Aug 23, 2013
Notre Dame, Ind. – Fifteen former Notre Dame hockey players are among a group of 21 professional hockey players expected to take the ice on Monday, August 26 at the Lefty Smith Rink and the Compton Family Ice Arena in the second Notre Dame Pro Hockey Camp.
The camp, that runs from Monday, August 26 through Thursday, August 29 is being held for former Notre Dame hockey players and invitees to help them begin preparations for their upcoming professional training camps that will begin in September.
“I thought that the first camp that we held last August (of 2012) was a great success,” says camp director and Notre Dame hockey equipment specialist Dave Gilbert.
“It helps our program stay in touch with our former players and gives them a chance to get back to campus. For many of them, last August was their first chance to play in the Compton Family Ice Arena. It showed them what their efforts during their playing careers helped the program achieve after they left campus.”
Gilbert believes that the players who attended the first camp last August enjoyed their time back at Notre Dame.
“We got a lot of positive feed back following last year’s camp. They must’ve enjoyed it because they are coming back again,” said Gilbert with a smile.
“These guys spent so much time together during their four years here, so the camp gives them a chance to get together with old friends, doing what they enjoy doing. Once they get with their respective teams and the season starts, they don’t get much time to get together during the year.”
Four coaches with ties to the Notre Dame hockey program will oversee the camp – current Notre Dame associate coach Andy Slaggert `89, former defenseman Brock Sheahan `09 and Compton staff members Mike McNeill `88 and Kevin Deeth `10 – will put the players through their paces each day.
Expected to participate in next week’s camp are (last year’s team in parentheses) Ian Cole (St. Louis Blues), Brett Lebda `04 (Binghamton – AHL), Teddy Ruth `12 (Springfield – AHL), Patrick Gaul `12 (South Carolina – ECHL), Riley Sheahan (Grand Rapids – AHL), Erik Condra `09 (Ottawa Senators), Christian Hanson `09 (Providence- AHL), Evan Rankin `07 (Rochester – AHL), Mark Van Guilder `09 (Milwaukee- AHL), Michael Bartlett `07 (Innsbruck HC – Austria), Joe Lavin `11 (Rockford -AHL), Christiaan Minella `10 (Wilkes Barre-Scranton – AHL), David Brown `07 (Arizona – CHL), Brad Phillips `12 and 2013 grad Nick Larson. Also attending the camp are Jared Nightingale (Michigan State `06 and Connecticut – AHL), Jim O’Brien (Ottawa Senators), Jim Slater (Michigan State `05 and Winnipeg Jets) and Pat Nagle (Ferris State `11 and Florida – ECHL).
The pro players will have a practice each morning, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 to 10 a.m. that will be opened to the public. Tuesday afternoon, August 27, the players will have a four-on-four scrimmage from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. that also will be open to the public. The week will close out with a golf outing at the Warren Golf Course on Thursday. Many of the former alums are expected to stay through Saturday to attend the Notre Dame-Temple football game at Notre Dame Stadium.