ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior forward
Ryan Walsh has been named captain of the Cornell men's hockey team for the 2025-26 season,
Casey Jones '90, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey, announced Tuesday morning
(Sept. 30).
Senior defenseman
Jack O'Brien and junior forward
Jonathan Castagna will serve as alternate captains alongside Walsh.
"We have a large contingent of guys who can be leaders in our locker room — it's one of the program's strengths," said Jones, who also served as team captain during his senior season with the Big Red in 1989-90. "We have a lot of guys who lead by example and do things the right way. It was evident, talking with players and our staff, that these three came to the forefront as emblematic of what Cornell hockey is all about. When you have guys who work this hard, do things the right way, and are great players, it's a good combination with Ryan, Jonathan, and Jack."
Walsh led Cornell in goals (17) and points (31) last season, recording the highest goal total by a Big Red skater since Joe Devin matched that mark in 2010-11 and the most by a sophomore since Matt Moulson netted 18 in 2003-04. He also dominated in the faceoff circle, winning a team-high 419 draws at a 55.9 percent clip. He recorded double-digit faceoff wins in 23 games and posted at least 13 victories in 17 contests — a mark that ranked ninth among Division I skaters.
O'Brien became a regular on Cornell's blue line last year, appearing in 30 games after seeing action in just 10 contests over his first two seasons. He collected his first three collegiate points — all assists — in ECAC Hockey play at Dartmouth (Nov. 15), Yale (Feb. 15), and RPI (March 1).
Castagna contributed 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) across 32 appearances last season, including a power-play tally against Quinnipiac in the ECAC Hockey Championship semifinals (March 21). Like Walsh, he was also a steady presence in the faceoff circle, logging 13 games with double-digit victories and posting a career-high 18 wins won in the ECAC Hockey Championship game against Clarkson (March 22).
Cornell opens its 2025-26 campaign Friday, Oct. 17, when it hosts the Czech University Selects in a scrimmage at Lynah Rink. The Big Red will also welcome the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team for an exhibition on Saturday, Oct. 25, before starting a four-game road trip to open regular-season play. The trip includes a two-game series at UMass (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) and ECAC Hockey-opening games at Harvard (Nov. 7) and Dartmouth (Nov. 8).
