Slaggert joins former Irish players in the National Hockey League

The transition from college to professional hockey is unlike that of any other major sport in America. Top players complete their collegiate careers with a team’s draft rights attached to them, bypassing the offseason drafts that dictate football, basketball and baseball. When those players finish their final college seasons in March or April, the National Hockey League season has less than a month remaining. Most teams look to either solidify their Stanley Cup contender status or evaluate younger talent for future seasons.  

It’s the perfect time to bring a new player into the everyday picture, and that’s exactly what the Chicago Blackhawks did with Landon Slaggert.

Notre Dame’s senior captain and top left winger had his sights set on Chicago for a long time. The Blackhawks selected Slaggert in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and the South Bend native answered the bell in the college ranks, posting 48 total points in his first two Notre Dame seasons. However, with a down year production-wise in 2022-23, Slaggert decided to take one more year with the Irish, and it paid off. A permanent fixture on Notre Dame’s top forward line, Slaggert exploded for 20 goals and 11 assists, leading the team in scoring.

Less than 24 hours after playing his final collegiate game at Michigan, Slaggert signed his two-year entry-level contract on March 10. Five days later, he took the United Center ice for his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings. Surrounded by recent first-round picks like Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar and Calder Memorial Trophy favorite Connor Bedard, Slaggert hopes to help Chicago snap out of its rebuild and back into contention. But for now, he’s focused on learning from older players like assistant captain Nick Foligno.

“Those [veterans] – they’re real pros and real great guys, just great character guys,” Slaggert said after a game against the Nashville Predators on April 12. “I’m just trying to be like a sponge and learn from them because they’ve got a lot to offer and a lot of experience over the years. [I’m] definitely a lucky guy to be around those guys in the locker room.”

As for his own results, Slaggert posted four points in 16 games to wrap up the 2023-24 professional season. He scored his first career goal on April 10 in St. Louis,…