Top Notre Dame hockey freshman signs pro contract

Less than a week before fall-semester classes are set to begin at the University of Notre Dame, the most promising player in the Irish hockey team’s freshman class slipped out a back door.

Christian Fischer on Thursday signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.

While, the 18-year-old forward has several options as to exactly where he’ll play in the coming season — the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL being a distinct possibility — his signing eliminated Notre Dame as a landing spot.

“Proud to have signed my first NHL contract with the @ArizonaCoyotes,” Fischer wrote on his Twitter account. “Thanks to everyone who has helped me get to this point! #Coyotes”

The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Wayne, Ill., product, who attended ND this past summer, was the second pick of the second round, and the 32nd selection overall, in the NHL Draft, held June 26-27.

The “top 6,” high-scoring forward garnered 31 goals, third on the team, with 33 assists in 66 games with the U.S. Under-18 team in 2014-15.