Oct. 7, 2015
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Wednesday night marks the start of the 2015-16 National Hockey League season and five former Notre Dame hockey players have made season-opening rosters, including Ian Cole (Pittsburgh), Erik Condra (Tampa Bay), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), Kyle Palmieri (New Jersey) and Riley Sheahan (Detroit).
Cole enters his first full season on the Penguins’ blue line. In March of 2015, he was traded from the St. Louis Blues to Pittsburgh. Cole then re-signed for three more years with the Penguins this past summer. In five seasons with the Blues, Cole played in 187 games while scoring 10 goals and notching 29 assists for 39 points.
Condra, who played in the Ottawa Senators organization for the past six seasons, signed a three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning in June, 2015. Projected as a third line forward with the Lighting, Condra played in 299 games with Ottawa while totaling 87 points on 33 goals and 54 assists.
Also in June of 2015, Lee re-signed with the New York Islanders on a four-year deal. After stints with New York for parts of the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, Lee had a breakout season last year. He scored 25 goals and added 16 assists for 41 points while finishing ninth in the Calder Trophy voting for the league’s Rookie of the Year award.
Palmieri will be making his New Jersey debut after being traded in the offseason from Anaheim to the Devils. Playing at least part of each of the last five seasons with Anaheim, he scored 43 goals and added 46 assists for 89 points in 198 NHL games. In 33 playoff games, he had 12 points on seven goals and five assists.
Sheahan made his Red Wings debut during the 2011-12 season and he begins his second fulltime season with Detroit. Last year in his first season playing exclusively in the NHL, he scored 13 goals and added 23 assists for 36 points in 79 games. He has totaled 60 points (22-38-60) in his NHL career.
Cole, Condra, Lee and Sheahan were amongst of group of 16 former Irish hockey players who took part in Notre Dame’s fourth annual Pro Camp, which was held from Aug. 31 – Sept. 3 at the Compton Family Ice Arena.
The Irish also have a large contingent of players who were recently sent to American Hockey League affiliate clubs at the end of various NHL training camps. That list of players, who will be looking to earn recalls to their respective NHL teams, includes Stephen Johns (Dallas organization), Vince Hinostroza (Chicago), T.J. Tynan (Columbus), Robbie Russo (Detroit) and Bryan Rust (Pittsburgh).
The Irish will open the 2015-16 season this weekend by playing host to the University of Guelph in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 9 at the Compton Family Ice Arena. The game will be streamed live through NBCSports.com. Notre Dame will then play a second exhibition game against the USNTDP U-18 team on Sunday, Oct. 11 at the newly named U.S. Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.
— by Dan Colleran, Athletics Communications Associate Director