Photo by: Ohio State Athletics
Buckeye Men’s Hockey – 2025-26 Season News and Notes
3/31/2026 3:22:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
On the Offense
The Buckeyes were one of the nation's highest-scoring teams, ending the season in the Top 12 on the power play and in the Top 20 in goals per game.
Ohio State converted 25 percent of its power play chances, the third-best for the Buckeyes since 1998-99, with the top four campaigns all during head coach Steve Rohlik's tenure.
In 2025-26, Ohio State tallied 34 power play goals on 136 chances. Eleven Buckeyes notched at least one goal on the power play, led by Riley Thompson with eight, Felix Caron with seven and Jake Karabela with six. Broten Sabo had a team-high 13 assists with the man advantage, followed by Davis Burnside with 12. Karabela, Burnside and Caron led the squad with 15 power play points each.
On the year, the Buckeyes averaged 3.22 goals per game, with three goals or more in 24 games. The squad tallied at least three goals in each of the last 10 games.
Karabela, a freshman, led Ohio State with 22 assists and 37 points and shared the goal lead with Max Montes with 15 each. Davis Burnside was second in assists (20) and points (32). Felix Caron also hit the 30-point mark, with 14 goals and 16 assists. In all, 20 Buckeye skaters tallied at least one goal and 22 had at least one assist.
A Run to the Final
The Buckeyes were the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the championship game, the first seed outside the Top 4 to reach the final in the history of the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State has made four appearances in the conference tourney title game.
Ohio State went on the road and defeated No. 4 seed and No. 10/11-ranked Wisconsin in the quarterfinals, 7-1, March 18 and then headed to East Lansing, Michigan, three days later where it defeated top seed and No. 3 ranked Michigan State in the semifinals, 3-2 in overtime. The Buckeyes fell to No. 1 ranked and No. 2 Michigan in the final, 7-3. The game was tied until nearly midway through the third, with the Wolverines pulling away at the end.
Buckeyes Jake Karabela and William Smith earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Karabela had six points, with three goals and three assists, to share the point lead among B1G players in the tournament, while Smith, a defenseman, had a goal and three assists for four points.
Behind the Bench
Steve Rohlik, who signed a five-year contract extension through June 2030 heading into the season, wrapped up his 13th year at the helm of the Buckeyes in 2025-26. Rohlik was joined by alums JB Bittner and Paul Kirtland, along with Carter Krier, on the staff.
The Season Slate
The Buckeyes' schedule was the sixth-hardest in the NCAA, with the squad ending the season No. 21 in the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI). Ohio State was 14-21-2 overall, with eight of the losses in 3x3 overtime. In all, Ohio State State played in 12 overtime games, the most in program history ahead of the 11 for the 205-16 squad. During the season, 16 of the Buckeyes' games were decided by one goal.
Award Winners
Following the conclusion of the season, the Buckeyes voted for the 2025-26 team award winners.
Davis Burnside, a two-time captain, was selected the Team MVP. He was second on the team in assists and points and reached the 100-point mark during the year. Burnside ended his Ohio State career with 112 points, on 49 goals and 63 assists, while playing in 155 games. Burnside, who ranked in the Top 10 among current NCAA skaters in career goals, points and games played, was the sixth Buckeye to hit the 100-point mark in the last 10 years and the first since Tanner Laczynski (2017-20).
Jake Karabela was voted the team's Rookie of the Year and won the Leading Scorer Award. The forward earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after leading Ohio State with 22 assists and 37 points and sharing the goal lead with 15. Karabela ended the season on a four-game goal and seven-game point streak and earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors. He had a team-best six points (3g, 3a) in the Buckeyes' run to the tournament final.
William Smith received the Best Defensive Player honor. The junior defenseman had a career-high four goals, eight assists and 12 points and was first with 43 shot blocks. He earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team accolades after posting four points in the tourney.
Freshman Niall Crocker was selected the Most Improved Player. A forward, he saw action in 25 games during the year, including the last 10, with six points on two goals and four assists.
Sam Deckhut, a junior forward, received the Unsung Player honor from his teammates. He skated in 33 games and had six points, on three goals and three assists. Deckhut had a point in four of the Buckeyes' final eight games.
New #ProBucks
Following the season, junior forward Riley Thompson signed a two-way entry-level contract with the NHL Philadelphia Flyers, with junior defenseman Broten Sabo agreeing to a two-year contract with the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Graduate student Adam Eisele signed with the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators and tallied a goal in his second pro game. Thompson (with AHL Lehigh Valley) and Sabo signed PTOs to start their pro careers this spring, with their full contracts starting in 2026-27.
Thompson was the eighth Buckeye in the last four years to sign an entry-level contract with an NHL team, with five of the eight free agents.
In the Classroom
In March, 13 Buckeyes were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. The honor is awarded to student-athletes who carry a 3.0 grade point average or higher and are in at least their second year at a Big Ten school.
Davis Burnside was recognized for the third time, with Sam Deckhut, Jake Dunlap, Kristoffer Eberly, Ryan Gordon, Nathan McBrayer, William Smith and Thomas Weis all earning their second honor. Chris Able, James Hong, Nathan Lewis, Chris Romaine and Riley Thompson were all named to the team for the first time.
The team combined for a 3.52 grade-point average in the fall and had a combined 3.54 cumulative gpa through the fall semester. Five Buckeyes – Niall Crocker, Jake Karabela, Dawson Labre, Lewis and Smith – had a 4.0 gpa in the fall.
The Buckeyes were one of the nation's highest-scoring teams, ending the season in the Top 12 on the power play and in the Top 20 in goals per game.
Ohio State converted 25 percent of its power play chances, the third-best for the Buckeyes since 1998-99, with the top four campaigns all during head coach Steve Rohlik's tenure.
In 2025-26, Ohio State tallied 34 power play goals on 136 chances. Eleven Buckeyes notched at least one goal on the power play, led by Riley Thompson with eight, Felix Caron with seven and Jake Karabela with six. Broten Sabo had a team-high 13 assists with the man advantage, followed by Davis Burnside with 12. Karabela, Burnside and Caron led the squad with 15 power play points each.
On the year, the Buckeyes averaged 3.22 goals per game, with three goals or more in 24 games. The squad tallied at least three goals in each of the last 10 games.
Karabela, a freshman, led Ohio State with 22 assists and 37 points and shared the goal lead with Max Montes with 15 each. Davis Burnside was second in assists (20) and points (32). Felix Caron also hit the 30-point mark, with 14 goals and 16 assists. In all, 20 Buckeye skaters tallied at least one goal and 22 had at least one assist.
A Run to the Final
The Buckeyes were the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the championship game, the first seed outside the Top 4 to reach the final in the history of the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State has made four appearances in the conference tourney title game.
Ohio State went on the road and defeated No. 4 seed and No. 10/11-ranked Wisconsin in the quarterfinals, 7-1, March 18 and then headed to East Lansing, Michigan, three days later where it defeated top seed and No. 3 ranked Michigan State in the semifinals, 3-2 in overtime. The Buckeyes fell to No. 1 ranked and No. 2 Michigan in the final, 7-3. The game was tied until nearly midway through the third, with the Wolverines pulling away at the end.
Buckeyes Jake Karabela and William Smith earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Karabela had six points, with three goals and three assists, to share the point lead among B1G players in the tournament, while Smith, a defenseman, had a goal and three assists for four points.
Behind the Bench
Steve Rohlik, who signed a five-year contract extension through June 2030 heading into the season, wrapped up his 13th year at the helm of the Buckeyes in 2025-26. Rohlik was joined by alums JB Bittner and Paul Kirtland, along with Carter Krier, on the staff.
The Season Slate
The Buckeyes' schedule was the sixth-hardest in the NCAA, with the squad ending the season No. 21 in the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI). Ohio State was 14-21-2 overall, with eight of the losses in 3x3 overtime. In all, Ohio State State played in 12 overtime games, the most in program history ahead of the 11 for the 205-16 squad. During the season, 16 of the Buckeyes' games were decided by one goal.
Award Winners
Following the conclusion of the season, the Buckeyes voted for the 2025-26 team award winners.
Davis Burnside, a two-time captain, was selected the Team MVP. He was second on the team in assists and points and reached the 100-point mark during the year. Burnside ended his Ohio State career with 112 points, on 49 goals and 63 assists, while playing in 155 games. Burnside, who ranked in the Top 10 among current NCAA skaters in career goals, points and games played, was the sixth Buckeye to hit the 100-point mark in the last 10 years and the first since Tanner Laczynski (2017-20).
Jake Karabela was voted the team's Rookie of the Year and won the Leading Scorer Award. The forward earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after leading Ohio State with 22 assists and 37 points and sharing the goal lead with 15. Karabela ended the season on a four-game goal and seven-game point streak and earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors. He had a team-best six points (3g, 3a) in the Buckeyes' run to the tournament final.
William Smith received the Best Defensive Player honor. The junior defenseman had a career-high four goals, eight assists and 12 points and was first with 43 shot blocks. He earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team accolades after posting four points in the tourney.
Freshman Niall Crocker was selected the Most Improved Player. A forward, he saw action in 25 games during the year, including the last 10, with six points on two goals and four assists.
Sam Deckhut, a junior forward, received the Unsung Player honor from his teammates. He skated in 33 games and had six points, on three goals and three assists. Deckhut had a point in four of the Buckeyes' final eight games.
New #ProBucks
Following the season, junior forward Riley Thompson signed a two-way entry-level contract with the NHL Philadelphia Flyers, with junior defenseman Broten Sabo agreeing to a two-year contract with the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Graduate student Adam Eisele signed with the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators and tallied a goal in his second pro game. Thompson (with AHL Lehigh Valley) and Sabo signed PTOs to start their pro careers this spring, with their full contracts starting in 2026-27.
Thompson was the eighth Buckeye in the last four years to sign an entry-level contract with an NHL team, with five of the eight free agents.
In the Classroom
In March, 13 Buckeyes were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. The honor is awarded to student-athletes who carry a 3.0 grade point average or higher and are in at least their second year at a Big Ten school.
Davis Burnside was recognized for the third time, with Sam Deckhut, Jake Dunlap, Kristoffer Eberly, Ryan Gordon, Nathan McBrayer, William Smith and Thomas Weis all earning their second honor. Chris Able, James Hong, Nathan Lewis, Chris Romaine and Riley Thompson were all named to the team for the first time.
The team combined for a 3.52 grade-point average in the fall and had a combined 3.54 cumulative gpa through the fall semester. Five Buckeyes – Niall Crocker, Jake Karabela, Dawson Labre, Lewis and Smith – had a 4.0 gpa in the fall.
Players Mentioned
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