Irish in the NHL: Three Notre Dame hockey players sign professional contracts
A proud program rich in producing professional talent sent some new names to the next level this week.
Three Notre Dame hockey players fresh off getting within one win of the Frozen Four have signed pro contracts. Graham Slaggert inked with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, Adam Karashik signed with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL and Spencer Stastney is headed to play for the Nashville Predators of the NHL.
Slaggert, a South Bend native and the son of Notre Dame assistant coach Andy Slaggert, scored a career-high 12 goals and notched 25 points in his senior season. He tallied on the overtime winner that sent the Irish to the Albany Regional championship game.
Slaggert spent two seasons playing with his younger brother, Landon, who will be a junior for the Irish in the fall. Slaggert scored 27 goals and was credited with 42 assists for a total of 69 points in his Notre Dame career.
“I always dreamed of coming to Notre Dame,” Slaggert said after the regional title game. “It lived up to all the hype. I’ve known Coach [Jeff Jackson] pretty much my entire life. You look back on your four years and all the great moments you had, whether it was playing outside at Notre Dame Stadium, winning a Big Ten Championship at our home rink or even the last few weeks.
“The last two years playing with my younger brother was something we always dreamed of. We didn’t know how it would work out, but it worked out pretty well. I’m extremely grateful for having that opportunity to have these last two years with him and this entire group.”
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Karashik transferred from UConn for his final collegiate season. He ranked third nationally in blocked shots with 99. He scored one goal and assisted on 15 more while playing in all 40 games for the Irish. He’ll join the Phantoms, a Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate, on a PTO for the rest of this season.
“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life,” Karashik said on transferring to Notre Dame. “I’m going to be part of the Notre Dame family for the rest of my life. I couldn’t be happier to say that.”
Stastney might have been Notre Dame’s most talented and most important player during the 2021-22 season. The defenseman tied for second on the Irish roster with 27 points. He had the team’s best plus/minus at +18. He became just the second defenseman during the 17-year Jackson era to be voted team MVP.
Stastney signed a two-year entry level deal with the Predators that will start with the 2022-23 season. Fourteen former Notre Dame players have appeared in an NHL game this season. Stastney could be well on his way to joining a future list of that sort.
