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1912 – present
The origins: Hockey at Notre Dame began as a club sport in 1912–13; the first official game in the program's history came in February 1928, against Michigan. The varsity program dates to 1968, built by coach Charles "Lefty" Smith, and played in the Joyce Center from 1968 to 2011.
The arena: The Compton Family Ice Arena opened on October 21, 2011, with a game against Rensselaer. Its capacity is 5,022, and the opening sellout crowd of 5,022 stands in the program's record book as the largest crowd to watch Notre Dame hockey in South Bend.
The Jackson era: Under Jeff Jackson, who coached from 2005 to 2025, the program reached all four of its Frozen Fours — 2008, 2011, 2017 and 2018 — and played for the national championship twice, finishing runner-up in 2008, when Boston College won the final 4–1, and again in 2018.
The conference titles: The program's tournament championships: the CCHA in 2007, 2009 and 2013, and the Big Ten in 2018 and 2019; its regular-season conference titles came in the CCHA in 2007 and 2009 and the Big Ten in 2018. A club-era ACHA championship in 1988 also stands in the program's listing.
The succession: Brock Sheahan succeeded Jackson as head coach on Jackson's retirement in 2025.
Sources:
- Notre Dame hockey history and record book — the 1912–13 club origins, the February 1928 first official game, the Compton opening and its 5,022 sellout record.
- Program record — the Frozen Fours, the 2008 and 2018 runner-up finishes, the conference tournament and regular-season titles.