Jan. 18, 2011
Notre Dame, Ind. – In conjunction with the final full season of hockey at the Joyce Center, Notre Dame will select an All-Joyce Center Team to recognize the many great players who have patrolled Irish ice during the 43-year history of the building (1968-2011).
With the help of several former coaches, assistant coaches and administrators who have been involved with the Notre Dame hockey program during that time period, all-decade teams have been selected to cover four time periods from 1968-80, from 1980-89, from 1990-99 and the 2000-2011 seasons.
Those all-decade players will be announced over the next week and will then go onto a ballot that will be available on the Notre Dame website at und.com beginning on Monday, Jan. 24. Hockey fans will then be able to select three goaltenders, six defensemen and nine forwards with the votes then being used to select the top 18 players of the Joyce Center era of Irish hockey. The all-Joyce Center Team will then be announced during the week prior Saturday, February 26 – when the Irish face Western Michigan in the regular-season finale.
The first group of players selected is from 1968-1979 and covers the first 12 years of the program when the Irish were a Division I independent (1968-71) and then a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (1971-80).
1968-80 All-Decade Team
First TeamG - Dick TomasoniD - Jack BrownschidleD - Bill NyropF - Greg MeredithF - Brian WalshF - Eddie Bumbacco
Second TeamG - Mark KronholmD - Bill GreenD - Don JacksonF - John NobleF - Paul ReganF - Phil Wittliff
Special Mention:
G – Len Moher
D – Paul Clarke, Steve Curry, Don Lucia, Mark Steinborn
F – John Campbell, Pat Conroy, Ray DeLorenzi, Don Fairholm, Clark Hamilton, Kevin Hoene, Kevin Humphreys, Larry Israelson, Tom Michalek, Kevin Nugent, Alex Pirus, Steve Schneider, Ian Williams
All-Decade Team (1968-80) Thumbnails
Goaltenders
Dick Tomasoni (1968-72) Goaltender 5-9, 160 Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm
Played in 88 games in his four seasons at Notre Dame … selected Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (`68-69 and `70-71) … first-ever Notre Dame rookie of the year (1968-69) … fourth in wins at Notre Dame (49) … had career record of 49-35-6 (.578 winning percentage) … 10th all-time in goals-against average (4.31)… fourth all-time in saves (2,756) … eighth in minutes played (5,240).
Mark Kronholm (1970-74) Goaltender 6-0, 170 So. St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul
Played in 82 games in his four seasons at Notre Dame … selected Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (1973-74) … honorable mention all-WCHA (1972-73) … winner of 1974 Notre Dame Byron V. Kanaley Award, most prestigious award to a Notre Dame senior monogram winner who is exemplary as both a student and a leader … was 39-39-4 in his 82 games … eighth all-time with a 4.16 goals-against average … sixth all-time save percentage (.884) … fourth all-time with four shutouts.
Defenseman Jack Brownschidle ’77 is Notre Dame’s only two-time hockey All-American (1976, 1977).
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Defensemen
Jack Brownschidle (1973-77) Defenseman 6-1, 187 E. Amherst, N.Y./Niagara Falls Flyers
Only two-time All-American in Notre Dame hockey history (`75-’76, `76-’77) … two-time first team all-WCHA (`75-’76, `76-’77) … honorable mention all-WCHA (`74-’75) … named to WCHA’s top 50 players in 50 seasons (selected in 2001-02) … selected Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (`75-’76) … 39th on Notre Dame’s all-time scoring list with 31 goals and 78 assists for 109 points … third all-time among defensemen in scoring with 109 points in 150 games … 31 goals are third among defensemen … 6th round draft choice of St. Louis Blues in 1975 … played eight seasons in the NHL with St. Louis and Hartford.
Bill Nyrop (1970-74) Defenseman 6-2, 205 Edina, Minn./Edina
One of first All-Americans for hockey at Notre Dame (`72-’73) along with Eddie Bumbacco … second team all-WCHA (`72-’73) … honorable mention all-WCHA (`71-’72, `73-’74) … Notre Dame rookie of the year (`71-’72) … named to WCHA’s top 50 players in 50 seasons (selected in 2001-02)… played in 132 games with 17 goals and 72 assists for 89 points … ninth all-time at Notre Dame in points for a defenseman … fourth round draft choice of the Montreal Canadiens in 1972 … played three seasons with Montreal and one with Minnesota … member of three Stanley Cup champion teams in Montreal.
Bill Green (1969-73) Defenseman 6-2, 205 Roseville, Minn./Roseville
Two-time honorable mention all-WCHA (`71-’72, 72-’73) in program’s first two years in conference … played in 133 games at Notre Dame with 30 goals and 66 assists for 96 points to tie for sixth among Notre Dame defensemen … one of five Notre Dame defensemen to have 30 goals in his career …. selected in seventh round of 1971 NHL Entry Draft by Vancouver.
Don Jackson (1974-78) Defenseman 6-3, 210 Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy
Honorable mention all-WCHA (`77-’78) … played in 140 games at Notre Dame with 18 goals and 44 assists for 62 points … selected third round, 39th overall by Minnesota in 1976 NHL Draft … at time, the highest any Notre Dame player had ever been selected … played 10 seasons in the NHL with Minnesota, Edmonton and New York … member of three Stanley Cup champion teams with Edmonton.
Forwards
Greg Meredith (1976-80) Forward 6-1, 205 Toronto, Ont./Upper Canada College
Selected All-American following the 1979-80 season … first team all-WCHA (`79-’80) … honorable mention all-WCHA (`78-’79) … two-time Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (`78-’79, `79-’80) … winner of 1980 Notre Dame Byron V. Kanaley Award, most prestigious award to a Notre Dame senior monogram winner who is exemplary as both a student and a leader … Notre Dame rookie of the year (`76-’77) … played in 149 games with 104 goals and 88 assists for 192 points … Notre Dame’s all-time goal leader … seventh in points … all-time leader in power-play goals (43) … sixth round pick of the Atlanta Flames in 1976 … played 38 games in the NHL for Calgary over two seasons … NCAA Silver Anniversary Award winner in 2005.
Brian Walsh (1973-77) Forward 5-8, 175 Cambridge, Mass./Matignon
Selected All-American following the 1976-77 season … WCHA most valuable player (`76-’77) … WCHA rookie of the year (`73-’74) … first team all-WCHA (`76-’77) … two-time honorable mention all-WCHA (`74-’75, `75-’76) … Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (`76-’77) … Notre Dame rookie of the year (`73-’74) … played in 140 games at Notre Dame with 89 goals, 145 assists and 234 career points … Notre Dame’s all-time leader in points (234) and assists (145 – tie with John Noble) … tied for fifth on all-time goal list … ninth on all-time power-play goal list (24).
John Noble (1969-73) Forward 5-9, 160 Toronto, Ont./St. Michael's Prep
Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (`69-’70) … Notre Dame rookie of the year (`69-’70) … led Irish in points twice and assists three times … played in 123 games with 81 goals and 145 assists for 226 career points … second all-time in points at Notre Dame and tied with Brian Walsh for first in assists (145) … eighth all-time in goals with 81 … set Notre Dame’s freshman scoring record with 59 points (later tied by Dave Poulin).
Eddie Bumbacco (1969-73) Forward 5-11, 175 Sault Ste. Marie, Ont./Sir James Dunn
Joined Bill Nyrop as Notre Dame’s first All-American, taking honors in 1972-73 … first team all-WCHA (`72-’73) … honorable mention all-WCHA (`73-’74) … Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (`72-’73) … played in 133 games at Notre Dame with 103 goals and 117 assists for 220 points … ranks third in points, second in goals and fourth in assists … set Notre Dame single-season scoring record with 90 points (43g, 47a) in 1972-73 … holds single-season marks for goals and assists set that season … drafted by Montreal in ninth round of 1972 NHL Draft.
Paul Regan (1969-73) Forward 5-10, 165 Scarborough, Ont./St. Michael's Prep
Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (`71-’72) … honorable mention all-WCHA (`73-’74) … played in 124 career games at Notre Dame with 89 goals and 97 assists for 186 career points … is eighth on all-time scoring list … tied for fifth all-time in goals.
Phil Wittliff (1968-71) Forward 6-1, 195 Port Huron, Mich./Port Huron Catholic
One of the original Irish hockey players on the Irish hockey team … played for the club team and moved on to the varsity when the program started in 1968-69 … played in 85 games in three seasons with the varsity program, scoring 72 goals with 52 for 124 points … is tied for 29th on the all-time points list at Notre Dame … ranked 12th on the all-time goal list.