NHL free agency tracker: Live updates on the latest signings
The 2023 NHL offseason might seem a little compressed, with the draft taking place on June 28 and 29 this year, but the start of free agency is back to its usual date of July 1 (after a late start in 2022).
Every NHL general manager is hoping to land game-changing players, via either free agent deals or trades.
Here is our continuously updated tracker, featuring a list of every player signed, along with analysis of the biggest deals and buzz on what could happen next.
Note that the newest deals are on top, denoted by date.
More: Grades
Free agent rankings
Team-by-team guides
Draft recap: Every pick | Winners, losers
July 27
The Ottawa Senators signed winger Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year deal worth $5 million.
July 24
The Hurricanes signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a one-year, $1.675 million contract, bringing him back to Carolina for the second time in three seasons.
July 19
After landing Gabriel Vilardi as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, the Jets have inked the RFA forward to a two-year, $6.88 million contract.
The Golden Knights continue to take care of their own, signing RFA forward Brett Howden to a two-year, $3.8 million pact.
Veteran free agent forward Tomas Nosek has agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal with the Devils.
July 17
After trading for restricted free agent forward Ross Colton earlier this offseason, the Avalanche have signed him to a four-year, $16 million deal.
The Islanders bring back restricted free agent forward Oliver Wahlstrom by way of a one-year, $874,100 deal.
Restricted free agent forward Morgan Barron is sticking with the Jets by way of a two-year, $2.7 million contract.
The Bruins make it official with one-year, $775,000 contracts for a trio of restricted free agents: defensemen Reilly Walsh and Alec Regula, as well as goaltender Michael DiPietro.
The Sabres have reached an agreement with restricted free agent forward Linus Weissbach for one year, $775,000.
July 16
Restricted free agent forward Brandon Duhaime is back with the Wild, agreeing to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
The Blues and restricted free agent Alexey Toropchenko have agreed to a two-year, $2.5 million contract.
July 15
Restricted free agent Tanner Jeannot will continue his time with Tampa Bay, inking a two-year, $5.33 million deal.
23-year-old restricted free agent defenseman Ty Smith has agreed to a one-year, $874,100 contract with the Penguins.
July 14
Free agent forward Zach Sanford has agreed to terms on a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Coyotes.
24-year-old restricted free agent forward Brett Murray has inked a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Sabres.
The Penguins have signed restricted free agent forward Jonathan Gruden to a one-year, $775,000 pact.
Chris Tierney — a 29-year-old forward — will be with the Devils organization in 2023-24, thanks to a one-year, $775,000 contract.
July 13
A first-round pick in the 2018 draft, Ty Dellandrea has inked a one-year, $900,000 contract extension to stick with the Stars.
The Canadiens were busy on Thursday, inking RFA winger Lucas Candotta to a two-year, $1.55 million deal, and UFA defenseman Nicolas Beaudin to a one-year, $775,000 pact.
23-year-old unrestricted free agent defenseman Ty Emberson has signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Rangers.
July 12
After skating for the Devils in 2022-23, forward Jesper Boqvist is headed to Boston via a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Bruins.
29-year-old forward Oskar Sundqvist is back with the Blues, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $775,000 contract.
July 11
The Rangers have come to terms with RFA defenseman K’Andre Miller on a two-year, $7.74 million deal.
Veteran forward Denis Gurianov has landed with Nashville, signing a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Predators.
After being traded to Montreal from Colorado prior to the draft, RFA forward Alex Newhook has agreed to a four-year, $11.6 million deal with the Habs.
July 10
After being bought out by the Red Wings this summer, Filip Zadina has agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Sharks.
The Flyers have inked two restricted free agents to new deals: defenseman Cam York (two years, $3.2 million) and forward Noah Cates (two years, $5.25 million).
The Canadiens and restricted free agent forward Mitchell Stephens have agreed to a one-year contract.
July 9
Seattle will remain in the Cale Fleury business, as the two sides agreed to a two-year, $1.6 million contract.
22-year-old forward Nils Hoglander will stick with the Canucks, by way of a two-year, $2.2 million deal.
July 8
Restricted free agent forward Kole Lind is back with the Kraken by way of a one-year, $775,000 contract.
The Kings and restricted free agent forward Akil Thomas have agreed to a one-year, $775,000 deal.
July 7
The Penguins agree to terms with forwards Andreas Johnsson (one year, $800,000) and Vinnie Hinostroza (one year, $775,000).
After signing Anze Kopitar to a two-year extension on Thursday, the Kings ink deals with three RFAs on Friday: forwards Tyler Madden and Samuel Fagemo (one year, $775,000) and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (two years, $1.55 million).
Seattle makes a pair of veteran signings: defenseman Will Borgen (two years, $5.4 million) and forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (one year, $775,000).
July 6
Forward Zack MacEwen will continue his NHL career with the Senators, agreeing to terms on a three-year, $2.325 million contract.
The Flames make it official with restricted free-agent forwards Mathias Emilio Pettersen and Ben Jones on one-year, $775,000 pacts.
July 5
Restricted free-agent defenseman Dylan Coghlan has inked a one-year, $850,000 deal with the Hurricanes.
24-year-old RFA blueliner Dylan Samberg has signed on for two years, $2.8 million with the Jets.
Defenseman Chase Priskie is back with the organization that drafted him in 2016, inking a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Capitals.
The Bruins made it official with a pair of restricted free agents: forward Jakub Lauko (two years, $1.57 million) and goaltender Kyle Keyser (one year, $775,000).
The Islanders announced deals with three forwards: Julien Gauthier for two years (and $1.575 million), and one-year, $775,000 pacts for Karson Kuhlman and Brian Pinho.
The Flyers make a pair of deals with restricted free agent defensemen: Victor Mete (one year, $775,000) and Ronnie Attard (two years, $1.7 million).
25-year-old, RFA blueliner Kale Clague has inked a new deal with the Sabres, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $775,000 pact.
July 4
Restricted free agent blueliner Martin Fehervary and the Capitals have extended their relationship with a three-year, $8.03 million deal.
Swedish defenseman Robert Hagg will continue his NHL career with the Ducks, as the two sides have inked a one-year pact.
The Senators will continue to employ veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic, inking the 32-year-old blueliner to a two-year, $2.2 million contract.
July 3
Veteran defenseman Will Butcher has selected the Penguins for his next contract, agreeing to a one-year, $775,000 pact.
26-year-old forward Nolan Stevens has elected to sign with the Red Wings, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $775,000 deal.
Restricted free agent forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard has signed a two-year, $2.2 million deal with the Canadiens.
Swedish forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby has agreed to terms with the Jets on a two-year, $1.55 million contract.
26-year-old forward Dylan Gambrell has inked a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Maple Leafs.
After two seasons with the Red Wings and one with the Panthers, veteran defenseman Marc Staal is coming back to the Metro Division, inking a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Flyers.
July 2
Finally, there will be another player skating around in a Maple Leafs jersey with “DOMI” on the back, as Max Domi has inked a one-year, $3 million pact with Toronto.
Tyler Bertuzzi is staying in the Atlantic Division! After starting his career with the Red Wings, then playing for the Bruins to close out 2022-23, he has signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Maple Leafs. Grade for the deal.
After being bought out by the Red Wings, Kailer Yamamoto has inked a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Kraken.
The Lightning continue to build out their depth, signing veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan to a one-year, $775,000 contract.
25-year-old defenseman Ben Gleason has chosen the Oilers for his next contract, signing a two-year, $1.55 million deal.
The Capitals make a trio of signings: defenseman Dylan McIlrath (two years, $1.55 million), goaltender Hunter Shepard (two years, $1.55 million) and forward Matthew Phillips (one year, $775,000).
Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson‘s career will continue with the Avalanche, as the two sides agreed on a one-year pact.
The Flames make it a three-for-one Sunday special, inking defenseman Colton Poolman (one year, $775,000) as well as forwards Martin Pospisil (one year, $775,000) and Dryden Hunt (two years, $1.55 million).
After a one-season sojourn with the Avalanche, veteran forward Evan Rodrigues has signed with the Panthers on a four-year, $12 million deal.
Versatile forward Christian Fischer joins the parade of talent headed to Detroit this offseason, inking a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Red Wings.
July 1
After finishing the 2022-23 season with the Bruins, veteran forward Garnet Hathaway has inked a two-year, $4.78 million deal with the Flyers.
The Red Wings have added defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on a one-year, $4.125 million deal.
Forward Alexander Kerfoot is headed to Arizona on a two-year, $7 million contract.
Fabian Zetterlund, a 23-year-old forward, is returning to the Sharks by way of a two-year, $2.9 million contract.
The Maple Leafs and veteran offensive defenseman John Klingberg have agreed to a one-year, $4.15 million deal.
Incoming Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette will have at least one familiar face joining him from the Capitals, as New York has signed defenseman Erik Gustafsson to a one-year, $825,000 contract.
Another former Penguin is headed to Seattle, as the Kraken have signed defenseman Brian Dumoulin to a two-year, $6.3 million deal.
J.T. Compher has moved to the 313 area code, inking a five-year, $25.5 million deal with the Red Wings.
Veteran goaltender David Rittich is off the market, signing a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Kings.
The Penguins add veteran penalty-killing ace Lars Eller via a two-year, $4.9 million contract.
Among other free agent signings Saturday, the Avalanche reached a two-year, $7.7 million extension with RFA defenseman Bowen Byram.
Quiet for much of the day, the Islanders announce that they have reached a seven-year, $21 million deal with forward Pierre Engvall, a seven-year, $24.5 million deal with defenseman Scott Mayfield, a four-year, $11 million deal with goaltender Semyon Varlamov and an eight-year, $66 million extension for goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
After playing 402 games for the Devils, Miles Wood will continue his NHL career with the Avalanche, agreeing to a six-year, $15 million contract.
Veteran defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is heading back to the Panthers by way of a one-year, $1 million deal.
After playing a big role for the Devils in their return to the playoffs in 2022-23, defenseman Ryan Graves has agreed to terms with the Penguins on a six-year, $27 million deal.
Veteran forward Alex Galchenyuk is rejoining the Coyotes by way of a one-year, $775,000 contract.
After much deliberation, the Penguins have elected to bring back netminder Tristan Jarry on a five-year, $26.875 million contract. In addition, they signed Alex Nedeljkovic to a one-year, $1.5 million pact.
The Devils add another goaltender to their crew, inking Erik Kallgren to a one-year, $775,000 deal.
Veteran forward Noel Acciari has agreed to join the Penguins via a three-year, $6 million deal.
Twenty-nine-year-old netminder Anthony Stolarz has agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Panthers.
The Ducks have added some size and leadership to their dressing room, inking former Lightning forward Alex Killorn by way of a four-year, $25 million contract.
The Nick Bjugstad tour is headed back to the desert, as the veteran forward has agreed to a two-year, $4.2 million deal with the Coyotes.
The Jets bring back a familiar face, signing goaltender Laurent Brossoit to a one-year, $1.75 million deal. Winnipeg also inked forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year, $4 million contract.
After a busy week of trades and drafting a new franchise player in Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks have added veteran forward Ryan Donato by way of a two-year, $4 million deal.
After making some high-profile additions earlier Saturday, the Predators re-signed forward Cody Glass via a two-year, $5 million extension.
The Lightning make another depth forward signing, adding faceoff ace Luke Glendening to a two-year, $1.6 million deal.
Connecticut native Nick Bonino will join fellow Constitution Stater Jonathan Quick on the Rangers, inking a one-year, $800,000 contract.
Veteran blueliner Troy Stecher has agreed to terms with the Coyotes on a one-year, $1.1 million pact.
The Hurricanes’ free agent spree continues, with Carolina signing forward Michael Bunting to a three-year, $13.5 million contract. Grade for the deal.
Veteran forward Jason Zucker will be skating his home games on the campus of Arizona State University, agreeing to a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Coyotes.
The Stars add young forward Sam Steel to the mix, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $850,000 pact.
A two-year, $1.6 million deal has been signed between the Lightning and forward Josh Archibald.
California native Matt Nieto is heading to the Penguins by way of a two-year, $1.8 million pact.
Following a buyout of his contract by the Predators this week, Matt Duchene has inked a one-year, $3 million deal with the Stars. Grade for the deal.
The Red Wings continue to add, reaching an agreement on a one-year, $2 million contract with forward Daniel Sprong.
The Sabres have reached agreements with netminders Devin Cooley and Dustin Tokarski on one-year, $775,000 deals.
Veteran forward Patrick Brown has signed with the Bruins, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $1.6 million contract.
After finishing the 2022-23 season with the Rangers, Niko Mikkola will head to the Panthers by way of a three-year, $7.5 million deal.
The Lightning have brought a two-time Cup champion into their mix, inking forward Conor Sheary to a three-year, $6 million deal.
Grigori Denisenko is sticking with the Panthers, inking a two-year, $1.55 million pact.
Twenty-five-year-old forward Givani Smith will switch from Florida to Northern California, signing a two-year, $1.6 million contract with the Sharks.
The Kings have extended their relationship with Jaret Anderson-Dolan, signing him to a one-year, $775,000 deal.
Veteran blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk is headed to Boston, signing a one-year deal with the Bruins.
Trevor Lewis is returning to the Kings, as the veteran forward has signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. The Kings also signed defenseman Andreas Englund to a two-year, $2 million deal.
After missing much of the 2022-23 season because of Achilles tendon injuries, veteran forward Max Pacioretty has inked a one-year, $2 million deal with the Capitals, with another $2 million available in bonuses.
Defenseman Carson Soucy is heading from Seattle to Vancouver by way of a three-year, $9.75 million contract.
The Flyers have put themselves in the Ryan Poehling business, adding the forward via a one-year, $1.4 million deal.
Veteran forward Craig Smith is headed to the Stars, inking a one-year, $1 million contract.
Defenseman Mike Reilly will celebrate his 30th birthday on July 13, and he’ll do so as a member of the Panthers after signing a one-year, $1 million deal.
Following a post-trade glow-up with the Bruins to close out the 2022-23 season, Dmitry Orlov has signed a two-year, $15.5 million deal with the Hurricanes. Grade for the deal.
Defenseman Justin Holl has left Toronto — but isn’t headed too far away, inking a three-year, $10.2 million deal with the Red Wings.
The Canucks add a pair of veterans via one-year deals: Defenseman Ian Cole ($3 million) and forward Teddy Blueger ($1.9 million).
After helping guide the Panthers to the playoffs in 2022-23, veteran goalie Alex Lyon is headed to the Red Wings by way of a two-year, $1.8 million contract.
Milan Lucic is coming back to Boston as the bruising, veteran winger has inked a one-year, $1 million deal.
Defenseman Kyle Burroughs is heading from Vancouver to San Jose by way of a three-year, $3.3 million pact.
The Predators’ signing spree continues, as they have agreed with veteran forward Gustav Nyquist on a two-year, $6.37 million contract.
Defenseman Connor Clifton is leaving the Bruins but sticking in the Atlantic Division, signing a three-year, $10 million deal with the Sabres.
Etobicoke, Ontario native Connor Brown is heading to Edmonton, inking a one-year, $4 million contract with the Oilers.
After spending time in the Pacific Northwest with the Kraken, Morgan Geekie is headed to the Northeast, signing a two-year, $4 million deal with the Bruins.
The Red Wings have selected a veteran netminder off the goalie carousel, inking a one-year, $1.5 million deal with James Reimer.
Bottom-six forward Tyler Pitlick is joining the Rangers, inking a one-year, $785,000 deal.
One of the greatest beards in hockey history is relocating from South Florida to Southern California, as Radko Gudas has agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with the Ducks.
The Sabres get on the board with a pair of one-year contracts: forward Tyson Jost ($2 million) and defenseman Erik Johnson ($3.25 million).
One of the big names has hopped off the goaltender carousel: Joonas Korpisalo has agreed to a five-year, $20 million deal with the Senators. Grade for the deal.
Frederik Andersen has elected to head back to Carolina, inking a two-year, $6.8 million deal with the Hurricanes.
The Kings add to their goaltending options, inking a one-year, $1 million deal with Cam Talbot.
Connecticut native Jonathan Quick is coming (close to) home, as the veteran goalie has reached a one-year, $825,000 pact with the Rangers.
After being traded to the Sharks prior to the draft, goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood has inked a two-year, $4.7 million deal.
After having his contract bought out by the Jets this week, veteran forward Blake Wheeler has signed a one-year, $800,000 deal with the Rangers (with $300,000 available in potential bonuses).
Twenty-five-year-old forward Lane Pederson has come to terms with the Oilers on a two-year, $1.55 million contract.
After the Flyers failed to move him ahead of the trade deadline, veteran James van Riemsdyk officially has a new team, signing a one-year, $1 million deal with the Bruins.
After finishing the 2022-23 season with the Maple Leafs, center Ryan O’Reilly is headed to the Predators via a four-year, $18 million contract. Grade for the deal.
After not issuing qualifying offers for RFAs Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian, the Devils re-signed both players: one year, $1.4 million for McLeod, two years, $2.7 million for Bastian.
Former Jets forward Kevin Stenlund has landed with the Panthers by way of a one-year, $1 million contract.
Seeking to add some size to their lineup, the Maple Leafs have signed forward Ryan Reaves to a three-year, $4.05 million deal.
The Predators have reached an agreement with veteran defenseman Luke Schenn on a three-year, $8.25 million deal.
Goaltender Antti Raanta is back with the Hurricanes via a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
After having his contract bought out by the Canucks earlier this week, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the Panthers.
One NHL player agent tells me today that the flat cap for 2023-24 plus the jump in space in 2024-25 (up to at least $88 million) equals a lot of one-year deals in the UFA market starting tomorrow. (1/2)
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 30, 2023
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Ryan S. Clark
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Kristen Shilton
The 2023-24 NHL regular season was an entertaining one, with races for playoff position, point and goal leaders, and major trophies all coming down to the bitter end.
But not every fan base got to enjoy all of it so much.
With eliminations piling up, it’s time to look ahead to the offseason. Clubs that didn’t quite hit the mark this season will use the draft, free agency and trades in an effort to be more competitive in 2024-25.
Read on for a look at what went wrong for each eliminated team, along with a breakdown of its biggest keys this offseason and realistic expectations for next season. Note that more teams will be added to this story as they are eliminated.
Note: Profiles for the Atlantic and Metro teams were written by Kristen Shilton, while Ryan S. Clark analyzed the Central and Pacific teams. Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. Projected cap space per Cap Friendly. Dates listed with each team are when the entry was published.
Jump to a team:
ANA | ARI | BOS | BUF
CGY | CAR | CHI | COL
CBJ | DET | LA | MIN
MTL | NSH | NJ | NYI
OTT | PHI | PIT | SJ
SEA | STL | TB | TOR
VGK | WSH | WPG
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — On the night of Oct. 7, Wesleyan wide receiver Colby Geddis traveled back from a game in Maine with his phone on life support, attempting to track the Notre Dame–Louisville contest.
Jordan Faison, Geddis’ close friend and longtime teammate in both football and lacrosse, was set to make his football debut for Notre Dame. Faison had come to college as a top-50 lacrosse recruit and walked on to the football team as a wide receiver.
Geddis’ phone had only enough juice to allow him to refresh the statistics.
“When I saw him touch the field, I’m like, ‘Holy s—, this kid is playing D-I football,'” Geddis said. “It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”
Faison has continued to impress his friends, family and Fighting Irish fans, spending the winter and spring successfully juggling two sports that, at Notre Dame, carry the highest of expectations. The true freshman scored Notre Dame’s first goal of the lacrosse season Feb. 14, 38 seconds into the opener against Cleveland State, and is a starting midfielder for an Irish team that continues its quest to repeat as national champions when it faces Georgetown in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals (noon ET, ESPNU). Faison ranks fourth on the team in both goals (19) and points (27).
When Notre Dame began spring football practice March 22, Faison was around as much as he could be, avoiding contact to preserve his body for lacrosse, while still learning new offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s scheme.
Faison came to Notre Dame primarily for lacrosse, joining a program that had captured its first national championship in spring 2023. But then football had to come first. He made 19 receptions in seven games as a slot receiver, tied for second on the team in touchdown catches (4) and earned Sun Bowl MVP honors with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
“You’re held to a standard in both sports and you’ve got to meet that standard to make sure the team is developing well,” Faison said. “Being able to do that has just been freaking awesome.”
Faison wasn’t even supposed to see the football field for Notre Dame this soon. He’s also somewhat of an unlikely lacrosse prodigy, hailing from a region not known for producing many college stars. But after a blistering start at Notre Dame, he has become the link between two sports that are often not viewed through the same lens but contain plenty of parallels.
NOTRE DAME WIDE receivers coach Mike Brown spends chunks of his year on the road recruiting, which often means watching prospects compete in other sports. Basketball is common. So are track and baseball. Those recruiting in the Midwest often see future football players on the mat in wrestling singlets.
But Brown hadn’t experienced much lacrosse crossover.
“Obviously with Jordan out there, I’m watching a lot more and just learning,” Brown said. “It’s a lot of similar movements, change of direction, how they rotate. It’s a football slash basketball-ish mix.”
Faison is a distinct talent, but there are other players with football-lacrosse backgrounds competing at the Division I level. There’s even another at Notre Dame. Tyler Buchner, who opened the 2022 football season as Fighting Irish starting quarterback and vied for the QB1 job last spring before transferring to Alabama, returned to Notre Dame over the winter to compete for the lacrosse team, a sport he had not played since early in high school. Buchner is a reserve midfielder for the Irish.
Will Shipley, the Clemson running back selected in the fourth round of last month’s NFL draft, was a standout lacrosse player in high school who could have played both sports at Notre Dame had he signed with the Irish. Maryland defensive back Dante Trader Jr., who started the past two seasons, earned honorable mention All-America honors for the Terrapins lacrosse team in 2023 before focusing solely on football.
So what skills in lacrosse translate to football?
“What wouldn’t?” Notre Dame lacrosse coach Kevin Corrigan, who has led the program since 1988, shot back. “Changing directions, reading a guy’s hips to know when to come out of your break, deception that you use to make guys think you’re doing one thing or another, those are all traits that you’re using on both fields. Forget about the acceleration and stopping and those sorts of things. All the athletic traits translate very easily.”
Geddis, who played both football and lacrosse with Faison throughout their childhood, cited significant tactical differences, but also similarities with core movements. The two sports track especially for wide receivers, who have to beat defenders in press coverage with their feet and hands, just like lacrosse players seeking room to attempt shots.
“It definitely does translate a lot in terms of understanding where to attack leverage on a guy and how to break him down,” Geddis said. “Going against D-I safeties and corners, his IQ and skill set is probably so much better now for lacrosse. And that aspect goes both ways.”
And those talents immediately jumped out to Faison’s football teammates.
“He’s agile, fast, athletic, quick, so no wonder it’s going to translate to lacrosse,” wide receiver Jayden Thomas said. “Seeing him in football, it’s obvious, and then going out to a [lacrosse] game and watching him, it’s like, ‘OK, it makes sense.'”
When Faison’s two-sport ambition came into focus, Notre Dame mapped out a detailed schedule for him. Faison spent the summer and fall with the football team, immersed in the demanding schedule of practices and meetings, and ultimately travel and games. He missed six weeks of lacrosse practice in the fall, as well as weight training and individual work.
After the Sun Bowl on Dec. 28, Faison briefly went home, but he was at the first preseason lacrosse practice Jan. 11 and became a full participant days later. The lacrosse plan called for him to focus on defense, mindful of his time away, but he quickly showed he could handle all the midfielders’ tasks. The 5-foot-10, 182-pound Faison did in-season lifting with lacrosse this spring, while doing little physically with football, where he spent most of his time in meetings as Notre Dame installed its offense.
Corrigan credited football coach Marcus Freeman and strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow for aligning their expectations to ensure Faison is at his best in lacrosse during the spring and at his best in football when the fall comes.
“I’ve told Marcus and them, ‘If you gave us all your skill guys and made them play lacrosse in the spring and they had the ability to play it at a high level, it would be the best training physically for those guys to possibly have,'” Corrigan said.
FAISON’S INTRODUCTION TO lacrosse came easily and innocently.
He was 6 at the time and just finished a youth football game with Geddis in South Florida. Geddis immediately began lacrosse practice on a nearby field. Faison then grabbed a stick and started launching balls as far as he could.
“That got me into the sport, and then I took it and ran with it,” Faison said.
His football teammates all began playing lacrosse for a team coached by Geddis’ father. Faison showed the natural ability to make one-on-one plays and absorbed the finer points of the sport, especially within the team construct. Lacrosse in Florida has become more popular, but the area still trails the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in generating elite-level competition and Division I recruiting avenues.
“We were smoking every team down here,” said Quincy Faison, Jordan’s father, who helped coach the youth lacrosse team. “Then, when we would take our team up to the North, we would get smoked. So to get better, you need to understand how they operate, how they practice, what they work on.”
To gain greater exposure, Faison began playing club lacrosse during the summers with a team in Long Island, New York. During that first summer, before he entered high school, he lived in an RV with his parents and younger brother, Dylan.
The Faisons posted up in an RV park near Nickerson Beach, about 15 miles from JFK International Airport. Quincy, a technology executive, and his mother Kristen, who works in software development, had the RV equipped with portable high-speed internet so they could keep working.
“My wife and I loved it; I’m not sure how Jordan and Dylan felt,” Quincy said. “We were within 100 yards of the beach, there was a bike ramp set up. I took Zoom calls from the RV. It was basically like camping for the whole summer.”
But Jordan said he had “mixed emotions” about the RV.
“The area was nice, next to a beach, that was kind of fun, but being in tight quarters with my family, sometimes you’ve got to get away from them,” he recalled.
Although Jordan missed hanging out with his friends back home during the summers, he benefited from the club lacrosse experience, rising to No. 48 in Inside Lacrosse’s recruiting rankings. Faison didn’t receive as much attention for football until later in his career as a quarterback and defensive back at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale.
His recruiting went into three tracks: lacrosse only, lacrosse/football and football only. He wanted to play both sports and discussed the possibility with schools such as Duke and Ohio State, as well as Notre Dame.
The only deal breaker, according to Quincy, is that Jordan couldn’t play quarterback along with a second sport. Jordan also considered schools like Syracuse and Michigan for lacrosse. In the fall of 2021, he committed to Notre Dame for lacrosse, but his football recruitment would eventually pick up.
Iowa, which doesn’t have a lacrosse program, offered Faison for football. About a year after he committed to Notre Dame, he visited Iowa City.
“Recruiting is majorly different between football and lacrosse, the budgets are different, how they treat the athletes,” Quincy said. “So going on lacrosse visits and then going to Iowa, the red carpet’s rolled out, you’ve got your own hotel room, they’re feeding you, so he got googly-eyed. He was actually thinking about just going to Iowa. I said, ‘There’s a lot more into this.’ He gave it some consideration, that’s for sure.”
But Jordan ultimately stuck with Notre Dame even though his football path wasn’t set in stone. The decision has paid off and rubbed off on Dylan, who in March became the first football recruit to commit for Notre Dame’s 2026 class. Dylan plays the same position (wide receiver) and starred in the same sports as his big brother.
Although lacrosse recruiting doesn’t begin until September of a prospect’s junior year in high school, Dylan is expected to be high on Notre Dame’s wish list. He and Jordan could play both sports together during the 2026-27 academic year, which is why Quincy and Kristen are looking to buy a small home near campus. Jordan said Dylan is better than he was at the same age, and boasts more length, at 5-foot-11, to complement his quickness.
“We had it in high school for a year, and being able to have it again here at this special place, it’s just unreal,” Jordan said. “We’ll definitely butt heads a bit, as all brothers do, but it will be really fun.”
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL welcomed Jordan as a walk-on, but the plan wasn’t to play him, at least not right away, because his scholarship would convert to football and count against the team’s limit. Quincy had heard some buzz that Jordan would ultimately land a football scholarship, but perhaps not until 2025.
“We came into the season with no expectations,” Quincy said.
“I thought I’d probably be on the bench,” Jordan added.
But wide receiver injuries began to mount. Faison’s behind-the-scenes performance also made it increasingly more difficult to keep him out on Saturdays.
“We had an extra scholarship, but that was the last-case scenario,” Freeman said. “Then, we had some wideouts go down, and he was making too many plays in practice. We had to play him.”
Faison made his first career start the following week against USC, as Notre Dame crushed its rival 48-20. He recorded multiple receptions in six of the seven games he played and had 12 in the final three contests, hauling in a touchdown in each.
Some of his biggest plays came in the Sun Bowl against Oregon State, including a 33-yard sideline route early in the second half, where Faison beat airtight coverage to come down with quarterback Steve Angeli‘s pass.
“Coming in here with the goal of playing is the main thing, and then once you play, it’s like, ‘Now I’ve got to keep it rolling,'” Faison said. “Once you get it rolling, the confidence comes and then, with the confidence, that’s where you really see gains develop.”
A procrastinator during high school, Faison still must break old habits to navigate a unique and busy schedule. But he has dutifully followed the plans both teams laid out for him, and communicated with the staffs about potential conflicts. He still finds some downtime to nap or play video games.
Corrigan has seen many students become overwhelmed with the academic and athletic demands of one sport, much less two. But Faison has never lost the “quiet confidence” that he could perform in both sports. Freeman said he wants to support Faison’s future goals, whether or not they include football.
“I don’t know why he couldn’t keep doing this,” Corrigan said. “We have to protect him and his body, make sure he is getting enough rest over the course of the year.”
Faison’s immediate goal, one reinforced by Notre Dame’s lacrosse veterans, is to chase another championship. After another short break, he’ll switch back into football mode.
“He’s laid a solid foundation in his first year here, and we’ve got high expectations going into Year 2,” Freeman said. “He’s handling two different sports and all those demands.”
Florida State has asked the NCAA to reduce and rescind penalties imposed on its football program for NIL-related recruiting violations after the sanctioning body halted investigations into booster-backed collectives.
FSU’s legal counsel sent a three-page letter to Kay Norton, chairperson of the Division I Committee on Infractions, and requested the committee amend its decision. The letter, dated April 24 and shared with The Associated Press on Friday, referred to NIL-related cases involving Tennessee and Florida.
“The university is now disadvantaged by its cooperations and affirmative steps to expedite resolution of the case,” the letter read. “Similar or more egregious violations involving prospective student-athletes and other institutions’ collectives/boosters occurred during the same time period as the violations in the FSU case and some of those violations were being actively investigated and processed.
“Those institutions stand to benefit from the ‘pause’ in the enforcement of shifting NCAA Policy and related legislation — including the postponement of corresponding penalties or, potentially, the complete dissolution of an infractions case — because those investigations began at a later date, were more complex, and/or those institutions elected to obfuscate or prolong an investigation.”
Attorneys argued that the scope of the preliminary injunction as it applies to “enforcement” is unclear and said the NCAA has “provided scant guidance to the membership on that topic other than to advise that it is pausing current enforcement investigations.”
“FSU cannot be the only institution penalized simply because it was first in the queue, the violations for which it is responsible were more limited, and it cooperated fully to resolve its case,” the letter read.
The penalties are the result of a rule-breaking incident that happened in April 2022, when an assistant coach drove a prospective student-athlete to a meeting with a booster. That was considered impermissible contact.
FSU agreed to two years of probation, a three-game suspension for the assistant — offensive coordinator Alex Atkins — recruiting restrictions, a loss of scholarships and a fine equaling $5,000 plus 1% on the football program’s budget.
The Seminoles now want the penalties reduced. They believe they should not be fined the 1%, should not be docked a total of five scholarships over the next two academic years and should not face any recruiting restrictions.
FSU said the COI “should deem certain penalties (or a degree of those penalties) unenforceable and unfair,” the letter said.
The NCAA in March stopped investigations into booster-backed collectives or other third parties making NIL compensation deals with Division I athletes. It came a week after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia.
The antitrust suit challenged NCAA rules against recruiting inducements, saying they inhibit athletes’ ability to cash in on their celebrity and fame.
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