Ohio State then-freshman defenseman Cole McWard (3) celebrates after his goal during the Ohio State-Minnesota game Feb. 11, 2022. Ohio State lost 3-2. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File Photo
Another Buckeye is going professional.
Sophomore defenseman Cole McWard signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday, according to Ohio State and Vancouver releases.
McWard reportedly won’t have to wait long to make his professional debut. According to Darren Dreger of The Sports Network on Twitter, he’s expected to play for the Canucks Thursday.
Fellow teammates used Instagram stories to congratulate McWard, with sophomore goalie Jakub Dobeš posting “congrats” and junior forward Joe Dunlap adding “let’s go.”
McWard is the third Ohio State sophomore to ink a professional contract in the past week, with defenseman Mason Lohrei and Dobeš signing deals Friday.
The Fenton, Missouri, native played two seasons at Ohio State. In 2022-23, McWard recorded 21 points, including nine goals and 12 assists. He also tied for the team lead in blocked shots with 57. He leaves Columbus undrafted with 37 total points for 13 netted pucks and 24 helpers to go with 97 blocks.
In 2022-23, McWard was named Big Ten Third Star of the Week for his performance against Penn State Dec. 2-3, 2022, registering three points and six blocked shots. He was also an Academic All-Big Ten selection, an honor given to student-athletes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Before college, McWard logged three seasons and 149 games with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, totaling 57 points — including 24 goals and 34 assists.
