NHL draft prospect Cole Tuminaro hoping to take next step in underdog journey

Rockford native Cole Tuminaro’s name doesn’t appear near the top of any 2026 NHL Draft prospect rankings. Gavin McKenna or Chase Reid, he is not.

But Tuminaro likely will get drafted, and that’s notable in itself.

“If you would’ve told 10-year-old me, or even me last year, that I would be taking interviews with NHL teams, I would’ve been pretty excited,” Tuminaro said recently. “I certainly am now. It never gets old.”

The 6-4 defensive defenseman is a projected fifth- to seventh-round pick as a 19-year-old this year after going undrafted in 2025, his first year eligible.

The lack of attention he received last year wasn’t surprising. He played almost the entire 2023-24 season with a torn labrum in his shoulder, notching six points in 42 games for the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. Then his shoulder fully dislocated in his first game in 2024-25, requiring surgery that cost him the season.

His journey back to health was grueling, and his NHL exposure was limited at that point. But he returned having added 10 pounds of muscle, and an invitation to Flyers development camp last summer offered an opportunity to move onto the NHL radar.

“It was a huge confidence-booster, honestly, to be able to compete at that level with a lot of top-end players,” he said. “To see all the work I did while I was rehabbing come to fruition, knowing it had paid off, was really special.”

That momentum carried into this season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Tuminaro became an important part of the Steel’s blue line during their last season in suburban Geneva — before they move to the recently renamed Blackhawks Ice Center in Chicago next season.

Tuminaro had 16 points (and 148 penalty minutes) in 54 games, establishing his toughness and physical presence and improving his puck retrievals, playmaking and decision-making — aspects of the game that previously felt awkward.

“You miss [hockey] quite a bit when you’re not able to do it, so you really appreciate every game you’re able to suit up for and feel good,” he said. “[I maintained] a huge sense of gratitude and appreciation for every moment . . . and put it into perspective: Nothing you face is going to be as bad as that experience.”

The NHL interest he received as the season progressed was nerve-racking, but it also fueled him to find ways to make an impact every night — even those when he didn’t feel his best.

Walking into arena lobbies after games and often seeing groups of kids from the Rockford Hockey Club waiting to meet him or get his autograph had a similarly motivating effect.

Tuminaro shares a close bond with the Rockford hockey community. His uncle, Jordan Tuminaro, is RHC’s president, and Cole played there for five years as a kid. Since the Steel’s season ended, he has been back in Rockford, helping coach RHC players and referee in-house games.

“My goal is to inspire kids in the next generation from Rockford to aspire to make it all the way, or to do something with their career and work as hard as they can,” Tuminaro said. “Hopefully we see more and more kids ascend to higher levels.”

The RHC has grown considerably in its 52 years — in part thanks to support from the Rockford IceHogs, the Hawks’ AHL affiliate. Whereas they used to field one team at each age level, they now field up to four, Jordan Tuminaro said. They also recently received approval to create a standalone girls’ hockey program.

Having an alum drafted would be another significant achievement, though, since that hasn’t happened since 2006. And if Tuminaro one day plays in the NHL — although he has a long way to go — he would become the first RHC alum (and only the second Rockford native) ever to do so.

“I think [Cole] will continue to be an ambassador for hockey in the city and hopefully help that next generation feel the excitement that the game brings,” Jordan Tuminaro said.

“It makes it real when you can see somebody who was in your shoes at [8 years old] and where they’re at now. It makes it [feel like] a real possibility.”

Tuminaro will play college hockey at Cornell next season, but before then, it’s not out of the question he could be a late Hawks target. They know him well, and they’ve taken swings on tall defensemen in the sixth or seventh rounds of three consecutive drafts.

Illinois’ top prospect

The highest-selected Illinois native in this year’s draft almost certainly will be Jack Hextall, a center from Rolling Meadows.

Hextall, who played for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms the last two seasons and will be at Michigan State next season, is a projected late first-round or early second-round pick.

He hasn’t been a prolific offensive producer in his career so far, but he’s praised for playing a pro-style game with few flaws. He could be in the mix for the Hawks’ 34th and 37th overall picks.

“I always say I’m a 200-foot playmaker who can play on both sides of the puck and make plays in all three zones,” Hextall said. “I’ve always taken pride in being good on the defensive side.”

His relation to famous ex-Flyers and Penguins general manager Ron Hextall is “distant,” but he still has family hockey ties. His dad, Cory, played for UIC’s short-lived Division I hockey program, and his uncle Donevan was a 1991 Devils draft pick who played in the AHL.

Before Youngstown, Hextall played for essentially every elite youth program in Illinois at various points. He’s training at GVN Performance North Shore in Northbrook, focusing on improving his quickness and explosiveness while awaiting the draft.

Two other Chicago-area natives also made the NHL Central Scouting Service’s 2026 draft rankings: Kalder Varga, a forward from Geneva committed to Denver, and Lucas Zajic, a forward from Plainfield committed to Wisconsin.

Also worth mentioning is Jonas Kemps, a 6-6 Steel defensive stalwart alongside Tuminaro this season. Kemps hopes to continue his own interesting story by getting drafted. He initially played roller hockey growing up in Sonoma County, California, before taking to ice hockey.

Four Chicago-area natives were selected in the 2025 draft: forward Ryker Lee from Wilmette (by the Predators at 26th overall), forward Cole McKinney from Chicago (by the Sharks in the second round), defenseman Asher Barnett from Wilmette (by the Oilers in the fifth round) and defenseman Edison Engle from Arlington Heights (by the Jets in the sixth round).