Prospect Watch: NTDP Standout Diego Gutierrez Is Building Towards A Bright Future With Notre Dame

Defenseman Diego Gutierrez has called a number of places home in his life: Mexico, Chicago, Southern California and Texas. He was born in Texas and eventually moved back there at age 12, to Dallas.

But there was something about Notre Dame that really caught his eye.

"I gotta be honest," he said. "I went to a few games when I was younger and fell in love with the gold helmets."

Now committed to the Fighting Irish, the NTDP standout and potential 2027 first-round draft prospect got a chance to play against his future school in an exhibition season-opener, played in South Bend.

"It was super special," Gutierrez said. "It was my dream growing up to play there and getting to play there against the school I committed to was really special and something I did not take for granted."

Gutierrez will be a great add to the Fighting Irish, as he brings a host of skills to the blueline. Incredibly, when the NTDP was blown out 10-1 by Boston College the day after the Notre Dame game, Gutierrez and partner Carson Scott were even in the plus-minus department.

At 6-foot-2, 189 pounds, he has pretty good size and augments that with great skating and a responsible game. To that end, he's a big fan of Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski.

"His biggest asset is his brain," Gutierrez said. "He's in control the whole game, he never looks panicked and that's something I look up to: Never looking like you're in a rush, just in a calm state of mind."

Gutierrez takes pride in the fact that a lot of his development came in "non-traditional" hockey markets such as California and Texas, but he also got a big boost when he attended Shattuck-St. Mary's, the famed Minnesota prep school.

"Those were some of the best years of my life," he said. "I'm a little biased, but I think it's the best place to develop in hockey."

Now he's facing top competition in another Midwest locale with the NTDP, but at least Minnesota prepared him for the cold in Michigan.

Off the ice, Gutierrez is a big Dallas Cowboys fan. Like, really big.

"Probably in the one percent," he said. "Those are my guys there. It's gotta be the Super Bowl. I say that every year, but hopefully this year it happens."

As always, the end goal for the NTDP is a gold medal at the world under-18s in the spring. If Gutierrez can't get a Cowboys Super Bowl, at least he has a good shot at a championship himself.

As noted above, Boston College put a beating on the NTDP over the weekend, in a game I attended. It's not surprising, given that all the NTDP kids are 17 and the Eagles are in some cases several years older and stronger, but if that domination was any indication, there are a number of Boston College players who are going to be a real problem for opponents in the NCAA this season.

Dean Letourneau, the 6-foot-7 Boston Bruins pick, was simply unstoppable up front and while he won't have a hat trick every night, he's going to put up numbers this year.

Oscar Hemming, the Columbus Blue Jackets first-rounder, also brought a powerful game and looks poised for a breakout, while the Mutryn brothers Teddy (SJ) and Casey (SEA) also terrorized Team USA.

As we talked about on the The Hockey New Future Watch Show this week, the Guelph Storm are looking hot early on as the No. 1 team in the CHL. What's most interesting to me is seeing the great start for Chicago Blackhawks second-rounder Ryan Roobroeck, who has four goals and six points in his first four games.

Roobroeck played his three previous OHL seasons in Niagara, where the IceDogs suffered through numerous coaching and GM changes. Could it be the stability of Guelph and the veteran experience of coach Cory Stillman was all Roobroeck needed to truly break out? It's early, but at least the big winger is off to a positive start.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.

See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.