June 25, 2011
St. Paul, Minn. – Three players with ties to the Notre Dame hockey program were selected on Saturday afternoon during the second day of the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft held at the Xcel Energy Center.
The Columbus Blue Jackets picked the first Irish player when they chose sophomore center T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.) in the third round, 66th overall. Six picks later, Steven Fogarty (Edina, Minn.), who will join the Irish in 2012-13, had his name called by the New York Rangers as the 72nd pick of the draft. Freshman defenseman Robbie Russo (Westmont, Ill.) rounded out the Notre Dame trio of selections when he was chosen by the New York Islanders in the fourth round, 95th overall.
The Blue Jackets selected Tynan with the 66th pick of the draft, a pick they received when they traded former first-round pick Nikita Filatov to the Ottawa Senators. The selection capped a great 2010-11 for the 5-8, 170-pound center who was college hockey’s national rookie of the year in his freshman season as he led the nation’s freshmen in scoring with 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points, including 16 games with two or more points. He had five power-play goals, two short-handed and a pair of game winners in helping lead Notre Dame to a 25-14-5 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four.
A four-time CCHA rookie of the week, he was selected to the CCHA all-rookie team and was the CCHA rookie of the year. A second team all-CCHA selection, Tynan was the CCHA rookie of the month for November, the RBC Financial Group CCHA player of the month in December and captured Notre Dame’s Monogram Club team most valuable player award, along with the team’s offensive player of the year and rookie of the year honors.
Tynan finished the season ranked seventh in the nation in scoring with 54 points and was just the third Notre Dame freshman to score 50 or more points in a season with his final total being just five points off the school record of 59.
Tynan on being drafted by Columbus (as told to Bluejackets.com): “This has been an exciting experience for me. Columbus had talked to me a few times but never said where they might take me. The Blue Jackets are a young team, making moves to make the playoffs. It’s exciting to be a part of this organization.”
On his plans for the future: “I’m just going to keep working out, taking classes in summer school at Notre Dame. We have a young group of talented players there and I just to want to keep improving and have another successful season.”
Steven Fogarty, who will play this season in the USHL, saw the New York Rangers make a trade to be able to draft him in the third round, 72nd overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.
|
 |
Fogarty heard his name called by the New York Rangers in the third round, 72nd overall after the Blueshirts traded prospect Evgeny Grachev to St. Louis to acquire the pick. The Edina High School star signed a national letter-of-intent to attend Notre Dame in May and will play the 2011-12 season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Chicago Steel.
The 6-2, 195-pound right-handed center hails from the same high school as current Irish standout Anders Lee and former captain Ryan Thang `10. Fogarty was a finalist for the 2011 Minnesota “Mr. Hockey” Award, as he helped Edina to a fourth-place finish in the Minnesota State playoffs with 26 goals and 25 assists for 51 points in 30 games. He had four power-play goals and two short-handed tallies to go with 12 minutes in penalties. Following the end of the 2010-11 high school season, Fogarty joined the Steel for the final six games of the season, where he scored two goals. He was ranked 90th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.
Defenseman Robbie Russo was a fourth round pick of the New York islanders in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
|
|
Fogarty on being drafted by the Rangers (from blueshirtsunited.com): “I’m glad to be a part of the New York Rangers. I didn’t think I would be drafted this high. I knew they were interested in me and one of their scouts told me that since they didn’t have many picks, they might make a trade to get a pick. The Rangers were the team that I was most interested in. When I heard them announce the trade, I thought that this might be it. Then I heard them say Edina, Minnesota, and it was a weird feeling.”
On being drafted in St. Paul, Minn., near his hometown of Edina: “It’s very special to have happened in this building (Xcel Energy Center). I’ve played in state tournaments here and now to get drafted here, it’s very special.”
Russo rounds out the group of Notre Dame players to be selected in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The talented defenseman will start his Notre Dame career this September and joins the Irish after playing this past year with the USA National Team Developmental Program’s Under-18 team. There he finished sixth on the team in scoring with four goals and 26 assists for 30 points while picking up 27 minutes in penalties.
In international play, Russo helped the national program to gold medals at the Four Nations, the Five Nations and the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championships. The 5-11, 189-pound defenseman was fourth in scoring among blue liners at the World Under-18 Championships with a goal and seven assists for eight points in six games and set up the overtime game winner in the gold medal game against Sweden. The tournament’s coaches selected him as one of the USA’s top three players. Russo was ranked 55th overall among North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings.
Each team that drafted a player who plays in the NCAA retains his rights until 30 days after the player graduates from college.
The trio of players gives the Irish 10 players on this coming season’s roster that have heard their names called at the NHL Entry Draft. Tynan and Russo will join junior Nick Larson (Calgary, fourth round in 2008), senior Sean Lorenz (Minnesota, fourth round in 2008), sophomore Jeff Costello (Ottawa, fifth round in 2009), sophomore Anders Lee (New York Islanders, sixth round in 2009), sophomore Riley Sheahan (Detroit, first round in 2010), sophomore Stephen Johns (Chicago, second round in 2010), sophomore Bryan Rust (Pittsburgh, third round in 2010) and Kevin Lind (Anaheim, sixth round in 2010).
Since 1969, teams in the National Hockey League have drafted 68 Notre Dame players, including four first round selections – defenseman Ian Cole in 2007 (18th overall by St. Louis), center Riley Sheahan in 2010 (21st overall by Detroit), defenseman Jarred Tinordi in 2010 (22nd by Montreal) and right wing Kyle Palmieri in 2009 (26th overall by Anaheim).