Aug 29, 2013
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame hockey coach Jeff Jackson has named his captains for the 2013-14 season as the Irish begin preparations for the coming year.
Senior left wing Jeff Costello (Milwaukee, Wis.) will serve as the team captain while fellow seniors Stephen Johns (Wampum, Pa.), Bryan Rust (Novi, Mich.) and T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.) were named alternate captains.
In making the announcement, Jackson says, “We are excited to have Jeff (Costello) as our captain for the coming year. He did a good job with Anders Lee last year in making sure the guys knew what it took to be successful. He was one of the key guys that helped us get out of our little tailspin in the second half.”
“Jeff’s a guy who commands respect. Not only from his physical presence but the guys respect what he stands for off the ice and in the classroom. I think he will be a great captain for us.”
Jackson also likes the leadership skills of his three alternate captains.
“Stephen (Johns), Bryan (Rust) and T.J. (Tynan) also are three very good leaders, from their work ethic on the ice, in the weight room and in the classroom,” says Jackson.
Senior right wing Bryan Rust will serve as one of Notre Dame’s alternate captains in 2013-14
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“Those three have shown a great deal of maturity in their first three seasons. Brian has taken a giant step forward in the last two years. He put himself in a leadership role because he has always been a mature kid. Stephen Johns wears his heart on his sleeve; no one is more passionate about our team. T.J. is the same way; he’s a leader by example by the effort he puts forward on the ice and in the weight room. All three guys are well respected and are important players in the lineup. Most importantly, they have a passion for the program and want to see us have a great year.”
Costello is a three-time monogram winner who is coming off his best season at Notre Dame as a junior. He finished third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and career highs in assists (19) and points (30) while being +18 on the season. He has been a team captain before, serving as the leader of his junior team in the USHL, the Cedar Rapids Roughriders in 2009-10.
“It was very humbling and a great honor to selected as a team captain by the coaches and my teammates,” says Costello.
Senior defenseman Stephen Johns is one of three alternate captains for the Irish in 2013-14.
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“This is something that I am very proud of and I look forward to being one of the team’s leaders this season.”
The talented left wing says that his leadership style is a mix of leading by example and being a motivator in the locker room.
“I think that I mix the two but lead more by example. I know that I respond best when I see guys out there working their hardest and giving their best,” says Costello.
“That’s a motivation for me to work hard. I like to play with emotion and that will come out in a game or in the locker room. If I think the team needs a little motivation, I will say something.”
Senior center T.J. Tynan joins Stephen Johns and Bryan Rust as alternate captains for the 2013-14 season.
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“We have a lot of great leaders on this team and not just the four of us who have been selected. You really count on everyone to chip in as leaders. We have some great character in our upperclassmen. Guys know what they need to get done and how to do things the right way.”
Costello’s first duties as team captain will come on Friday, August 30 when he throws out the first pitch in Boston prior to the Boston Red Sox-Chicago White Sox game at Fenway Park. He will be in Boston on Friday with head coach Jeff Jackson and the other seven teams participating in next January’s Frozen Fenway games to officially announce the games. Notre Dame will face Boston College on Jan. 4, 2014 at Fenway Park. The baseball game can be seen on the New England Sports Network (NESN) and Comcast Sports Chicago at 7:00 p.m. (ET).
Notre Dame’s three alternate captains also are three-time monogram winners and have been regulars in the lineup since their freshman seasons.
Johns is the lone defenseman of the group and is known for his physical style of play. As a junior, he finished third in scoring among Irish defensemen with a goal and 13 assists for 14 points while being +12 on the year. He led the team in penalty minutes with 62 on the year.
“This is a huge honor to be selected by my teammates and the coaches to serve as one of the team captains this season,” says Johns.
“I am really excited to be one of the team leaders this year and help this team win as many games as possible. I think I have a good relationship with all the guys on the team and I feel like they listen to what I have to say. I like to lead by example in the weight room and on the ice I try do things the right way.”
Rust had a break out season at right wing in 2012-13 when he finished second to Anders Lee in scoring with 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points and tied for the team lead in power-play goals (5) and game winners (4). His +25 led the team in that category and was one of the top marks in the CCHA.
“Obviously this is a great honor and I’m very happy that the coaches and players thought that much of me to select me as one of the team’s leaders,” says Rust.
“We’ve had great leaders before us and losing Anders Lee to the NHL this year, we have some big shoes to fill. I think that our group can step up and fill that role. We have a big senior class and all of those guys are good leaders and will be counted on to lead this season.”
Tynan is a speedy center iceman who has led the Irish in scoring in two of his first three seasons. As a junior, he was fourth in scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points and had five power play goals, a short-handed tally and four game winners. He comes into his senior year ranked 31st on the all-time scoring list with 46 goals and 77 assists for 123 points in 124 career games. Tynan has been selected first time all-CCHA twice and was the national rookie of the year in 2010-11.
“It’s an honor to be a part of this great team that we have here and then to be chosen as captain as a senior just adds to that,” says Tynan.
“I’ve been blessed and fortunate to be selected to the great group of players that have served as captains in the past. I hope that I can add to that great tradition and help our team to a great season this year.
Costello, Johns, Rust, Tynan and the entire Irish hockey squad opens the season on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 5:05 p.m. when Notre Dame plays host to the University of Guelph in a preseasons game at the Compton Family Ice Arena. They open the 2013-14 regular season on Friday, October 11th at home against Western Michigan.