July 11, 2018
By Katherine Harvath
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — With the off-season in full swing for the hockey community, all 31 NHL teams recently hosted their annual development camps, with 11 Irish icers taking part at various camps. Nine members of the 2017-18 Frozen Four team, as well as two newcomers to the program, recently spent time across North America working on their skills in the professional ranks.
Andrew Peeke (2016, 2nd round, 34th) and Justin Wade reunited in Columbus, spending a week with the Blue Jackets organization. Cam Morrison (2016, 2nd, 40th) returned to the Colorado Avalanches’ camp for the third straight year, while Colin Theisen headed to Boston on a camp invite from the Bruins. Following their inaugural season in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights invited rising senior, Bobby Nardella to their camp.
Recent draftees Jake Pivonka (2018, 4th round, 103rd) and Spencer Stastney (2018, 5th round, 131st) attended their respective teams’ development camps for the first time. Pivonka spent the week in Brooklyn, New York, working on his skills with the Islanders organization. The Nashville Predators hosted Stastney for a week at their camp.
After signing professional contracts at the end of last season, Jake Evans (Montreal), Andrew Oglevie (Buffalo), Dennis Gilbert (Chicago) and Jordan Gross (Arizona) all joined their new teams for a week of development and skills testing prior to the upcoming season.
Multiple other Irish student-athletes were invited to camps as well, though chose to defer due to various other obligations.
Exactly halfway into the off-season, members of the Notre Dame hockey program continue to hone their skills prior to puck drop of the 2018-19 season on October 12, 2018 as the team takes on Mercyhurst in the Ice Breaker Tournament.
— ND —
Katherine Harvath is in the midst of a summer internship with the Athletic Communications branch of Fighting Irish Media. She is a 2018 graduate of Bowling Green State University, where she studied sport management.