Brett Ludwiczak
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Ohio State men’s hockey has seven alumni at NHL development camps
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Among the Buckeyes at camps, the Columbus Blue Jackets invited two Ohio State players to their development camp.
The 2024 NHL Draft took place last weekend in Las Vegas. The only Ohio State men’s hockey player taken during the two-day event still hasn’t stepped on the ice in the scarlet and gray. Noah Powell was taken in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Flyers with the 148th overall pick, and is currently at Philadelphia’s development camp.
Powell isn’t the only Buckeye who is at camp with an NHL team this summer, as there are a couple previous draft picks and a number of free agent invitees. Unlike the NFL and NBA, where if a player is drafted they automatically lose their college eligibility, the NHL allows for players drafted or invited to development camps to retain their eligibility and return to school if they feel it is the best move for them.
It will be interesting to see how those players that do attend these camps and return to Ohio State in the fall progress during the 2024-25 season. The feedback from those coaches at the NHL level will only help the growth of these players and hopefully will result in not only a successful season for them, but also for the Buckeyes as a team.
Burnside appeared in all 38 games for Ohio State during the 2023-24 season. The forward finished with 26 points, which tied for second-most on the team. While Burnside did see his goal total fall from 14 in the 2022-23 season to nine goals last season, there is no doubt he is a huge part of the Buckeye offense and he will be counted on as one of the veteran leaders this season.
This marks the second developmental camp for Burnside while he has been at Ohio State, as last year he was invited to Winnipeg’s camp. While Burnside was only an invitee to Vancouver’s camp this year, he undoubtedly has been pushed by some of the other Vancouver draft picks from the last few years who are looking to make a name for themselves in the organization as they battle for placement within the minor league system of the Canucks.
The 6-foot-5 defenseman was a sixth round pick by the Senators in the 2022 NHL Draft. 2023-24 was Wallberg’s freshman season at Ohio State, with the Stockholm native ranking second on the Buckeyes with 19 assists. In his first collegiate game, Wallberg dished out three helpers against Mercyhurst.
Along with his offensive prowess on the blue line, Wallberg isn’t afraid to put his body on the line on defense, blocking 46 shots during the season.
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Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Wallberg could be helped by a ton of eyes being on the Ottawa defense during the development camp since one of the attendees is this year’s first round pick Carter Yakemchuk, who is taken with the seventh overall pick.
The current Ohio State defenseman joins a former Buckeye at Ottawa’s camp, as another 2022 draft pick has been invited. Stephen Halliday was this 104th overall pick in the 2022 draft, with the center most recently playing at Belleville in the American Hockey League.
After spending two years at North Dakota, Brent Johnson transferred to Ohio State prior to last season. The defenseman played in all but one of Ohio State’s games, notching five goals and eight assists.
The most notable stat of Johnson’s from the 2023-24 season was he led the Buckeyes with 64 blocked shots. The Texan was the 80th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft by Washington. Prior to transferring to Ohio State, Johnson played in 36 games over two seasons with North Dakota.
Before even stepping on to the ice for Ohio State, Powell was selected in the fifth round of the NHL Draft over the weekend with the 148th overall pick by the Flyers. Powell was a force with the Dubuque Fighting Saints over the USHL, leading the league with 43 goals and 16 power play goals.
If Powell can continue to light the lamp at the college level like he did in the USHL, he’ll quickly become a fan favorite in Columbus.
Ohio State’s backup goalie from last season is one of seven goaltenders that were invited to Detroit’s development camp this year, and one of two goalies that played in the Big Ten this past season. Along with Eberly, Michigan State’s Trey Augustine also is in Detroit for the camp after being drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Red Wings.
Even though the 2023-24 season was Eberly’s freshman season, he certainly didn’t play like one when his number was called. Eberly started 14 games, starting 11 of those contests. The goalie from Michigan posted a 2.98 goals against average and .911 save percentage. Eberly’s first start was on Dec. 9 against Minnesota, with his first win coming later in the month against Mercyhurst.
Kristoffer Eberly isn’t the only Ohio State goalie who was invited to an NHL development camp this year. Logan Terness was Ohio State’s primary starter during the 2023-24 season, lining up in between the pipes 27 times for the Buckeyes.
Last season was the first year in Columbus for Terness, who played two years at UConn before transferring to Ohio State. Terness finished 2023-24 with an 11-12-3 record, a 3.10 goals against average, .904 save percentage, and one shutout. In late October, Terness was named the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week after recording a shutout against Omaha and stopping 64 of 66 shots over two games.
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
This is the second NHL development camp for Terness, who was invited to Seattle’s camp last summer. Terness is hoping to impress during his time at the Columbus camp and force the Blue Jackets to keep a close eye on the goaltender this upcoming season. Even though Columbus has a number of goaltenders in their system, including this year’s second round pick Evan Gardner, it is obvious there are more questions than answers with the goaltending position for the Blue Jackets moving forward.
Much like Noah Powell, Nathan Lewis hasn’t yet played a game at Ohio State. The incoming freshman from Chicago most recently played with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, scoring eight goals in the 12 games he appeared in. At 6-foot-5, the winger has some size and could be a physical scoring force for the Buckeyes for a number of years.
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images
Among the Buckeyes at camps, the Columbus Blue Jackets invited two Ohio State players to their development camp.
The 2024 NHL Draft took place last weekend in Las Vegas. The only Ohio State men’s hockey player taken during the two-day event still hasn’t stepped on the ice in the scarlet and gray. Noah Powell was taken in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Flyers with the 148th overall pick, and is currently at Philadelphia’s development camp.
Powell isn’t the only Buckeye who is at camp with an NHL team this summer, as there are a couple previous draft picks and a number of free agent invitees. Unlike the NFL and NBA, where if a player is drafted they automatically lose their college eligibility, the NHL allows for players drafted or invited to development camps to retain their eligibility and return to school if they feel it is the best move for them.
It will be interesting to see how those players that do attend these camps and return to Ohio State in the fall progress during the 2024-25 season. The feedback from those coaches at the NHL level will only help the growth of these players and hopefully will result in not only a successful season for them, but also for the Buckeyes as a team.
Davis Burnside - Vancouver Canucks
Burnside appeared in all 38 games for Ohio State during the 2023-24 season. The forward finished with 26 points, which tied for second-most on the team. While Burnside did see his goal total fall from 14 in the 2022-23 season to nine goals last season, there is no doubt he is a huge part of the Buckeye offense and he will be counted on as one of the veteran leaders this season.
This marks the second developmental camp for Burnside while he has been at Ohio State, as last year he was invited to Winnipeg’s camp. While Burnside was only an invitee to Vancouver’s camp this year, he undoubtedly has been pushed by some of the other Vancouver draft picks from the last few years who are looking to make a name for themselves in the organization as they battle for placement within the minor league system of the Canucks.
Theo Wallberg - Ottawa Senators
The 6-foot-5 defenseman was a sixth round pick by the Senators in the 2022 NHL Draft. 2023-24 was Wallberg’s freshman season at Ohio State, with the Stockholm native ranking second on the Buckeyes with 19 assists. In his first collegiate game, Wallberg dished out three helpers against Mercyhurst.
Along with his offensive prowess on the blue line, Wallberg isn’t afraid to put his body on the line on defense, blocking 46 shots during the season.
Wallberg could be helped by a ton of eyes being on the Ottawa defense during the development camp since one of the attendees is this year’s first round pick Carter Yakemchuk, who is taken with the seventh overall pick.
The current Ohio State defenseman joins a former Buckeye at Ottawa’s camp, as another 2022 draft pick has been invited. Stephen Halliday was this 104th overall pick in the 2022 draft, with the center most recently playing at Belleville in the American Hockey League.
Brent Johnson - Washington Capitals
After spending two years at North Dakota, Brent Johnson transferred to Ohio State prior to last season. The defenseman played in all but one of Ohio State’s games, notching five goals and eight assists.
The most notable stat of Johnson’s from the 2023-24 season was he led the Buckeyes with 64 blocked shots. The Texan was the 80th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft by Washington. Prior to transferring to Ohio State, Johnson played in 36 games over two seasons with North Dakota.
Noah Powell - Philadelphia Flyers
Before even stepping on to the ice for Ohio State, Powell was selected in the fifth round of the NHL Draft over the weekend with the 148th overall pick by the Flyers. Powell was a force with the Dubuque Fighting Saints over the USHL, leading the league with 43 goals and 16 power play goals.
If Powell can continue to light the lamp at the college level like he did in the USHL, he’ll quickly become a fan favorite in Columbus.
Kristoffer Eberly - Detroit Red Wings
Ohio State’s backup goalie from last season is one of seven goaltenders that were invited to Detroit’s development camp this year, and one of two goalies that played in the Big Ten this past season. Along with Eberly, Michigan State’s Trey Augustine also is in Detroit for the camp after being drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Red Wings.
Even though the 2023-24 season was Eberly’s freshman season, he certainly didn’t play like one when his number was called. Eberly started 14 games, starting 11 of those contests. The goalie from Michigan posted a 2.98 goals against average and .911 save percentage. Eberly’s first start was on Dec. 9 against Minnesota, with his first win coming later in the month against Mercyhurst.
Logan Terness - Columbus Blue Jackets
Kristoffer Eberly isn’t the only Ohio State goalie who was invited to an NHL development camp this year. Logan Terness was Ohio State’s primary starter during the 2023-24 season, lining up in between the pipes 27 times for the Buckeyes.
Last season was the first year in Columbus for Terness, who played two years at UConn before transferring to Ohio State. Terness finished 2023-24 with an 11-12-3 record, a 3.10 goals against average, .904 save percentage, and one shutout. In late October, Terness was named the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week after recording a shutout against Omaha and stopping 64 of 66 shots over two games.
This is the second NHL development camp for Terness, who was invited to Seattle’s camp last summer. Terness is hoping to impress during his time at the Columbus camp and force the Blue Jackets to keep a close eye on the goaltender this upcoming season. Even though Columbus has a number of goaltenders in their system, including this year’s second round pick Evan Gardner, it is obvious there are more questions than answers with the goaltending position for the Blue Jackets moving forward.
Nathan Lewis - Columbus Blue Jackets
Much like Noah Powell, Nathan Lewis hasn’t yet played a game at Ohio State. The incoming freshman from Chicago most recently played with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, scoring eight goals in the 12 games he appeared in. At 6-foot-5, the winger has some size and could be a physical scoring force for the Buckeyes for a number of years.
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