Ohio got a big recruit.
Both for the program and the future, but also literally.
Garrett Elmore stands at 6-foot-5 in what will be his first season at Ohio, but the season won’t be his collegiate debut.
A transfer from Gustavus Adolphus College located in St. Peter, Minnesota, Elmore is taking his talents to Athens.
Elmore joined the Bobcats for a multitude of reasons, but the most prominent was due to his desire for a new college scene.
GAC is a small, private liberal arts college with an enrollment of roughly 2,386. Compared to Ohio’s much larger campus and enrollment of 23,513 undergraduates, the two institutions are very much a different scene.
Elmore played in just one game while at Gustavus due to injury, a fresh page is just what the forward from Tennessee wanted.
“I wanted something a little different out of college (both) for hockey and school,” Elmore said. “A small private college up in Minnesota wasn’t for me.”
Before GAC, Elmore played for two teams in the North American Hockey League — Springfield Jr. Blues and the Brookings Blizzards.
In his two years playing for the Blizzards, Elmore was a force to be reckoned with. He appeared in 89 games and scored 31 points, and at his height, Elmore will have a dominating net-front presence — something every hockey team wants.
Coming to Ohio
He was bitten by the injury bug and only played in one game at GAC, so Elmore was left with two decisions while recovering from a torn ACL; either stay at GAC or start fresh somewhere else.
He chose the latter, and Elmore got into contact with coach Sean Hogan.
“I reached out to (Hogan) in January, wanting to take a visit,” Elmore said.
What attracted Elmore to Ohio was the amount of success the program is known for. Last season, the Bobcats made it to the American Collegiate Hockey Association championship game. They lost 3-0 to Central Oklahoma.
The other reason Elmore decided on Ohio was due to its proximity to his hometown of Brentwood, Tennessee. Just 432 miles (opposed to 860 had he stayed at GAC) away, it makes for a comparative stones hop away from home.
What Elmore brings to the table for the Bobcats is a big body that isn’t afraid to get physical. At 210 pounds, Elmore has the ability and size to use his body and get the offense rolling.
“I like going into areas of the ice that people don’t,” Elmore said. “Getting in front of the net and being physical.”
Elmore is looking to be another piece in the Ohio puzzle. Despite the departure of 10 seniors, Ohio has another legitimate chance of getting back to the ACHA championship. Elmore wants to be a part of that.
“I feel like this year we will have another chance to be right back in that game, and come out on top,” he said.
