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Gross To Make NHL Debut For Arizona

DETROIT — The Arizona Coyotes announced former Notre Dame defenseman Jordan Gross will make his National Hockey League debut on Sunday night versus the Detroit Red Wings (Dec. 22). 

Gross, who was recalled on Dec.18, is in his second full professional season after skating with the Irish from 2014-18. Sunday’s 7 p.m. ET game can be viewed on ESPN+, Fox Sports Detroit, and Fox Sports Arizona.

Gross signed with the Arizona organization on April 12 after helping to lead the Fighting Irish to the 2018 NCAA Championship game as a senior and alternate captain. 

Gross will become the 11th former Notre Dame player to appear in the NHL this season, joining: Anders Bjork (Boston Bruins), Ian Cole (Colorado Avalanche), Dennis Gilbert (Chicago Blackhawks), Hinostroza (Arizona Coyotes), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), Kyle Palmieri (New Jersey Devils), Andrew Peeke (Arizona Coyotes), Bryan Rust (Pittsburgh Penguins), Riley Sheahan (Edmonton Oilers) and T.J. Tynan (Colorado Avalanche). 

Gross will join his former blue line partner Peeke in making his NHL debut this month (Peeke debuted on Dec. 5). Gross was teammates with current Coyotes forward Hinostroza during his freshman season.

Gross also becomes head coach Jeff Jackson’s 22nd former Notre Dame player to play an NHL game and the program’s 36th overall.  

Gross has notched four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 26 games with Tucson (AHL) this season. He has collected 9-33-42 and 32 PIM in 88 career games with the Roadrunners.

Gross, a Maple Grove, Minnesota native, helped lead Notre Dame to the program’s second NCAA title game appearance to close out his Irish career in 2018. A big game performer throughout his four seasons, he was named to the 2017 Northeast Regional All-Tournament Team (Manchester), the 2018 East Regional All-Tournament Team (Bridgeport) and to the 2018 Frozen Four All-Tournament Team (Saint Paul). He also earned the 2018 NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player award, in part by scoring a pair of goals, including the overtime game winner, in Notre Dame’s first round victory over Michigan Tech.

Gross finished his Irish career by playing in all 159 games, totaling 36 goals and 85 assists for 121 points. His 121 career points rank third all time at Notre Dame in scoring among defensemen and place him as the highest scoring blue liner in over 30 years (since 1982).

A First Team All-Big Ten selection as a senior, he scored 10 goals and added 20 assists for 30 points as a senior. His 30 points ranked 12th among defensemen. His 146 shots on goal led all defensemen, as did his 3.58 shots on goal per game. He had a goal and two assists in Notre Dame’s 5-4 win over Omaha (Oct. 27), to become the 53rd player in program history to reach 100 career points.

As a junior he was named an Honorable Mention Hockey East All-Star, while he picked up Second Team Hockey East All-Star honors as a sophomore. 

Gross graduated from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business as a management consulting major.

Up Next

  • Notre Dame has reached the semester break and will return to action with a home-and-home non-conference series against Western Michigan Jan. 3 and 5.
  • Game one of that series will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 3 at the Compton Family Ice Arena (Tickets).
  • Game two will then be played at 5 p.m. in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Sunday, Jan. 5.

 

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