Sophomore center Riley Sheahan was selected in the first round, 21st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Irish Players Riley Sheahan and Jarred Tinordi Selected Back-To-Back In First Round Of NHL Entry Draft

June 25, 2010

Two members of the 2010-11 Notre Dame hockey team – sophomore center Riley Sheahan (St. Catharine’s, Ont.) and freshman defenseman Jarred Tinordi (Millersville, Md.) – were selected back-to-back, 21st and 22nd overall in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft Friday night at the Staples Center. The Detroit Red Wings selected Sheahan with their first pick while the Montreal Canadiens chose Tinordi one pick later.

The Irish duo become the third and fourth Notre Dame players selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, joining defenseman Ian Cole in 2007 (18th overall by St. Louis) and sophomore Kyle Palmieri in 2009 (26th overall by Anaheim). This also marks the first time in the 43-year history of the Notre Dame hockey program that the Irish have had two players selected in the opening round of the draft.

Sheahan, who was ranked 22nd in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings among North American skaters, started his collegiate career in 2009-10 with the Irish as one of the youngest players in college hockey. Born on Dec. 7, 1991, he played half the season as a 17-year old. With the Irish, he played in all situations, taking a regular shift, playing on the power play and killing penalties. In 37 games, the 6-2, 202-pound center had six goals with 11 assists for 17 points while recording 22 penalty minutes. Three of his goals came on the power play. He was invited to the NHL’s Draft Combine held in Toronto at the end of May.

What They Are Saying About Riley Sheahan:

NHL Central Scouting’s Jack Barzee on Sheahan:

“He’s so mature for a kid his age — I’m overwhelmed with that. He’s equally good in all three zones and goes to the front of the net. He’s very conscious in the defensive zone and down behind the net in the defensive corner — he makes certain his team isn’t outnumbered. In the neutral zone, he makes all kinds of things happen but will get back and turn a transition if needed.”

Red Line Report 2010 Draft Guide on Sheahan:

“Has a great combination of size, puck skills and hockey sense. Strong two-way center plays a very mature, advanced game and is defensively sound. … Excellent anticipation and has an innate sense for reading the play and understanding game situations. Uses size to protect the puck with leverage and carry defenders to net. Deftly gives/receives passes. Soft hands with excellent vision and imaginative playmaking touch.”

Notre Dame Head Coach Jeff Jackson on Sheahan:

“Without question he achieved quite a bit (as a freshman) for the youngest player in college hockey. He was 17 years old and was playing up against 20-year-old players on a regular basis in practice and games, and he did extremely well. He was a freshman that came in and played a regular role in both our power play and penalty kill situation, so he was an important part of our team. He’s a very responsible player, very smart, and because of that I could use him in almost any situation. He’s more than a defensive forward; I know he can do quite a bit more offensively, and we’ll be relying on that in the future.”

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Rugged freshman defenseman Jarred Tinordi was selected by the Montreal Canadiens, just one pick after Sheahan – 22nd in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.

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After waiting close to three hours for Sheahan to be selected, Irish hockey fans had to wait about 15 minutes for Tinordi to be the second Notre Dame player selected.

To get Tinordi, Montreal made a trade with the Phoenix Coyotes to move up five spots from 27th to 22nd to make the pick. In selecting Tinordi, the Canadiens get a 6-5, 202-pound left-shot defenseman who served as captain of the USA Under-18 team last season and is a two-year member of the USA Hockey National Team Developmental Program. He also is the son of former NHL defenseman Mark Tinordi who played 12 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, the Dallas Stars and the Washington Capitals.

A strong, tough, physical defenseman, Tinordi played in 65 games for the Under-18 Team, scoring six goals with 11 assists for 17 points and 105 minutes in penalties. A member of the gold-medal winning Under-18 Team in the spring, Tinordi had a goal and an assist in seven games and was +8 at the World Under-18 Championships. He was ranked 38th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Draft Rankings.

What They Are Saying About Jarred Tinordi:

NHL Central Scouting’s Jack Barzee on Tinordi:

“He skates very well for a big guy. He has an excellent shot from the point. He’s a pretty smart player. The head’s there, the hands are there, the shot’s there, the skating ability is there. He’s got a real, real cannon for a shot.” ââ’®’

U.S. Under-18 head coach Kurt Kleinendorst on Tinordi:

“For Jarred to be at his best, he just needs to be steady. He’s very intelligent, keeps himself in good position and is capable of making the first pass. And that should and probably always will be the foundation of what will bring out the most in his game.”

Red Line Report 2010 Draft Guide on Tinordi:

“Massive stay-at-home rearguard with excellent character, bloodlines, and leadership. Dependable, shutdown defender, always thinks defense-first, and his crease coverage is among the best of this class – colossal frame and nasty disposition form an impenetrable barrier between opponents and his goalie. Readily protects teammates and will drop the gloves. Reads and reacts to plays well at the defensive end. Effectively closes his man off to the wall and staples him there. Only has one gear, but shows functional mobility for a big man. Uses long stick/reach to break up lots of passes. Settles things down when team gets in trouble in its own end. Difficult to beat in 1-on-1 situations down low in puck battles or off the rush.”

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft resumes on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EDT with rounds two through seven. Notre Dame has four other players who signed national letters-of-intent last November. That group includes incoming freshman defenseman Stephen Johns (Wampum, Pa.) who was ranked 35th by NHL Central Scouting; incoming freshman forward Bryan Rust (Fr., Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), ranked 80th among North American skaters; defenseman Kevin Lind (Homer Glen, Ill.), ranked 139th and forward T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.) who was ranked 210th.

One other Notre Dame note from the 2010 NHL Draft came when former Irish player Victor Oreskovich – who played a year and a half for the Irish from 2004-06 – and a member of the Florida Panthers organization was part of a trade that sent him to the Vancouver Canucks.