New Jersey Devils: Kyle Palmieri Leads Notre Dame NHLers

The New Jersey Devils’ Kyle Palmieri is one of the better players to ever come out of the University of Notre Dame. On St. Patrick’s Day, we take a look at the history of this institution.

The New Jersey Devils know that Kyle Palmieri is an absolute stud. He can score goals, make pretty plays, and is very sound in his own zone. He currently leads New Jersey in scoring with 25 goals and 20 assists. He was their representative in the All-Star game before an injury took him out of it. He has been the most consistent Devils player during his tenure with the team.

On St. Patrick’s Day, we remember that he played his college hockey for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He played one season for Notre Dame before making the transition to the National Hockey League the following year. One year ahead of his one year at Notre Dame, he was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

He leads a pretty good group of players that now play in the NHL that played their college hockey for the Irish. Ian Cole, Anders Lee, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Bryan Rust all played their college games at Notre Dame.  That is a pretty nice group for a school that is largely known for its football program. Once Kyle was traded to New Jersey in 2015, he really turned the corner. He has become a consistent 25-30 goals scorer every season.

The Devils might have a future player who’s with Notre Dame right now. Matthew Hellickson is currently playing for the Fighting Irish as a defenseman. The Devils drafted him in the 7th-round of the 2017 NHL Draft, and he looks like a steal, at least very early in his career.

Palmieri also gives the Devils the leadership they need for having such a young team. There is no doubt that players like Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt learn a lot from playing with a guy like Palmieri. The Devils kept him through this year’s trade deadline so hopefully, they are able to lock him up beyond next year. The Devils were not very good in 2019-20 but with Palmieri in the fold, it is easy to see him helping them turn it around.

Palmieri and the Devils are currently on pause with the rest of the National Hockey League during the St. Patrick’s Day but hopefully they are able to return at some point. One thing that is for sure is that Palmieri will be good and ready to go whenever that time comes.