In October 2011 , Notre Dame announced the team will join Hockey East starting in the 2013 – 14 season , in response to the conference realignment . The university also announced an expanded television broadcast deal with NBC . The Fighting Irish Hockey began the 2011 – 12 season in the Edmund P. Joyce Center and played the last hockey game at the Joyce Center on October 15 , 2011 against Ohio State . The team opened the university 's new 5,000-seat Compton Family Ice Arena on October 21 , 2011 against Rensselaer . Following the move into the new arena the Irish improved to a 7 – 3 home record in the new facility that included wins over future Hockey East rivals , Boston University , ranked 3th in the NCAA , Boston College , ranked 4th , and 8th ranked Western Michigan . On January 4 , 2012 , former coach and long-time Notre Dame Athletic Department employee , Charles " Lefty " Smith died . Smith coached the team from 1968 to 1987 as the first varsity ice hockey after helping the program transition from club to varsity status . Following his coaching career , he continued at Notre Dame in the athletic department until retiring just three days before his death . The Fighting Irish finished the regular season with an overall record of 17 – 16 – 3 and a conference record of 12 – 13 – 3 . The team defeated Ohio State in the opening round of the 2012 CCHA Tournament , sweeping the Buckeyes in two games by scores of 2 – 0 and 4 – 2 . In the second round of the CCHA Tournament , the team was defeated by the Michigan Wolverines in two games in a series that saw the first game go into a double overtime . The team was defeated in the first round of the NCAA regional playoffs in 2013 and 2014 , both times by the St. Cloud State Huskies
2012 CCHA Tournament
2012 CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey