Irish hockey adds a fourth grad transfer in defenseman Blackmun

Notre Dame hockey coach Jeff Jackson has announced the addition of a fourth grad transfer in defenseman Chase Blackmun, who played three seasons at Hockey East power Massachusetts-Lowell.

► More:Notre Dame hockey adds grad defenseman Adam Karashik from UConn

“Chase is an experienced college defenseman with some offensive upside,” Jackson said. “His mobility and instincts will make him a valuable asset on both sides of the puck. He should compete to be in our top four defensemen immediately.”

The 6-foot, 201-pound Blackmun, whose hometown is Hudson, Wisconsin, played three seasons on the blueline for the River Hawks, a Hockey East Conference rival of Notre Dame before the Fighting Irish moved to the Big Ten prior to the 2017-18 season. 

In 85 career games, the 21-year-old Blackmun has 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points. Last season when Lowell finished 20-5-4, Blackmun had six goals and five assists. The six goals were the most by a defenseman on the team. Blackmun scored five goals in each of his first two seasons.

Blackmun, who majored in finance and business analytics at UMass Lowell, twice was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team.

Blackmun joins former Cornell University goaltender Matthew Galajda, former Connecticut defenseman Adam Karashik and former Union and Providence forward Jack Adams as graduate transfers to Notre Dame since the end of the 2020-21 season which was played during the COVID-19 pandemic.