by Jacob Cheris/CHN Reporter (@JCheris17)
For first-year players in college hockey, there is an adjustment period. Some adapt quicker than others, but it takes time to keep up with the speed and physicality of the college game. It was no different for Notre Dame forward Cole Knuble.
Knuble, the son of one-time Michigan star and 16-year NHL veteran Mike Knuble, committed to Notre Dame back in January 2022 because of the program’s track record of developing players and as individuals off the ice.
“When I visited here, I felt the culture and I felt like the community that Notre Dame has, I just really wanted to be a part of it,” Knuble said. “The biggest thing was development. I knew it was a place where I would come out as a better player and as a person.”
However, the start of the campaign did not go as intended for the Philadelphia Flyers’ fourth-round selection. Knuble was held off the scoresheet in his first 10 games of the season. Despite the Fighting Irish going 5-3-2 over that 10-game stretch. It was frustrating for the Grand Rapids, Mich., native.
“I obviously wanted to be doing better and from a producing side of it. But, I mean, I honestly still think I was playing good hockey. For me, my game is a lot more than just points. I’m a complete, 200-foot player. So there’s other things that mattered to me than just points,” Knuble said. “I was frustrated, yes, but I knew I was playing good hockey and I was just focused on playing my game and I knew that the points would come eventually.”
Knuble finally broke through on Nov. 11 against Ohio State, knotting his first career point with an assist and then scored his first career tally on an empty net. However, he went pointless in six out of his next seven games heading into the holiday break.
“I know he probably was putting personal pressure on himself and that doesn’t necessarily help your scoring woes knowing that you need to score because our team isn’t scoring much,” Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson said. “He’s had an outstanding freshman year. From a coach’s perspective, I can put him over the boards in any situation and I know he’s smart enough and he’s gifted enough as a player that he can contribute in different ways. It’s not just about scoring goals.”
Once the…
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