By Evan Wechman

Long Valley’s Ben Wilmott has recently moved to Columbus, Ohio to pursue his studies at Ohio State University. However, Columbus may simply be another stop on his hockey journey, one that could eventually lead him to Las Vegas.

At 19 years old, Wilmott, who will be a freshman this upcoming school year, will also compete on Ohio State University’s men’s hockey team in the Big Ten Conference. This is highly competitive hockey, but Wilmott has his eyes on the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. The good news is that the Golden Knights have their eyes on him as well, selecting him in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft this past June at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. 

For Wilmott, who was in Buffalo looking forward to his name being called, the experience was terrific.

“I was in Buffalo with my family for the first night in the stands, and then they (Vegas Golden Knights) brought us down to the floor for rounds two through seven, and being able to go up there and hear my name get called was a really cool experience,” Wilmott said. 

Wilmott has been preparing for this step most of his life. He comes from an athletic family where his dad was a professional basketball player overseas. He credits his parents for introducing him to hockey at a young age.

“When I was a little kid, I would take my toys and kind of turn them into hockey sticks and throw things around the house, and my parents thought it’d be a good idea to put me into skating, and I just loved it ever since I stepped on the ice,” Wilmott said. “So it’s kind of just been my passion and what I love to do ever since I was born. So I thank my parents for putting me in hockey when I was really young.”

Though Wilmott’s dreams are to play in the NHL, he remains focused. This coming year at Ohio State will be intense, and he is ready to chip in wherever he can contribute. He’s been a center most of his life, but is open to learning new positions and practicing whatever best suits the team.

Wilmott has been skating since he was a three-year-old living here in New Jersey, but because of his elite skills, he played in many high caliber leagues in the U.S. and abroad. However, he believes the level of competition in NCAA hockey will provide the ideal environment to continue developing his game as he pursues his NHL dream.

“I think college hockey is a really good style of hockey, really physical, really fast, with bigger and stronger guys,” Wilmott said. “So I think it’s really important in my development to play against those bigger and stronger guys. It forces me to put on size and get stronger. So I think that’ll really help my game a lot in those areas.”

Wilmott believes that playing in different leagues and countries as a teenager has prepared him for this next level of competition. He understands that leaving home as a kid to play competitively in Canada and other countries isn’t for everyone, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think, obviously, when you’re younger, living away from home, it’s initially tough, but that’s part of it, and it’s what you want to do,” Wilmott said. “I’m super thankful I got to go all the places I went and just meet all the new people and go through all the experiences.”

Wilmott is very pleased to be a part of two successful organizations: the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s hockey team, and the Vegas Golden Knights. Both teams have a history of winning, and that is attractive to Wilmott. 

Being drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights may be one of the biggest moments of Wilmott’s young hockey career, but he knows there is still plenty of work to do before reaching the NHL. With Ohio State awaiting this fall, he’s embracing the challenge that comes next. 

“It’s exciting to see the new step in my career open up,” Wilmott said. “I’m just really excited for the work that’s ahead of it.”