Inside Notre Dame Hockey’s Modern Recruiting Approach Under Brock Sheahan

Posted on by Ryan Sikes Ryan Sikes
Credit: Notre Dame Athletics

When Brock Sheahan was named head coach of Notre Dame men’s hockey, he took over one of the most storied programs in the country, built by the man he replaced.

Jeff Jackson, who spent 20 years behind the bench and coached Sheahan for his final three seasons as a Notre Dame player, transformed the Irish into a national powerhouse. Under his leadership, Notre Dame reached 12 NCAA Tournaments, advanced to four Frozen Fours, and made two appearances in the national title game.

Sheahan understands the standard and the expectations that come with Notre Dame hockey. But he didn’t take the job to keep things where they are. His goal is to elevate the program to an even higher level.

“This is an elite hockey school,” Sheahan told Puck Preps. “It's one of the best programs in the country, and we have the potential to win national championships, Big Ten championships, and have a proven track record of sending guys to the NHL.”

Since taking over, Sheahan has modernized Notre Dame’s recruiting strategy to meet the demands of today’s landscape.

He has broadened the search without compromising on player fit. That approach includes adding top-tier Canadian junior talent from the OHL, such as incoming freshmen Pano Fimis, Cole Brown, and Caeden Carlisle, to provide immediate impact.

Jeff Jackson/Brock Sheahan
Credit: Notre Dame Athletics

Notre Dame is now recruiting top players from all corners, a region that encompasses Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and the United States.

Sheahan has been clear that Notre Dame will not flood its recruiting classes with 12 to 15 players and sort it out later. The Irish operate with a smaller, more focused board and commit fully to the players they bring in.

“We're not going to over-recruit,” he said. “We're going to find the right fit, the right talent. We're in on high-level players.

“We see that they're the type of kids that are going to put the work in, and they're going to develop their game. They're going to be guys that are able to fit in our style of play and our culture.”

The results are already starting to show. Notre Dame has secured verbal commitments from three U.S. National Team Development Program 2009-born players, Cannon Thibodeau, goaltender Nate Chizik, and defenseman Diego Gutierrez.

Among them, Thibodeau and Gutierrez are five-star recruits.

The Irish have also received verbal commitments from two 2008-born OHL skaters, defenseman George Komadoski and forward Beckham Edwards. Komadoski is set to play for the Flint Firebirds this season, while Edwards will return to the Sarnia Sting. Edwards is a four-star recruit.

Notre Dame currently holds the No. 8-ranked recruiting class for 2026 and the No. 5-ranked class for 2027, with both classes still having room to rise as this cycle progresses.

The message is clear. Notre Dame offers both elite hockey and an elite education without compromise.

“[Recruits] want to reap the benefits that Notre Dame has to offer,” Sheahan said. “We have the best resources and the people that we have here around our program.

“Then the bonus is everything that Notre Dame has to offer. There's a lot of high level players and families that want that experience, and I believe that we're going to deliver that.”

Retention backs up the message. In a world increasingly dominated by transfers, Notre Dame didn’t lose a single player after Sheahan’s hiring. That’s almost unheard of with any coaching change.

“I think that speaks volumes to the environment and, especially once guys get here, the experience that they have here is special,” he said.

The reason is simple. The coaching staff builds real, meaningful relationships during recruitment and players know what they’re committing to.

“As we get to know these kids, that's where we learn that [they are] a fit for us from a hockey standpoint for sure, but as a person even more so,” Sheahan said.

“I think that having a truly genuine relationship with these players and their families is going to minimize [losing players because of decommitment or transfer].”

While other programs are adding dedicated General Managers to lead the recruiting effort, Sheahan feels that associate head coach Andy Slaggert already plays that role. He manages the entire recruiting process and continues to be one of the most respected talent evaluators in college hockey.

“That’s basically what he’s been doing,” Sheahan said of Slaggert. “He can still be on the ice, and he still has that coaching title, but his main focus has always been recruiting.”

Sheahan’s younger age (41) has also proven to be an asset in recruiting. He and his staff speak the language of today’s players and bring a clear, detailed vision for where the program is going. That energy is already changing the tone inside the locker room.

Mike Garman (38) was brought in for his alignment with Sheahan’s playing style and structure from their time together with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Andrew Oglevie (30), a Notre Dame alum, is one of the sharpest young coaches in the game.

Every coach on staff is directly involved in both recruiting and player development.

“When I look at the future and people start to see over the next coming years how we're playing – the word of mouth – it's going to be spread from our players of just how our staff operates from our individual development model to that being connected to our team style of play," he said.

"I think that you're going to continue to see an even higher uptick [of commitments from high-end players] as we move forward."

The focus now shifts to execution. Sheahan won’t put a win total on the upcoming season. Instead, the priority is daily progress.

Notre Dame enters the season with a strong returning core of five sophomore, nine junior, four senior, and two graduate players to help the seven incoming freshmen find their footing.

“I am really excited about the group,” Sheahan said. “I'm excited about the players we brought in. I'm even more excited about the players that we've retained. I'm really interested to see the steps that some of our young talent has taken.”

Ryan Sikes

08/29/2025