This is a developing story.
Sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson entered the transfer portal on Monday morning, per Brad Elliot Schlossman and the Grand Forks Herald transfer portal tracker.
Robertson will use his final two years of NCAA eligibility elsewhere. The surprising development comes as Cornell is already losing three key defenseman to graduation — seniors Tim Rego (who played on the top defensive pair with Robertson), Hank Kempf and Michael Suda.
Robertson's named has been linked to three schools in rumors: Notre Dame, Michigan and Denver.
Though he came to Cornell undrafted, Robertson has emerged as one of the Red’s top defensemen. A standout freshman season saw Robertson put up five goals and 18 assists for 23 points, tying him with Chris Norton ’88 for the most points by a Cornell rookie defenseman in program history.
After the conclusion of his freshman season, Robertson was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team and secured All-ECAC third team honors. Robertson also appeared on the All-Ivy second team as a freshman, and was on the watch list for the Tim Taylor Award, given to the top freshman in college hockey.
Though his point-production slowed when he returned for his sophomore season, Robertson still played an integral role for the Cornell d-corps. Often appearing on both the first power play and penalty kill units, Robertson amassed top-pair minutes for Cornell alongside Rego. Robertson ultimately potted two goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 2024-2025, including a two-assist performance against Michigan State in the Red’s NCAA Tournament first-round win on March 27. Those points would be the final ones he secured donning the Carnelian and white.
Robertson should land a spot at another top program. Though he was not drafted, NHL Central Scouting tabbed him as the 193rd North American skater in the final rankings for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Robertson was a re-entry candidate for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, but ultimately was not picked.
With Robertson leaving, only two regulars will return to Cornell’s blueline — sophomores George Fegaras and Hoyt Stanley. Both Fegaras and Stanley are NHL draft picks (Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators, respectively) but are highly unlikely to sign pro contracts before the 2025-2026 season.
Newly-minted head coach Casey Jones ’90 will now be tasked with replacing a crucial aspect of Cornell’s defense. Jones has already dipped slightly into the transfer portal, picking up Michael Fisher, an intriguing prospect and NHL third-round pick who played one year with Northeastern in 2023-2024 before spending 2024-2025 in the British Columbia Hockey League.
Update, April 7, 9:15 p.m.: This article has been updated to list three schools that have been noted as potential destinations for Robertson.
Jane McNally is a senior editor on the 143rd editorial board and was the sports editor on the 142nd editorial board. She is a member of the class of 2026 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. You can follow her on X @JaneMcNally_ and reach her at jmcnally@cornellsun.com.
