Brett Lebda with the Stanley Cup
By Jeffrey Buck
The Joyce Center, home to the Notre Dame hockey team since 1968, has hosted numerous future NHL players over the years. As it looks toward its final year, the school’s athletic department is asking fans to vote for an All-Joyce Center Team. You’re probably wondering why we would be doing a post on a school in Indiana, but truth be told several current and former Red Wings honed their skills there, as well as a handful of Michigan natives. According to the site, voting will run through Sunday, Feb. 20 at 5:00 p.m. EST, and fans may vote once per day.
As far as I can tell there are two players nominated with ties to the Red Wings Organization. Here are their bios as provided by the site:
2000-04 • 5-10, 195 • Buffalo Grove, Ill./USA Under-18 Team
Played in 152 career games at Notre Dame … selected second team all-CCHA (’03-’04) … selected to CCHA all-rookie team (’00-’01) … winner of William Donald Nyrop Award as team’s top defenseman (is 11th among defensemen in scoring with 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 career points … tied for ninth on all-time penalty minute list with 239 career minutes … member of first Irish team to advance to the NCAA Tournament (’03-’04) … signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings following 2003-04 season … has played six seasons in the NHL with Detroit and Toronto.
2005-09 • 6-1, 201 • Anchorage, Alaska/USA Under-18 Team
Played in 94 career games at Notre Dame … only Irish goaltender to play in Frozen Four and national championship game (’08-’09) … selected CCHA goaltender of the year (’08-’09) … honorable mention all-CCHA (’08-’09) … CCHA tournament MVP (’08-’09) … CCHA all-tournament team (’08-’09) … CCHA scholar-athlete of the year (’08-’09) … two-time CoSida Academic All-American (second team At-Large ’07-’08, first team At-Large ’08-’09) … two-time Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (’07-’09) … two-time Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award (’07-’09) … was 59-26-7 in his career with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage with 12 career shutouts … first in wins, goals-against average, save percentage and tied for first in shutouts … equaled David Brown’s single-season mark of 30 wins (’08-’09) … set single-season mark with eight shutouts (’08-’09) … signed as a free agent with Detroit Red Wings following graduation in 2008-09.
The list also includes many players that have come out of Michigan, including:
2007-10 • 6-1, 215 • Ann Arbor, Mich./USA Under-18 Team
Selected All-American following the 2008-09 season … first team all-CCHA (’08-’09) … honorable mention CCHA all-rookie team (’07-08) … selected to CCHA all-tournament team (’08-’09) … played in 111 games over three seasons for the Irish with 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points … selected in the first round, 18th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft … signed with St. Louis following 2009-10 season … saw first NHL action this season.
2006-10 • 5-11, 207 • New Hudson, Mich./Tri-City Storm
Played in 161 career games at Notre Dame … CCHA top defensive defenseman (’08-’09) … second team all-CCHA (’08-’09) … honorable mention all-CCHA (’07-’08, ’09-’10) … selected to CCHA all-rookie team (’06-’07) … two-time winner of Notre Dame’s William Donald Nyrop Award as team’s top defenseman (’08-’10) … finished career ranked eighth on all-time scoring list for defensemen with 17 goals and 73 assists for 90 points … fourth all-time in assists among Irish defensemen … third on all-time games played list … selected in the seventh round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Kirt Bjork
1979-83 • 5-9, 170 • Trenton, Mich./Paddock Pool Saints
Selected as an All-American following the 1982-83 seasons … played in 141 career games … second team all-CCHA (’82-’83) … special mention all-CCHA (’81-’82) … two-time honorable mention CCHA all-academic team (’81-’83) … Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (’82-’83) … Notre Dame rookie of the year (’79-’80) … ranked 12th on Notre Dame’s all-time scoring list with 161 points on 76 goals and 85 assists … ninth all-time in goals (76) … tied for sixth in power-play goals (25) … sixth all-time with five hat tricks.
2005-09 • 6-0, 202 • Livonia, Mich./Lincoln Stars
Selected All-American following the 2008-09 season … selected second team all-CCHA (’08-’09) … honorable mention all-CCHA (’06-’07) … selected to CCHA all-rookie team (’05-’06) … selected to CCHA all-tournament team (’06-’07) … winner of CCHA’s Terry Flanagan Award for dedication and perseverance (’08-’09) … Notre Dame rookie of the year (’05-’06) … three-time winner of Notre Dame’s offensive player of the year award (”06-’09) … winner of 2009 Notre Dame Byron V. Kanaley Award, most prestigious award to a Notre Dame senior monogram winner who is exemplary as both a student and a leader … winner of Notre Dame’s Francis Patrick O’Connor Award (’08-’09) … one of two players in Notre Dame history to lead team in scoring in all four years (Jamie Ling) … ranks 13th on Notre Dame’s all-time scoring list with 48 goals and 110 points for 158 career points … seventh on all-time assist list … tied for fifth on all-time games played list … tied for fourth in short-handed goals (6) … selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators.
2000-04 • 6-2, 214 • West Bloomfield, Mich./USA Under-18 Team
Played in 145 career games at Notre Dame … selected second team all-CCHA (’03-’04) … selected to CCHA all-academic team (’03-’04) … Notre Dame co-rookie of the year (’00-01) … member of first Notre Dame team to play in NCAA Tournament (’03-’04) … tied for 29th on all-time points list with 124 career points on 68 goals and 46 assists … ranks 16th on all-time goals list with 68 … tied for second in game-winning goals with 13 … second round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2002 NHL Entry Draft … played parts of three seasons with the Florida Panthers.
Jeff Logan
1978-82 • 5-10, 170 • Grosse Pointe, Mich./University Liggett
Played in 147 career games … Notre Dame Monogram Club team MVP (’80-’81) … 16th on Notre Dame’s all-time points list with 146 career points on 75 goals and 71 assists … tied for sixth all-time with five hat tricks.
Phil Wittliff
1968-71 • 6-1, 195 • Port Huron, Mich./Port Huron Catholic
One of the original Irish hockey players on the Irish hockey team … played for the club team and moved on to the varsity when the program started in 1968-69 … played in 85 games in three seasons with the varsity program, scoring 72 goals with 52 for 124 points … is tied for 29th on the all-time points list at Notre Dame … ranked 12th on the all-time goal list.
Let’s support our hometown guys and get them voted to the All-Joyce Center Team.
You can click here to be taken to the site for voting.
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