BUFFALO, N.Y. – Incoming Cornell men's hockey freshman defenseman Cole Tuminaro was drafted 140th overall in the fifth round by the Colorado Avalanche on the second day of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft inside KeyBank Center on Saturday afternoon (June 27).
 
Tuminaro is the fifth Big Red player to be selected in Avalanche franchise history, joining Ryan Hughes (1990) and Vincent Auger (1993), who were both selected by the Québec Nordiques. Mark McCutcheon (2003) and Matt Stienburg (2019) are the other Cornellians drafted by Colorado since the franchise relocated to Denver before the 1995-96 season.

Entering the 2026 NHL Upper Deck Draft ranked as the 96th North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, Tuminaro posted 16 points (5-11—16) in 54 regular-season games with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2025-26. The 6-foot-4 defenseman scored two of his five goals while on the power play and amassed 148 penalty minutes. A native of South Beloit, Ill., Tuminaro played in USA Hockey's 2026 Chipotle All-American Game and was also named to USHL's All-Academic Team following the 2024-25 season.

With Tuminaro's selection, Cornell has now had at least one selection in each of the last six drafts, along with a draftee in 15 of the last 16 and 26 of the previous 28 drafts.