Like father like son: Ryder Rolston following his dad’s NHL footsteps

After a three-week holiday break, the Fighting Irish Icers return to action today at home for what should be a get-well weekend doubleheader against Alaska Fairbanks (3-12). Both games begin at 5 p.m. ET, at the Compton Family Ice Arena on campus. 

At 8-8-2 overall and 4-5-1 in the Big Ten, No. 19 Notre Dame has yet to hit its stride this season. 

In fact, following a three-game winning streak in mid-October, the Irish haven’t even won two consecutive games since. 

Notre Dame resumes play today as one of only three conference teams with a losing record in league play, a precarious spot for a team that was expected to contend for a spot in this year’s national Frozen Four. 

After this weekend, Notre Dame finishes its regular season with 14 conference games, leaving plenty of time to right the ship. 

If there is at least one positive to take away from this season so far, it’s been the tremendous play of junior forward Ryder Rolston. 

Through 18 games, Rolston leads the Irish with 6 goals and 13 points. 

Rolston, a Traverse City, Mich., native, is already a 2020 NHL Draft pick whose rights are currently held by the Chicago Blackhawks. 

It’s an eventual professional path that Rolston will be well-prepared to follow when his time comes after this Notre Dame season or next. 

A unique dynamic

If veteran Notre Dame hockey coach Jeff Jackson ever wants to date himself, all he needs to do is glance down his bench to Rolston, and that should do the trick. 

See, exactly 30 years ago, a 37-year-old Jackson was working as the bench boss at Lake Superior State during his second year as a college head coach. And Brian Rolston — Ryder’s father — was one of Jackson’s top players on the 1992 Lakers National Championship team. 

Brian Rolston parlayed his time with Jackson into a 17-year NHL career, mainly with the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins. 

The younger Rolston was 11 years old when his father retired from pro hockey in 2012 after recording 342 goals, 419 assists, 761 points, 1,256 career games, a Stanley Cup Championship with the Devils in 1995, and an Olympic silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City games.  

And it’s that history along with the respect and endearment for Coach Jackson that the elder Rolston passed along that helped attract Ryder to Notre Dame. 

“Obviously I’ve always had a soft spot for Notre Dame because my dad played for Coach Jackson,” Ryder said. 

Growing up next to his father inside NHL locker rooms from about the age of 3 to 11 provided Ryder a first-hand experience and knowledge into what it took to compete and survive at the highest level. 

Rolston recognized he needed to become more of a complete player if he was ever going to follow his father’s NHL path. 

And both father and son concluded that Jackson was the best college coach to make that happen.

“A big thing was just learning how to play the right way, and to be put in situations where I would learn to become a pro,” Ryder Rolston explained of his time and lessons at Notre Dame. “And Coach Jackson is obviously one of the most respected coaches not only in the college hockey world, but in the hockey world in general. Being able to build on that legacy as well. Keeping the family name alive under Coach Jackson.” 

Rolston joined the Irish as a freshman in 2020-21 after playing for Waterloo, Iowa, in the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he scored 16 goals and 17 assists in 42 games.

But Ryder is quick to point out that all of his professional pursuits can wait, explaining how in the immediate, his top priority is helping this talented Irish team string a few wins together and lift it from .500 territory. 

“Our group hasn’t lost any confidence. We know how good we are. We know how good we can be,” Ryder said. “No one is worried. We have all the tools be successful, it’s just about being more consistent.”