Sept. 7, 2004
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame hockey coach Dave Poulin has announced his team captains for the 2004-05 season. Taking on the Irish leadership roles for the coming season are senior right wing Cory McLean (Fargo, N.D.), junior left wing Mike Walsh (Northville, Mich.) and sophomore center Jason Paige (Saginaw, Mich.). McLean will serve as team captain with Walsh and Paige as alternates. In making the announcement, Poulin said, “Cory (McLean), Mike (Walsh) and Jason (Paige) give us a nice mix of leadership skills. Our captains play key roles not only on the ice but also off ice for our program. They set the tone for what we expect from the entire team all season long. All three are well respected by their teammates.” McLean becomes the 52nd player in the program’s history (dating back to the first team in 1912) to be named team captain, taking over the reins from the graduated Aaron Gill. The Fargo, N.D., native had his best season with the Irish in 2003-04 when he had career highs in goals (10), assists (14) and points (24). He has served as team captain in the past with his high school team and again in juniors with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. The winner of the USHL’s Curt Hammer Award in 2001, McLean has seen his offensive numbers improve in each of his seasons with the Irish. Poulin on McLean: “Cory has been a leader since he first arrived on campus. He gives us a good combination of a player who leads by example but can be vocal when needed. He will fill this role very well. He has a good feel for the team and his teammates. Cory comes to play every day and he’s well respected by all his teammates.”
Junior Mike Walsh will serve as one of Notre Dame’s alternate captains during the 20044-05 season.
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Walsh is Notre Dame’s top returning scorer as he comes off a career-best year with 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points. Three of his goals came on the power play and he was second on the team with four game-winning goals. Walsh’s +16 plus-minus was the best on the team. A 2002 draft choice of the New York Rangers, Walsh overcame an injury-filled freshman season to become one of the CCHA’s top power forwards as a sophomore last season. Among his game-winning goals were the lone goals in 1-0 shutouts of top-ranked Boston College and third-ranked Maine. Poulin on Walsh: “Mike is the vocal leader of this team and he’s a player who backs it up with his play on the ice. He’s really become one of the top power forwards in the league. He’s a clutch player who scored some big goals for us last season. I thought he bounced back well from his freshman year when he had a broken jaw and mononucleosis. He’s got strong leadership skills.”
Jason Paige becomes just the second sophomore in Dave Poulin’s 10 seasons to be named alternate captain.
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Paige becomes just the second sophomore to serve as an alternate captain in Poulin’s 10 years as coach of the Irish, joining Steve Noble who went on to be a two-year captain. As a freshman, Paige had 10 goals and six assists for 16 points and was one of the team’s top penalty killers on a penalty-killing unit that led the CCHA and was fourth best in the nation. His overtime goal in game three of the first round of the CCHA playoffs sent the Irish on to the CCHA’s Super Six for the third consecutive season. Poulin on Paige: “Jason’s a quiet leader with a quiet toughness about him. He’s only the second sophomore to serve as a captain in my time here. He’s very respectful of people around him and has already proven to be a clutch player for us on the ice. You can see he’s a leader just by the way he carries himself.” Notre Dame’s three captains and their teammates open the 2004-05 season on Thurs.-Fri. Oct. 7-8 when they play host to Frozen Four participants, Minnesota-Duluth. Both games with the Bulldogs will begin at 7:35 p.m. at the Joyce Center.