as he led the team to the 2007 NCAA regional final. The following year, Jackson and his squad returned to the NCAA Tournament, this time earning a berth to the Frozen Four for the first time in program history.
- Returning the program to national prominence was just one of many accomplishments for Jackson behind the Irish bench.
- In 20 seasons at Notre Dame, Jackson saw 29 alumni go on to play in the National Hockey League, most recently when Nate Clurman (‘21) made his debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 29, 2024.
- Last season he reached multiple career milestones, including his 1,000th NCAA Division I game coached and his 400th win at Notre Dame. Already the all-time winningest coach in program history at 417 victories behind the Irish bench, Jackson ranks ninth all-time among all NCAA DI hockey coaches and is the winningest active coach at 599 career wins.
- He coached five Academic All-Americans at Notre Dame and saw three student-athletes get drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry Level Draft.
- In 26 years coaching at the Division I level, Jackson has twice been named the Spencer Penrose Award winner, presented annually to the top collegiate hockey coach, and is a three-time CCHA Coach of the Year honoree.
- He has led his teams to 18 NCAA Tournaments, seven Frozen Fours, five national championship games, and won two National Championships (at Lake Superior State).
- In addition to his collegiate coaching career, he was also a founder of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and served as an assistant coach at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
- Jackson will lead his Irish in a clash against his alma mater, Michigan State, this weekend in his final regular season series.