Christian Fischer and Dennis Gilbert have become fast friends the last few weeks.

Both draft prospects are attending Notre Dame and live in rooms across from each other in Siegfried Hall, and both skipped out on summer classes Friday to come to the BB&T Center to hear their names called during the NHL draft.

For now, their careers are intersecting in South Bend, Ind., but soon they hope to dovetail in different directions — with Chicago playing a role in both their lives.

Fischer, who the Coyotes selected Saturday with the 32nd overall pick, is from suburban Wayne and his family owns season tickets for Hawks games. Gilbert, a defenseman from of Patrick Kane’s hometown of Buffalo who played for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, became the Hawks’ second selection of the draft at 91st overall.

“It’s a dream come true to get drafted by any team but being in Chicago and experiencing the city, the area and getting acclimated with the area made it that much more special,” Gilbert said.

Fischer already was familiar with the area before he left for Ann Arbor to train in the U.S. National Team program. He grew up attending Hawks games and saw some of them in their first two Stanley Cup appearances in 2010 and ’13.

He says Kane is his favorite player, but as he did the math in his head given where he was rated coming into the draft (late first- or early second-round pick) and where the Hawks were picking in the second round (No. 54 overall) he reconciled himself to the fact his favorite team was unlikely to pick him. He credits the Hawks with popularizing hockey in Chicago and getting kids from the area like him interested in playing the game.

“The youth programs have taken off (in Chicago) tremendously and a lot of that is because of the Blackhawks,” Fischer said. “A lot of kids go to the games and they see the whole deal there. They get excited and they want to play.”

It had an effect on another Hawks draft pick, Geneva’s Roy Radke, a winger the Hawks selected in the sixth round.

Gilbert, who describes himself as a “mobile defenseman who can play both sides of the ice,” was watching carefully as the Hawks and his hometown Sabres were picking back-to-back to end the third round and begin the fourth. Gilbert was more than happy with the results.

“Tradition in Chicago is second to none right now in the league and the dynasty is only beginning,” Gilbert said. “They’re a great organization. They have a lot of young talent coming through the AHL and a lot of good draft picks. The Blackhawks will be a great team for a while now and I’m really happy to join their organization.”

For now, the two are going to enjoy their time at Notre Dame, time that will include periodic visits from the Hawks, who spend part of training camp in South Bend.

“It’s pretty cool how everything is fitting together,” Gilbert said.

With Chicago as a main piece.

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Twitter @ChristopherHine

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