Nov. 23, 2009
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame hockey coach Jeff Jackson today announced that nine players have signed National Letters-of-Intent to attend the University over the next two seasons.
Signing National Letters-of-Intent in the early-signing period are defensemen Stephen Johns (Wampum, Pa.), Kevin Lind (Homer Glen, Ill.) and Jarred Tinordi (Millersville, Md.) along with forwards Jeff Costello (Milwaukee, Wis.), David Gerths (Ankeny, Iowa), Anders Lee (Edina, Minn.), Garrett Peterson (Manhattan, Ill.), Bryan Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.).
In making the announcement, Jackson said, “We’re very excited about this class of players and over the next two years they will have an impact on the next phase of our program. This class gives us a nice balance of skill, grit and size for the future.”
Three members of the incoming class – Johns, Rust and Tinordi – play for USA Hockey’s National Team Developmental Program. The other six are all currently playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Two members of this group – Costello and Lee – have already been drafted by National Hockey League teams in the 2009 Entry Draft and four are currently listed by the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting in their preliminary rankings – Johns, Rust, Tinordi and Kevin Lind.
Jeff Costello is a 5-11, 202-pound left wing now in his second season with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders of the United States Hockey League (USHL). A talented goal scorer, Costello combines skill and grit. A tough, all around winger, he has shown the ability to score from all areas of the offensive zone. A fifth-round selection, 146th overall of the Ottawa Senators in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Costello had 24 goals and nine assists for 33 points with six power-play goals and three games winners in helping Cedar Rapids to a 38-17-5 record last season. A teammate of current Notre Dame goaltender Mike Johnson in 2008-09, Costello currently has played in 12 games with the Rough Riders and is third in scoring with seven goals and six assists for 13 points. He’s +6 with 28 penalty minutes to go with one power-play goal and one game winner as Cedar Rapids is in second place in the USHL’s Eastern Division. Costello was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. Junior Select Team that won the World Jr. A Challenge in Summerside, P.E.I., Nov. 1-8 where he had a goal and an assist in five games and was the USA player of the game in a 6-3 win over Russia. He played his high school hockey at Waukesha Catholic Memorial High School where he had 31 goals and 17 assists for 48 points in 2007-08.
Jackson on Costello: “Jeff is a tough, gritty forward who will be effective for us at both ends of the ice. He’s got excellent goal scoring skill and the knack for coming up with big goals at key times. He’s got good vision on the ice and a strong shot. He combines a physical style of play with strong offensive skills at the same time.”
David Gerths is a 6-0, 195-pound right wing who is in his second season with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars where he is a teammate of fellow incoming freshman forward Garrett Peterson. Gerths has one goal and seven assists for eight points with 10 penalty minutes in the first 13 games of the season. Like Costello, he was a member of the U.S. Junior Select Team that won the World Jr. A Challenge in Summerside, P.E.I., Nov. 1-8. As the team captain, Gerths had two goals and two assists for four points in the five-game series. A product of Culver Military Academy in Culver, Ind., Gerths had 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points in 52 games last season as he helped Lincoln to a first-place finish in the USHL’s West Division with a 37-17-6 record. Gerths also was selected to play in the 2009 USHL Prospects/All-Star game and played for Team USA at the 2008 World Junior A Challenge in Camrose, Alb., where he had four goals and three assists in helping the U.S. to a gold medal. In his final season at Culver, he led the team in scoring with 20 goals and 36 assists for 56 points.
Jackson on Gerths: “David has developed into a good two-way player. He’s a very accountable player with good offensive abilities but plays at both ends of the ice. He’s a solid kid physically and was a good athlete at Culver Academy. He’s been a steady, consistent player in his two years at Lincoln.”
Stephen Johns is a 6-3, 215-pound right-handed defenseman who is a member of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and is playing for the Under-18 Team in 2009-10. A big, rugged defenseman with good size and reach, Johns brings a physical element to the game. A potential first-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, he’s ranked third overall in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings of players playing in the USHL. In 20 games this season, Johns has a goal and five assists for the Under-18 team in 20 games. In 2008-09 with the Under-17 team, he served as an alternate captain on the team that won the bronze medal at the 2009 Under-17 World Challenge in Port Alberni, B.C. In 47 games, with the Under-17 team, Johns had five goals and 11 assists for 16 points with one power-play goal and 50 minutes in penalties. He added two goals and six assists in 14 games against international competition. In 2007-08, he skated for the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major program where he was the team’s defenseman of the year after scoring 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points. He also was named the top defenseman at the 2007-08 North American Hockey League Future Prospects Tournament.
Jackson on Johns: “Stephen is a big, rugged defenseman with excellent size and reach. From a defensive perspective he’s extremely aggressive and will add a physical presence to our defense. He has the ability to jump into the play and be effective offensively. He’s got unlimited potential as far as what he can bring to the table for us as he progresses in his career. He’s got a good shot with good hands. His grit and physical style of play will be a big factor for us.”
Anders Lee is a 6-2, 216-pound left-handed center currently playing for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. In his first year of junior hockey, Lee leads the Gamblers in scoring after 17 games with 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points. He is 10th in the league in scoring and tied for second with 11 goals. His personal totals include 18 penalty minutes with a power-play goal, a short-handed tally and two game winners as Green Bay is currently first in the USHL’s East Division with an 9-5-3 record. A strong, highly skilled player, he has great hands and a nice scoring touch around the net and has made a positive transition from high school to junior hockey. A talented three-sport athlete at Edina High School, Lee was a finalist for Minnesota’s 2009 “Mr. Hockey” Award after leading Edina to the Minnesota State High School finals where his squad lost to Moorhead in the semifinals. For the year, he had 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points. The New York Islanders selected him in the sixth round, 152nd overall of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Lee also was an all-state quarterback and pitcher at Edina High School during his career. In football, he played quarterback where he was Minnesota’s Gatorade player of the year and the 2008 Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Metro Player of the Year. He ran for 32 touchdowns, rushed for 1,104 yards and passed for 1,982 yards and five touchdowns while leading the nation in scoring with 19.8 points per game.
Jackson on Lee: “Anders is a big man, a great athlete and has made the step from high school to junior hockey very effectively this year. He’s got good hands and with his size, his puck skills and his instincts has shown that he is more of a power-type forward who has become an effective goal scorer while also being a good playmaker.”
Kevin Lind is a 6-3, 198-pound left-shot defenseman who is currently in his second season of playing for the Chicago Steel of the USHL where he has a two goals and four assists for six points and is +10 in a 13 games for the Steel who are currently second in the USHL’s East Division with a 9-6-2 record. A strong skater with great potential, Lind continues to improve his all-around game. As a rookie with the Steel in 2008-09, he played in 45 games, scoring two goals and three assists for five points and 45 penalty minutes. Following the season, he was selected to the USA Select Under-18 Team that played in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia where he had a goal and an assist in three games as the U.S. finished fourth. This year, he was a teammate of incoming freshmen Jeff Costello and David Gerths on the gold-medal winning U.S. Junior Select Team that won the World Jr. A Challenge in Summerside, P.E.I., Nov. 1-8. Lind played in all five games and had four penalty minutes. NHL Central Scouting currently ranks him ninth in the preliminary rankings among players playing in the USHL.
Jackson on Lind: “Kevin has really come into his own over the last year. He really gained a great deal of confidence in his game during his first year of junior hockey in Chicago. He’s got great potential for a big guy with his size and skating ability. He’s shown that he can do things with the puck. His development has improved his ability to see the ice and make plays. We expect him to be able to contribute at both ends of the ice and down the road he’ll develop into a fine college defenseman.”
Garrett Peterson is a 5-11, 185-pound right wing who currently plays in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars where he is a teammate of incoming freshman David Gerths. A product of the Team Illinois Midget AAA program, Peterson was a first round selection of Lincoln in the 2007 USHL Futures Draft. This season, he has played in 15 games and has scored two goals with 29 minutes in penalties, as Lincoln is last in the USHL West Division with a 6-11-0 record. A strong skater with excellent speed, Peterson is a tough, competitive two-way forward who goes hard to the net and has an edge to his game. He helped the Stars to a first-place finish in the USHL West Division in 2008-09, scoring seven goals with 13 assists for 20 points in 49 games. His totals included, one short-handed goal and one game winner with 104 minutes in penalties. He was a member of the 2008 USA Under-18 Select Team that participated in the Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Czech Republic in August of 2008.
Jackson on Peterson: “Garrett may remind some people of another Garrett that played here – Garrett Regan. He’s a high-energy player who skates well and is tenacious around the puck. He plays a physical game and will add another element to the grit and determination of our team. He’s a strong character kid who will make a positive contribution to the team and in the locker room.”
Bryan Rust is a 5-11, 191-pound right-handed center who is a member of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, playing for the Under-18 Team this season. The brother of current Michigan player and USA National Team Development alum, Matt Rust, Bryan has had a break out season with the national program in 2009-10 as he has eight goals and five assists for 13 points in 20 games this season. His totals include one power-play goal, one short-handed marker and three game winners. Rust has developed into a strong two-way player during his two seasons with the national program. As a member of the Under-17 team last season, he had nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points with four power-play goals and one short-handed marker. An alum of the Honeybaked Midget minor program in 2007-08, he had 44 goals and 48 assists for 92 points and was a member of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team that played in the 2008 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Prievidza, Slovakia. NHL Central Scouting currently ranks him 16th in the preliminary rankings among players playing in the USHL.
Jackson on Rust: “Bryan has developed into a good offensive player this past year. He’s really taken a big step with the National team offensively. We always knew he had great hands and was extremely good down low in the offensive zone. His physical development has helped his game and has helped his skating to the point where he is now a solid two-way contributor.”
Jarred Tinordi is a 6-5, 202-pound left-shot defenseman who is one of three Irish recruits currently playing for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program this season where he has five assists in 20 games this season and leads the team with 32 penalty minutes. Along with Johns, Tinordi is a potential first round pick from the National program as he is ranked fifth among USHL skaters in the NHL Central Scouting preliminary rankings. A strong, physical defenseman he plays a shutdown style but can also jump into the play and create offense with and without the puck. With the Under-17 team last year, he played in 67 games last season where he scored six goals with 14 assists for 20 points while recording 71 minutes in penalties. Tinordi is a product of the Washington Jr. Nationals program where he was the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL) rookie of the year in 2007-08, collecting four goals with eight assists for 12 points. He is the son of former NHL defenseman Mark Tinordi who played 12 seasons with Minnesota, Dallas and Washington.
Jackson on Tinordi: “Jarred has unlimited potential with his size and skating ability. He moves real well for a big man and has good instincts with the puck. He makes good first pass outlets on the break out and is a solid defensive, defenseman with a good shot. He has the potential to be a solid, two-way defenseman. We think he has an upside offensively because of his hands and strong shot.”
T.J. Tynan is a 5-9, 170-pound right-handed center currently playing for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL where he leads the team and is second in the league in scoring with eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points in 18 games. Included in those totals are three power-play goals and one short-handed tally. A dynamic offensive player, Tynan is a gifted playmaker who is strong on his skates and makes good decisions with the puck. A product of the Chicago Mission Midget program, he was selected in the first round, second overall by Des Moines in the 2008 USHL Futures Draft. With Chicago in 2008-09, Tynan played in 80 games with 47 goals and 82 assists for 129 points. He was also a member of the USA Select Under-18 Team with fellow incoming recruit Kevin Lind that played in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament last August where he had one assist in three games.
Jackson on Tynan: “T.J. has great instincts for the game, great hands and is a great playmaker. He has real good visual skills to make decisions with the puck. He’s not a big guy but he plays a tenacious style. He’s a dynamic player with his puck skills and his ability to skate and change directions.”
Class of 2010-11Player Pos. DOB Ht. Wt. S/C Hometown/2009-10 TeamJeff Costello LW 11/2/90 5-11 202 L Milwaukee, Wis./Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)David Gerths RW 9/27/90 6-0 195 R Ankeny, Iowa/Lincoln Stars (USHL)Stephen Johns D 4/18/92 6-3 215 R Wampum, Pa./USA Under-18 TeamAnders Lee C 7/3/90 6-2 216 L Edina, Minn./Green Bay GamblersKevin Lind D 3/31/92 6-3 198 L Homer Glen, Ill./Chicago Steel (USHL)Garrett Peterson RW 9/13/91 5-11 185 R Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln Stars (USHL)Bryan Rust C 5/11/92 5-11 191 R Bloomfield Hills, Mich../USA Under-18 TeamJarred Tinordi D 2/20/92 6-5 202 L Millersville, Md./USA Under-18 TeamT.J. Tynan C 2/25/92 5-9 170 R Orland Park, Ill./Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)