Chase Blackmun returns for another hockey season on Notre Dame's blueline

SOUTH BEND — Another transfer player who helped the 2021-22 Notre Dame hockey team reach the championship game of the NCAA Tournament Albany Regional will be returning for another season with the Fighting Irish.

Defenseman Chase Blackmun, who scored a career-high 14 assists in 40 games for Jeff Jackson’s 28-12 eighth-ranked Irish, will join fellow grad student Jack Adams on the 2022-23 Irish roster. Blackmun, who earned a bachelor’s degree in three seasons at UMass Lowell, pursued a master of science in business analytics degree at Notre Dame last season.

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“The gratitude and appreciation I have for my teammates and for this university is hard to put into words,” said the 23-year-old Blackmun who is a native of Hudson, Wisconsin. “Notre Dame has changed me in the best ways, which is why I’m so proud to announce that I’ll be coming back to earn my MBA and compete alongside my best friends. I’m excited to see what next year holds for our team.”

Blackmun’s right-handed shot made him an important part of Notre Dame’s power play. He finished with 16 points, one off his career-high at Lowell (5-12-17) in 2019-20. His two goals for Notre Dame were game-winners against Penn State (Feb. 4) and Michigan State (Feb. 19). Two of his 14 assists came in Notre Dame’s 4-1 victory over No. 2 Michigan on Feb. 25.

“We’re excited to welcome Chase back to our program,” Jackson said. “He’s a quality, puck-moving defenseman. His vision and instincts make him an effective offensive player on transition and as a power-play point man. Last year his maturity and character brought a calming presence to our locker room. This year we feel he can use those traits to help lead.”

Blackmun’s return comes a few weeks after fellow defenseman and offensive threat Nick Leivermann announced he would return for a graduate season on the blueline ahead of returning senior goaltender Ryan Bischel. The Irish also have added a grad transfer in former University of Minnesota defenseman Ben Brinkman and return underclass defensemen in sophomores Ryan Helliwell and Jake Boltmann and junior Zach Plucinski.

Andrew Peeke on National team

Andrew Peeke, who captained the 2018-19 Irish team as a junior defenseman before moving on to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League, has been named to the U.S. Men’s National Team for the upcoming World Championships which will be hosted by Finland from May 12-29. The 24-year-old Peeke is the 17th former Irish player to take part in the event. Former goalie Cal Petersen and defenseman Matt Hellickson won bronze medals for Team USA in last year’s championships played in Latvia. In three seasons with Columbus, Peeke has played in 115 games, including a career-high 82 this past season during which he scored two goals and added 13 assists.