NAHL alum Rogers wins CCHA Flanagan Award

March 23, 2013

Notre Dame junior goaltender Joe Rogers (Maryville, Mich.) was selected as the winner of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's (CCHA) 2013 Terry Flanagan Award. The award was presented Friday night at the CCHA's annual postseason awards show that was held at the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit. The awards show precedes Saturday's semifinal action at Joe Louis Arena.

 

Rogers was selected as the winner of the award named after the former Bowling Green assistant coach who died from cancer in 1991. The award honors a player for perseverance, dedication and courage while overcoming severe adversity. He becomes the third Notre Dame player to win the award, following Erik Condra `09, who won it in 2009 and Dan VeNard `08 who took the honor following the 2007-08 season.

 

Now in his third season with the Irish, Rogers was born with an underdeveloped right hand that keeps him from closing his catching glove. As a child, he had operations when he was two and five years old that took a bone from his foot to try and reshape the thumb on his left hand. Despite the obstacles, and with a custom-made glove, Rogers has learned to catch the puck and pull it into his chest to make a save. He has played hockey since he was four years old and has realized his dream to play Division I hockey at Notre Dame.

 

Rogers played two seasons in the NAHL prior to attending Notre Dame.  In 2008-09, he played 11 games for the Motor City Machine. In 2009-10 he appeared in 35 games for the Albert Lea Thunder.

 

He has become a role model for kids with handicaps that want to play sports, especially hockey. An outstanding student in the classroom, Rogers' continues to give back as he enjoys working with kids, teaching them to play hockey. One of the team's leaders in community service work, he has served a mentor to youngsters, teaching them, in his words, "Embrace who you are; never give up and always follow your dreams."