Growing up in Upstate New York, hockey has always been a part of Tommy Bleyl's life, and after being drafted by the Nashville Predators in the first round, it's here to stay.
The 6-foot, 174-pound defenseman was projected to be drafted 27th overall on average among the mainstream draft rankings. However, as pick 27 passed and the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft was nearing an end, his name remained on the board. As he was preparing to wait another day, all things changed when the unexpected happened at pick No. 31.
The trade horn sounded and it was announced that the Predators traded up for it. With their newly acquired pick, they would select Bleyl, and that meant everything to him.
"I mean, picking me in the first place, even if it was the regular pick, that would mean a lot," Bleyl said at the draft, "but then hearing that they traded up for me, I mean, that just proves they really thought about me and everything. It’s really exciting."
He possesses raw potential both on and off the puck, with Bleyl calling himself a "two-way defenseman." The Predators saw that and had to capitalize when they saw his name was still on the board.
"The foundation that he has with his skating – it’s the agility and the escapability, probably even more so than the flat speed—he’s got great edges," Predators assistant general manager and director of scouting Jeff Keatly said following the first round. "In the highlights you see, it’s him carrying the puck up the ice and dodging checkers. He’s never going to be the biggest guy, but that being said, defensively he’s very sound as well with his positioning and his stick. He’s a talented but efficient player."
Shortly after the draft, Bleyl met with fellow Predators first-round pick Wyatt Cullen to check out their new surroundings in Nashville.
"It's been great. I love it here so far," Bleyl told local reporters at development camp. "Just got a little look around the city... [On seeing himself on the side of Bridgestone Arena] It's crazy. Then some of the people were like ‘is that you on the board?’ and we were like ‘yeah it is.’ It was really, really cool, and everybody was super nice."
"It’s seriously a dream come true. I mean, just seeing the logo kind of gives me butterflies a little bit. It’s an NHL club, and then not only is it an NHL club, it’s a really high level, really well-established NHL club. It’s just super fun to be here."
Bleyl's map to the NHL
His journey to the NHL wasn't an easy one. He told reporters that he struggled with his size on the rink, but that struggle ultimately came with many rewards, and he's glad Nashville saw that.
"It's a huge motivator," Bleyl said. "Proving people wrong is something I’ve been doing my whole life. I was undersized growing up, so it was always a little struggle. After some growth spurts and everything, it made the game a little easier, but I was able to use some of the tools I picked up when I was undersized into my game."
Bleyl's rookie season with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in the 2025-26 campaign was a prime-time example of that growth. In 63 regular season games, he scored 13 goals and 81 points while maintaining a +58 rating. In the postseason, he led his team to the finals where he continued to shine, putting up six goals and 28 points. It was for these efforts that he was named QMJHL Rookie, and Defenseman Rookie of the Year, as well as Canadien Hockey League Rookie of the Year.
He proved to be a crucial reason for why the team went as far as they did. Wildcats' general manager Taylor MacDougall praised Bleyl, telling NHL.com before the draft that his performance was only a fraction of what he could achieve.
"The exciting thing about him is I think he's still just starting to scratch the surface of what he's capable of," MacDougall said. "He's just a really competitive kid and he wants to get better, wants to be coached and he's a lot of fun to work with."
"His ability to quarterback that power play grew as the season went too. His mobility was the first thing that allowed him to be successful, but then he makes really good reads, he's really good at getting a shot through and he's really good at putting pucks in places for guys to hit one-timers or effective shots."
Bleyl and Charlie Puglisi's history
Heading into Centennial Sportsplex for development camp, Bleyl was looking forward to reuniting with a childhood friend and fellow Predators prospect Charlie Puglisi. Puglisi was drafted by Nashville in the seventh round the day after Bleyl was.
"I freaked out a little bit when I saw his name go," Bleyl said. "I immediately texted my family group chat, and I was like, ‘Charlie just went in the draft,’ because I saw his name and I was really happy. But then when I looked left and saw the Predators logo [next to his name], and I was 10 times happier."
"He’s a kid I’ve been working with my entire life, with [Coach Randall’s skating program] and everything. He was always someone that was pushing me to get better, and we were pushing each other kind of. He did really well this year. We’ve spent a lot of time together at this camp because we know each other really well.
The two go all the way back to when they were just three years old learning how to skate and play hockey.
"It started when we were three [years old] just Troy Albany cross-ice hockey, and then we all went to Randall's, this mini rink by our house and skated there for years. We’ve been skating and knowing each other ever since," Puglisi said.
Getting to know the team will take some time for the newcomers, but with a close pal by your side, it certainly becomes less of a challenge.
"It’s made it really easy, kind of come in here, just get to talk to someone because I don’t really know anyone here besides him and a few other guys," Puglisi said. "It’s been good to know a familiar face and just can’t wait to keep going."
Transition to Michigan State
With development camp come and gone, it's time for the prospects to begin practicing for their upcoming seasons in professional, junior, or in Bleyl's case, college hockey.
After initially wanting to return to the Wildcats this fall, Bleyl made the decision to commit to playing for Michigan State University. It is here that he'll join one of the Predators top prospects Ryker Lee.
"I went up and said hi to him and he actually told me he was going to come in. It’s been great getting to know him," Lee said at camp. "He’s been asking me questions, and I’m excited to get him on campus. We’re going to have a great group next year"
Lee was one of three first round draft selections for the Predators in 2025, and in his first season following the draft, he split 30 points in 35 games with the Spartans. Now set to play alongside Bleyl, he's preparing him for the transition into a whole new world of hockey.
"With [Bleyl], I see a lot of poise out of him," Lee said, "I think he’s a super heady player, it’s going to help him a lot. I’ve been telling him how competitive every game is in the Big Ten and how fun it is to play in front of all the fans everywhere we go too. I think he’s going to do really well."
In the Great Lakes State, Bleyl will have to frequently rival against some of the Predators prospects, like Cameron Reid and Cullen for the University of Michigan.
"He’s obviously such a dynamic defenseman—such a good skater, good puck hander," Cullen told the media at camp. "It’s going to be really fun playing against him at Michigan State and hopefully playing with him soon in a year or so."
There have been a lot of good said about Bleyl in Nashville since draft night, and that won't end anytime soon. While it may take some time for fans to watch him play for the Predators, the wait is worth it.
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