The Ohio State Buckeyes men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Ohio State University. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. They play at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
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History
The Ohio State Buckeyes men's ice hockey program began in 1963, the team played at the new Ohio State Ice Rink, constructed in 1961. The Buckeyes were a founding member of the CCHA in 1971. The Buckeyes won the inaugural 1972 CCHA men's ice hockey tournament with a 3–0 win over Saint Louis University.
One of the team's most successful seasons came in 1997–1998, the year before the Buckeyes moved into new the 17,500-seat Value City Arena, which replaced the aging and undersized (1,400-seat) Ohio State Ice Rink. The team finished the 1997–1998 season with an overall record of 27–13–2. They secured an at-large bid to the 1998 tournament. That same season the Buckeyes advanced to the 1998 Frozen Four and lost in the semifinal game to Boston College 5–2. The 1998 tournament was the program's first of two all-time Frozen Four appearances, the other coming in 2018. In 1999 the team advanced to the 1999 NCAA tournament. Despite a first round elimination with a 4–2 loss to Maine, this marked the first time in school history the team made the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons.
The time period during the early 2000s was the most successful period in the program's history. Ohio State made the NCAA Post season tournament in 2003, 2004, and 2005. The 2003–2004 season also saw the Buckeyes win the school's second CCHA post season tournament with a 4–2 win over Big Ten and CCHA rival Michigan. After three seasons, the Buckeyes returned to the NCAA tournament in 2009, when they received an at-large bid to the 2009 NCAA tournament after a 5th-place finish in the CCHA regular season and falling to Alaska in the CCHA Quarterfinals. In the 2009 NCAA tournament the team lost 8–3 to Boston University in the first round. The program was also invited to play in the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic against Wisconsin on February 11, 2006, which was the second-ever outdoor ice hockey game played between college teams.
On March 21, 2011 the Big Ten Conference announced plans to sponsor men's ice hockey starting in 2013–14 season. Ohio State along with CCHA rivals, Michigan and Michigan State would leave the CCHA to join Minnesota and Wisconsin from the WCHA and Penn State, who would elevate their men's and women's American Collegiate Hockey Association club programs to varsity status, to form a six-team Big Ten Hockey Conference.
During the first half of the 2011–2012 season, the Buckeyes jumped out to a sizeable lead in the CCHA standings when the team recorded a 10–3–1 conference record. The second half of the season proved much harder for Ohio State when the team recorded an eleven-game winless streak through January and the first half of February. The team broke the streak with a 4–3 win over Western Michigan, the team's lone win in the second half of the season. The Buckeyes fell from a season high, second-place ranking in January 2012 to 21st place by the end of the regular season. In the first round of the 2012 CCHA tournament, Ohio State was swept by Notre Dame 2–0 and 4–2 in the best-of-three series.
Season-by-season results
Source:
Records vs. Big Ten teams
As of the 2021-22 season
Coaches
The Buckeyes are currently coached by Steve Rohlik. He was announced the new head coach on April 24, 2013 shortly after the departure of Mark Osiecki.
All-time coaching records
As of completion of 2024–25 season
† John Markell coached the final 9 games of the 1994–95 season after Jerry Welsh resigned.
Statistical leaders
Career goaltending leaders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
minimum 30 games played
Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.
Players
Current roster
As of August 18, 2025.
Awards and honors
NCAA
AHCA First Team All-Americans
AHCA Second Team All-Americans
CCHA
First Team All-CCHA
Second Team All-CCHA
CCHA All-Rookie Team
Big Ten
First Team All-Big Ten
Second Team All-Big Ten
Big Ten All-Rookie Team
Ohio State Buckeyes Hall of Fame
The following is a list of people associated with the Ohio State men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Ohio State Buckeyes Hall of Fame.
Olympians
This is a list of Ohio State alumni who have played on an Olympic team.
Buckeyes in the NHL
As of July 1, 2025.
WHA
One Buckeye played in the WHA.