Shillelagh Hockey tourney skates into Sears Centre
Collegiate hockey takes center stage - make that "center ice" - at the Sears Centre this weekend when Notre Dame hosts the second annual Shillelagh Hockey Tournament.
The tournament begins today when the sixth-ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux play Niagara, followed by the Fighting Irish taking on Colgate. On Sunday, Colgate gets the opener against whichever team meets the same fate in the opener (winners play winners, losers against losers) and Notre Dame has the nightcap.
While college hockey has precious little foothold in the Chicago area, junior hockey is strong, strong enough to produce players such as Teddy Ruth, a junior defenseman for the Irish whose family still resides in Naperville.
"It will be nice to have the young teams out there to watch us," Ruth said. "To have that experience will be great for them."
Ruth, 20, is the property of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, who received the rights to Ruth in a 2008 trading deadline deal that sent veteran forward Sergei Fedorov to the Washington Capitals.
"He's going to be a Hall of Famer, so if I don't make it, I can always play that card," Ruth said with a laugh.
Another member of the Irish squad is freshman defenseman Sam Calabrese of Park Ridge. Calabrese broke his right tibia just above the boot trying to avoid a clip in a game against Miami on Dec. 4. He will not be skating again until the middle of January, but that doesn't stop him from being considered a key host player for the weekend event.
"I'm getting calls from old buddies," Calabrese said. "It would have been great to play, but it is a great chance for Illinois youth hockey to have this tournament."
Calabrese was a member of the U.S. U-17 team for the Four Nations tournament two years ago and accompanied the U-18 national team to an event in Russia last year.
Here is a quick look at the four teams competing in the tournament:
Colgate: The Raiders are 7-5-4, and have already played Niagara twice this season, with a 1-0-1 record against the Eagles. David McIntyre (5 goals, 14 assists this season) was a finalist last year for the Hobey Baker award, given to the top collegiate player of the year. Teammate Austin Smith has 8 goals and 16 assists and is one of the top point-getters in the nation.
Niagara: The Purple Eagles enter the game after a three-week break from games. They are 3-10-1 and suffered through an eight-game losing streak earlier this season. They are led by seniors Chris Moran and Ryan Olidis, who both have active nine-game point streaks. Moran ranks third in the nation in assists.
North Dakota: The Fighting Sioux are 9-6-3 overall but 0-2-1 in their last three games. North Dakota has 15 NHL draft picks on the team. The Sioux have eight players with at least 10 points on the season.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish are 8-8-4 and ranked 20th in the nation. The Irish recorded a 4-0 win over now No. 1 Miami on Dec. 5. Callie Ridderwell has 11 goals in 20 games. The Irish have nine NHL draft picks on their roster.
If you go
What: The Shillelagh Hockey Tournament
Who: Colgate University, Niagara University, the University of North Dakota, the University of Notre Dame
When: Saturday and Sunday
Where: Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates
Schedule: Jan. 2, North Dakota vs. Niagara, 3:05 p.m.; Notre Dame vs. Colgate, 6:05 p.m. Jan. 3, Colgate vs. TBA, 3:05 p.m.; Notre Dame vs. TBA, 6:05 p.m. (pairings dependent on first round outcomes).
Tickets: Single-day $15-$40. Two-day combo $20-80.
On the Web: searscentre.com