Five Buckeyes on NHL Opening-Day Rosters – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio Five Ohio State men’s hockey players, who all ended their Buckeye careers within the last five years, were on opening-day rosters of National Hockey League teams to begin the 2007-08 campaign. Both R.J. Umberger (2001-03) and Nate Guenin (2003-06) play for the Philadelphia Flyers. Dave Steckel (2001-03) is with the Washington Capitals, Rod Pelley (2003-06) is on the New Jersey Devils’ roster and Ryan Kesler (2003) is in his fourth season with the Vancouver Canucks.
Umberger has played 154 games in the NHL, all with the Flyers, posting 36 goals, 30 assists and 66 points. He saw his first action in the league and with the Flyers in 2005-06, playing in 73 games and recording 38 points.
Kesler turned pro prior to the 2003-04 season and saw 28 games with the Canucks that year. He has played in 158 NHL games, all with Vancouver, and has 18 goals, 26 assists and 44 points. He missed a major part of the 2006-07 season because of injury and was limited to just 48 games.
Steckel has played in 12 career NHL games, including five in 2006-07 and seven in 2005-06.
In his first professional season in 2006-07, Guenin played in nine games in the NHL, recording two assists.
After graduating from Ohio State in Spring 2006, Pelley signed with the Devils. In 2006-07, his first professional season, he played in nine games in the NHL.
