SOUTH BEND, Ind. – University of Notre Dame signee Brennan Ali was selected in the seventh round, 212th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2022 NHL Draft.
The Glencoe, Illinois native becomes the 92nd player in program history to be selected in the NHL Draft and the 45th in head coach Jeff Jackson’s tenure. Ali is also the fifth Fighting Irish player to be selected by the Red Wings. He signed a NLI with the Irish in the fall of 2021.
Notre Dame has had at least one player selected in each NHL Draft since 2004 and in 23 of the last 24 NHL Drafts.
The 2022 NHL Draft took place at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8 at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Brennan Ali | Forward | Glencoe, Illinois
- Signed an NLI with the Irish in the fall of 2021.
- Played for Avon Old Farms (USHS-Prep), the USNTDP (U18) and Lincoln (USHL) during the 2021-22 season.
- Spent the majority of the year with Avon, where he had 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 27 games.
- Played two games with the NTDP and notched an assist before finishing the season with Lincoln where he had a pair of assists in nine games.
- Rated 83rd in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings among North American skaters.
- Was a member of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the 2021 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup
- Notched three assists in four games for Team USA in that event.
- Also appeared in contests for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program at the U-17 level, playing in 11 games (1-2-3).
- Played youth hockey in the Chicago Mission organization from 2017-21.
- Attended USA Hockey’s Select 15 and 17 Camps in 2019 and 2021.
Current Irish in the NHL Draft
- Jack Adams (GS, F): Detroit Red Wings, sixth round/162nd overall (2017)
- Nick Leivermann (GS, D): Colorado Avalanche, seventh round/187th overall (2017)
- Ben Brinkman (GS, D): Dallas Stars, sixth round/173rd overall (2019)
- Justin Janicke (So., F): Seattle Kraken, seventh round/195th overall (2021)
- Trevor Janicke (Sr., F): Anaheim Ducks, fifth round/132nd overall (2019)
- Landon Slaggert (Jr., F): Chicago Blackhawks, third round/79th overall (2020)
- Ryder Rolston (Jr., F): Colorado Avalanche, fifth round/139th overall (2020)
- Rolston’s rights were traded to Chicago at 2021 the trade deadline
- Jake Boltmann (So., D): Calgary Flames, third round/80th overall (2020)
#IrishInTheNHL
- Fourteen former Fighting Irish players skated in the NHL this past season: Anders Bjork (Buffalo Sabres), Ian Cole (Carolina Hurricanes), Jake Evans (Montreal Canadiens), Steven Fogarty (Boston Bruins), Jordan Gross (Colorado Avalanche) Vinnie Hinostroza (Buffalo Sabres), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), Kyle Palmieri (New York Islanders), Andrew Peeke (Columbus), Cal Petersen (Los Angeles Kings), Bryan Rust (Pittsburgh Penguins), Riley Sheahan (Seattle Kraken), Alex Steeves (Toronto Maple Leafs) and TJ Tynan (Los Angeles Kings).
- Steeves made his NHL debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 7 against Columbus (and former Notre Dame teammate Andrew Peeke) in a 5-4 Toronto win.
- Steeves became the 25th former Irish player under head coach Jeff Jackson to reach the NHL and the Notre Dame program’s 39th NHL player overall.
- Prior to Steeves, the most recent Notre Dame players to make their NHL debuts were Jordan Gross, Peeke, Jake Evans and Thomas DiPauli during the 2019-20 season.
– ND –