Hermantown is often referred to as a pipeline for the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) men’s hockey team. However, 16-year-old Hermantown native A.J. Francisco is forging his own path.

On Wednesday the defenseman announced his commitment to the University of Notre Dame on Instagram.

That is also where former Hawk and Bulldog Blake Biondi transferred to for this upcoming season. However, Francisco won’t be eligible to play for Notre Dame until the 2026-2027 season.

Francisco will spend this next year skating for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. There he joins fellow Hermantown native Victor Plante, and Superior’s Jackson ‘JJ’ Marthaler, who are both UMD commits.

Francisco’s dad Jon, grandpa Rick, great grandpa Warren Johnson, and great uncle Pat all played for UMD.