October 27, 2026 â Sean Romeo, the former Ohio State goaltender who helped the Buckeyes reach the 2018 Frozen Four, has died at 31 following complications from a stroke.
Romeo died on Saturday, October 24, according to Ohio Stateâs announcement. The university and the ECHL said he first suffered the stroke on October 15.
Both organizations confirmed that Romeo was an organ donor. His heart, lungs, liver and kidneys were donated to give others a second chance at life.
The ECHL expressed its condolences to his family and friends in a statement published Monday, remembering a player whose professional career followed a standout college run.
A defining role in Ohio Stateâs Frozen Four run
Romeo arrived at Ohio State in 2016 after two seasons at the University of Maine. He sat out the 2016â17 season under NCAA transfer rules before taking his place in the Buckeyesâ goal.
His first playing season in Columbus became the defining stretch of his college career. In 2017â18, he recorded 22 wins, a 2.06 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage, helping Ohio State reach the national semifinals for the first time since 1998.
He was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Midwest Regional after helping the Buckeyes defeat Princeton and defending national champion Denver. Against Denver, Romeo stopped 30 of 31 shots.
His performances earned Second Team All-Big Ten recognition. He also became the first Ohio State player named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, which recognizes the nationâs leading Division I menâs goaltender.
The following season brought another place in the record book. In November 2018, Romeo established a school shutout streak of 204 minutes, 27 seconds and became the first Buckeyes goalie to record shutouts in three consecutive starts.
He was part of Ohio Stateâs 2019 Big Ten regular-season championship team and finished his Buckeyes career with a 2.22 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and five shutouts.
From North Carolina hockey to a career in finance
A native of Cary, North Carolina, Romeo began playing hockey at six. His Ohio State biography says he became interested after seeing children playing street hockey, with a neighbor helping introduce him to the game.
He grew up in the Junior Hurricanes program before playing junior hockey for the Youngstown Phantoms, where he served as an assistant captain. The university biography names his parents as Jeff and Lisa and his brother as Luke.
His academic achievements accompanied his success on the ice. Romeo won the NCAA Elite 90 Award at the 2018 Frozen Four for having the highest grade-point average among participating student-athletes. He graduated with a finance degree in spring 2019.
After college, he made 30 professional appearances in the ECHL, representing Cincinnati, Florida, Adirondack, Norfolk, Indy, South Carolina and Kansas City. Ohio State said he later began a business career in Chicago.
His death follows another loss covered by Swikblog this month: former New York Rangers forward Ron Duguayâs death at 69.
A celebration of Romeoâs life will take place at 11 a.m. on November 9 at St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, 804 High House Road, Cary, North Carolina, according to Ohio State.
Sources: Ohio State University Athletics, the ECHL and Ohio Stateâs official player biography.
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