Sean Romeo, a former Ohio State goaltender who helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2018 Frozen Four, died on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the age of 31. He died of complications from a stroke he suffered on October 15, Ohio State said.
Romeo was an organ donor, and his heart, lungs, liver and kidneys were donated to give others a second chance at life, the ECHL said.
Ohio State
After two seasons at the University of Maine, Romeo transferred to Ohio State. In 2017-18 he was named to the All-Big Ten second team, became the first Buckeye to be a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, and was named most outstanding player of the NCAA Midwest Regional as Ohio State reached its first national semifinal since 1998.
In November 2018 he set the program’s record shutout streak, 204 minutes and 27 seconds, and became the first Ohio State goalie to post shutouts in three straight starts. His 22 wins in 2018 are tied for second in a single season in school history, and he finished his career fourth in program history in goals-against average (2.22). He was part of the 2019 Big Ten championship team.
Off the ice, he earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award for the highest grade-point average among student-athletes at the 2018 Frozen Four, was a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete, and graduated with a finance degree in 2019.
Professional career
Romeo played all 30 of his professional games in the ECHL, with Cincinnati, Florida, Adirondack, Norfolk, Indy, South Carolina and Kansas City. He then started a career in business in Chicago.
A celebration of his life will be held on November 9 at St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church in Cary, North Carolina.