Former Ohio State goaltender Sean Romeo, who also spent time as a Blue Jackets development camp invitee, has died at 31.
Ohio State said Romeo suffered a stroke on October 15 and passed away on Saturday. The school also noted that he was an organ donor who gave "his heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys to give others a second chance at life."
Romeo spent three seasons with the Buckeyes from 2016-19 after transferring from Maine. He sat out the 2016-17 season under NCAA transfer rules before becoming one of the program’s most decorated recent goalies.
His Ohio State resume was loaded. Romeo earned his bachelor’s degree in finance in Spring 2019, helped the Buckeyes reach the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four and win the 2019 Big Ten Championship, and picked up the NCAA Elite 90 Award for the highest grade-point average among student-athletes at the 2018 Frozen Four. He was also a Senior CLASS Award Top 15 candidate in 2019, a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
On the ice, Romeo made his mark quickly once he got onto the Buckeye roster. He became the first Ohio State goalie ever to be named a Mike Richter Award semifinalist and earned Second Team All-Big Ten recognition. He was also the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Midwest Regional after helping carry Ohio State to its first NCAA semifinal trip since 1998.
Romeo’s numbers back up the accolades. He was a seven-time Big Ten Star of the Week, set the school shutout streak record at 204:27 in November 2018, and became the first goalie in program history to post shutouts in three straight starts.
He finished fourth in program history in career goals-against average at 2.22, tied for fourth in save percentage at .919, and tied for fifth with five career shutouts. His 22 wins in 2018 are tied for second most in a single season at Ohio State, and that year he posted a 2.06 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage, both ranking fourth all-time.
The condolences from THN-Columbus are with the Romeo family.
The Blue Jackets are on the road Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
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