Four incoming Ohio State hockey players selected in 2026 NHL draft
· Yahoo Sports
There aren't a lot of former Ohio State men's hockey players skating around in the NHL, but there could be plenty more on the way if the results of the 2026 NHL draft are any indication. All told, three draftees are incoming freshmen in Columbus and could eventually make their way to the game's highest level.
Yes, incoming freshman. In the NHL, players are drafted often before they enter college, and then the team retains the rights to them for a period of time, often until they graduate. So, yes, before the trio of players even show what they can do in college, they have been drafted into the NHL. Those for players are:
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- Benjamin Wilmott: Selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the third round (No. 92 overall). Ohio State bio: "At 6-1, 190 pounds, calls Long Valley, N.J., home. He spent two full seasons in the USHL, starting in 2023-24 with the Chicago Steel, when he had a 5-4-9 line in 49 regular-season games. The next year, he played two games with the Steel before moving to the Sioux Falls Stampede, where he notched 33 points, on 16 goals and 17 assists. He skated in seven postseason games over the two years, with a 1-1-2 ledger. Wilmott moved to the OHL for 2025-26, joining the London Knights and posting nearly a point per game with a 12-22-34 line in 37 games. He was then traded to the Barrie Colts and had 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 29 games. In 20 playoff outings, Wilmott notched 22 points (11g, 11a) as the Colts earned a berth in the OHL championship final. He was part of the North Jersey Avalanche AAA program before moving to the USHL."
- Evan Jardine: Chosen by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round (No. 121 overall). Ohio State bio: "A 6-foot, 185-pound forward from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., represented the United States at the 2025 World Junior A Challenge, notching seven assists in the five games combined as Team USA won gold. He spent the last two full seasons with the USHL Youngstown Phantoms and was selected for the 2026 Chipotle All-American Game. Jardine first joined the Phantoms at the end of the 2023-24 season, skating in 12 regular-season games and posting seven goals and four assists for 11 points, along with appearing in five postseason games. In 2024-25, Jardine had 44 points, on 20 goals and 24 assists, in 62 regular-season outings. Last season, he had a career high 27 goals, 34 assists, and 61 points during the regular season (53 games). He saw action in seven postseason games over the last two years, with a 1-3-4 line. He played one year with Honeybaked AAA and then skated with Little Caesars AAA."
- William Tomko: Taken by the Seattle Kraken in the seventh round (No. 204 overall). Ohio State bio: " 6-foot, 190-pound forward who played the last two seasons in the USHL and was a participant in the 2026 Chipotle All-American Game. After playing two USHL games with the Chicago Steel in 2023-24, he joined the team full-time in 2024-25 and notched a 10-13-23 line in 62 regular-season games. In 2025-26, Tomko had 60 points, with 24 goals and 36 assists, along with six points (2g, 4a) in six postseason games with the Sioux City Musketeers. He played for the South Hills Panthers and Long Island Gulls AAA programs."
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Four incoming Ohio State hockey players selected in 2026 NHL draft