Aug. 21, 2007
Notre Dame, Ind. – Former Notre Dame hockey standouts Wes O’Neill (Essex, Ont.) and Jason Paige (Saginaw, Mich.) will continue their hockey careers this fall on the professional level as both recently signed pro contracts. O’Neill signed a three-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on August 20th while Paige signed an American Hockey League contract with New Jersey’s AHL affiliate, the Lowell Devils, located in Lowell, Mass., on August 10.
The signings bring to four the number of graduating seniors from last year’s team to sign pro contracts as they join defenseman Noah Babin (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and goaltender David Brown (Stoney Creek, Ont.). Babin signed with the Carolina Hurricanes following last season while Brown joined Pittsburgh in July.
O’Neill was a four-year standout for the Irish on defense who served as one of the team’s alternate captains in 2006-07. He finished second among Irish defensemen in scoring with 21 points on three goals and 18 assists with two of his goals coming on the power play. Originally drafted by the New York Islanders in the fourth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, the 21-year old O’Neill finished his Notre Dame career with 17 goals and 61 assists for 78 points in 154 career games. Of his 17 goals, 12 came via the power play. He was named to the CCHA all-tournament team selection this past March as he helped lead the Irish to their first-ever CCHA tournament title.
Jason Paige was one of the CCHA’s top face-off men during his Notre Dame career. He will begin his pro career in the New Jersey Devils organization after signing with their AHL affiliate in Lowell, Mass.
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The 23-year old Paige finished the 2006-07 season ranking sixth on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points with five of his goals coming on the power play and four of them being game winners. A three-year alternate captain for the Irish, Paige was one of the CCHA’s top face-off men during his career. He played in 154 career games during his Notre Dame career, collecting 29 goals and 21 assists for 50 career points. He had 12 power-play goals and eight game winners over his four seasons in South Bend. An outstanding student, Paige was twice selected to the CCHA’s scholar-athlete team and was a two-time choice as the hockey team’s Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Scholar-Athlete Award winner as he had a 3.612 grade-point average with a degree in Finance.
The Irish finished the 2006-07 season with a 32-7-3 overall record, the best in school history and won their first CCHA regular-season championship with a 21-4-3 record in league play. Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second time in the program’s history and won its first tournament game ever, a 3-2 double-overtime win against Alabama-Huntsville before falling in the quarterfinals to eventual NCAA champion, Michigan State. The Irish were also ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time in the program’s 39-year history, holding the top spot for seven straight weeks from Feb. 5 through March 23.