Fifth Michigan State Spartan Selected in the First Round: Tommy Bleyl Goes No. 31 Overall to Nashville

It took a minute for the ball to get rolling for Michigan State, but late in the first round, the Spartans started hearing their names called left and right.

The latest was American-born defenseman Tommy Bleyl out of Gainesville, New York.

Bleyl is headed to the Nashville Predators as the No. 31 overall pick in the Upper Deck NHL Draft after the first round kicked off Friday night. Within the first round came a litany of incoming Spartans, including No. 7 overall pick Chase Reid (Seattle), No. 15 Nikita Klepov (Anaheim), No. 17 Ethan Belchetz (Utah), No. 30 Jack Hextall (Calgary), and now Bleyl joins the impressive list of incoming Spartans and 2026 first-round draft picks.

Bleyl had to wait a long time to hear his name called, but in the waning moments of the Upper Deck NHL Draft's first round, which concluded late Friday night, the Predators finally decided the Spartan commit would become part of the future of their franchise.

Bleyl is an 18-year-old standout defenseman who won the QMJHL Defensive Player of the Year Award this past season. He is still so young that he has another season of junior hockey before making his way to East Lansing. When he finally arrives, however, the first-round selection will be one of the most anticipated additions to Michigan State's defensive group.

Last season, Bleyl played for the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL, where he displayed incredible vision on the ice. He makes some of the best passes you will see from a young defenseman, looking more like Peyton Manning or Steve Nash orchestrating an offense than a hockey player with his gifted ability to place the puck perfectly for teammates to find the back of the net.

Bleyl finished the season with an astounding 68 assists while adding 13 goals of his own. His remarkable +58 plus-minus rating is beyond words. He totaled 81 points while being on the ice for just 23 goals against all season.

His defensive game is on another planet, yet it continuously gets overlooked because of just how productive he is offensively.

Nashville traded back into the first round to select Bleyl, who seemingly slipped a bit further than many expected. Even so, he still heard his name called in the opening round, becoming the fifth incoming Spartan selected in the first round.

Bleyl will have another year before entering the college hockey ranks, but not only will Adam Nightingale and the Spartans be eagerly awaiting his arrival as he helps continue Michigan State's rise, the Predators will also be watching closely as one of their top prospects develops.

One of the top-scoring defensemen and one of the game's best defensive blueliners had to wait until the second-to-last pick of the first round to hear his name called, but nonetheless, he achieved the dream of becoming a first-round NHL Draft selection.

A magical night for Michigan State saw five future Spartans selected in the first round, an unbelievable accomplishment that speaks to where the program stands under Nightingale. The future is incredibly bright in East Lansing, and it's just as bright for the NHL organizations that invested in these talented young players.

Bleyl was the fifth and final Spartan selected in the first round, and he will undoubtedly carry a chip on his shoulder throughout his career knowing that 30 other players were selected before him. If his junior career is any indication, the Predators may have landed one of the biggest steals of the opening round.