No truer words were spoken by Ohio State University Men’s Ice Hockey Coach Steve Rohlik during his preseason press conference when he proclaimed, “Hockey is back!”

      The ninth-year coach covered a variety of topics during the conference call ranging from the rebuilding of his Buckeye team to the actual building of an ice arena.

      While describing his 2021-22 team, Rohlik commented that, due to the oddity of the 2020-21 season due to the Covid protocols he is not sure they knew what they had last season and observed, “Coming into this season there are a lot of unknowns and we’re really excited about it. I like our group and they’re really excited.”

     “Until we can get on the ice and start competing against teams you really don’t know exactly what you’ve got because we do have a lot of new guys over the past two years.”

      The NCAA rule allowing an extra year of eligibility due to Covid will certainly have an impact on programs, including the Buckeyes.

      “The rule gives you that guy with that much more experience,” assessed Rohlik. “If you’ve guys the right guys and they bring the right work ethic and are there for the right reasons, I think it can do nothing but help programs.”

      When asked about preseason prognostications for the Big 10, Rohlik, while acknowledging the talent-laden Universities of Michigan and Minnesota rosters, stated that the Big 10 is “a competitive league.”

      “Every year you can look at sports on paper and see how good teams are according to their talent. When you look at a Michigan and a Minnesota and what they have coming back and coming in, they certainly have a lot of talent.”

      “As we all know,” continued Rohlik, “there are no guarantees in life. You’ve got to go out there and compete and things have to go your way a little bit.”

     As for his Buckeyes?

     “Our expectations are to win every night we play. It’s all about getting better and trying to get better every day.”

     Stability among his coaching staff has been a feature during Rohlik’s tenure in Columbus and to the head coach that, “means everything.”

     “It means the world. You go through the good and the bad together. They’re here for the right reason. They want the guys to get better on and off the ice; graduate and have opportunities to either play professionally or get a job at a Fortune 500 company.”

     The Buckeyes’ coach believes another impact on the success of his team this season will be the return of fans to the arenas.

      “It’s going to be a huge change,” declared Rohlik. “It’s such a part of the student-athlete experience. To play at this level in front of your home fans and in front of fans on the road makes such a difference in the game. It enhances your game experience.”

       And speaking of arenas, Rohlik addressed the prospect of a new ice arena on the Ohio State University campus in the future.

     “There’s definitely something in the works,” hinted Rohlik. “A lot of studies have been done and things being put forward. There is certainly some really exciting stuff that I think is going to happen here. It’s just a matter of when they dot the i’s and cross the t’s. I think it’s going to happen sooner than later.”

BlueLineNotes:

-The Buckeyes will be hosting an exhibition game against Western Michigan University on October 2nd.  Details for the free event can be found here. 

-During his remarks, Rohlik stressed the importance of winning their non-conference games. The Buckeyes open the regular season at Bentley on October 8th & 9th. The home-opening weekend for Ohio State University is October 15th and 16th when they host the UConn Huskies.

-Michigan State will provide the first Big 10 test for the Buckeyes when the Spartans travel to Columbus on October 29th and 30th.

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