Tyler Tullio (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade B+) Forward
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, April 2020: Man has Tyler grown on me. He started the season with a “C” grade, but quickly emerged as a player who I felt NHL teams would love to have around and currently sits as “B+’ grade and I hate even saying that because he’s a player who could have moved higher if the season wasn’t canceled. I love his attitude and his compete. He’s just locked in. He doesn’t quit and won’t be outworked. Over a long NHL season that consistency is something that really matters. You need to bring that intensity every night to be successful. And don’t be fooled, the guys in the locker room know who brings it every night and who they can count on. To me it’s important to be multidimensional and I feel Tyler can be that type of player in professional hockey too. His attention to detail and never say die attitude will make him a great penalty killer as well as a reliable five on five player. Offensively, Tyler has a quick release and really doesn’t need much space to put a rocket where he wants it. He has a nice first touch and will get looks to be on the power play as either the goal line guy or the mid-wall guy, but I think his touch and competitiveness make him a legit bumper option. Again, I love his attitude. Every night Tyler shows up as a 200′ foot forward who fights for his ice or the puck in all situations. I’m thinking an organization is going to place a high value on him because of his consistency and high compete level because I certainly do. I feel that Tyler is a player who will be drafted somewhere at the end of the second or beginning of the third and when it’s all said and done we’re going to be wondering how he wasn’t picked higher.
February NHL Draft Rankings: Tyler was ranked #67 in Neutral Zone’s February rankings.
OHL – Oshawa Generals NHL Draft Prospects, December 2019: Ty continues his assent to becoming a valued draft choice. He continues to play every shift with energy and hustle and shows a passion to compete and win. A top 6 role on this team, first unit power play and a key penalty killer. Big roles for a guy in his second year of the OHL. In this particular viewing Ty was a huge factor for Oshawa putting them on the board in the first period with a great power play goal, then adding an absolute snipe seeing eye even strength goal in the third period to give Oshawa a short lived 2 goal lead. Game Grade: A- 2020 NHL Draft hopefuls Oliver Suni and Lleyton Moore were also evaluated in this report.
Tyler Tullio Earns An Upgrade, October 2019: We feel Tyler’s game is rapidly developing and he is beginning to differentiate himself from some of the other 2020 NHL Draft Prospects . There is zero periphery to his game. He is a puck hound who excels in 5 on 5 situations. He kills penalties at a very high level. He stops and starts on every pass, while still maintaining his line-ups and being aware of the penalty killing system his coaches are using. His stick is active and he makes 200′ clears when he has the chance to clear the puck. Tyler is also very effective as the low man on power play. He takes away the goalie’s eyes and is very good at tying up the opposition’s defensemen. When the play is on the mid-wall he makes himself available along the goal line and has the vision to find his back door option. He shows up every shift of every game and wins his 50-50 battles. Tyler is way too involved in every aspect of the game, and consistently performs at a much higher level than a “C” NHL prospect. We feel a General Manager is going to love his consistency and value the little things that Tyler does so well. Has consistently preformed at an “A-” level. Therefore, we are changing his Neutral Zone NHL Grade to a “B”. 2020 NHL Draft hopefuls Oliver Suni and Lleyton Moore were also evaluated in this report.
OHL – North Bay at Oshawa NHL Prospects, October 2019: Tyler first and foremost is a competitor. Either end of the ice you can rely on Ty to compete for loose pucks and play to win. He is a good package of Skating/skill mixed with work ethic/grit. Not big but he does not let that hinder his contribution to the game as he plays pretty fearless. He is a smart skater, knows how to use timing to disguise his offensive intent then hit a hole at the perfect time to be available for a pass. In fact he did just that in this game catching a long bomb between two defenders, gaining a breakaway and deking the North Bay goalie out of his jock for a bury. He is a first line power play guy who works low, retrieves pucks, passes to the blue line then heads to the net for the fun when the shot comes. Other NHL prospects that were evaluated: Brandon Coe, Pacey Schlueting, Oliver Suni and Lleyton Moore.
Marlies Holiday Classic, February 2018: Ty continues to improve his shot, finish around the net and his physical play. Playing with linemate Cole Perfetti is on the score sheet almost every game and has improved his shot significantly as the year has progressed. He distributes the puck well and uses his pace (and grit) to get into good shooting lanes. He skates hard, isn’t afraid to engage in physical play. A 200 foot player that competes, doesn’t just rely on his skill set.
GTHL 2017 Prospects All-Star Game, December 2017: Undersized, speedy forward, with decent puck skills and hockey IQ. Tyler moves well and plays a tenacious game but we felt he has more to give than he showed in this game. Tyler was not as effective in this game as we have seen him in league games and early season tournament games where he was able to get to the right scoring areas with pace and finish. In this game he lost more than his share of face-offs, and rarely threatened offensively.
Battle of the Border, December 2017: Tyler is one of the more intriguing players to watch as he is very undersized and not very strong yet. He gets you excited to see what he can become when he gets bigger. He has a big time feel for the game mixed with the puck skills to go along with it. He would often get knocked to the ice during a shift and get right back up and have the puck back up on his stick. His courage and hockey sense left him with scoring chance after scoring chance. When playing with Perfetti, it was a very humbling experience for big defenders as they chased them around the rink trying to get the puck back. Tyler received an ‘A’ at the showcase. The only forwards who received a higher grade were Quinton Byfield, Cole Perfetti, Wyatt Schingoethe and Cameron Butler. Tanner Latsch and Evan Vierling also received an ‘A’ grade.
World Selects Invite (2002s), June 2017: Ty is a highly skilled, fearless, smart, smaller player. He has great speed with a very quick, sharp first step. Excellent hands and a good shot with a quick release. He knows where to go, has great anticipation, the puck always seems to find him. He gets to quiet space/prime real estate without the puck. Tullio is exciting, and extremely consistent; a lethal combination. Effective in a wide-open game or a tighter checking one with his IQ and overall drive. The forwards who dominated at the 2017 WSI looks like a who’s who of the top few rounds of the 2020 NHL Draft: Alexander Holtz, Danil Gushchin, Quintin Byfield, Blake Biondi, Cole Perfetti, Tanner Latsch, Connor McClennon, Josh Lawrence, Antonio Stranges, Ty Smilanic, Stephen Halliday, Ryan Kirwan , Jake Neighbours, Alex Gaffney, Zion Nybeck, Bogdan Trineev, Artem Shlaine, Ridly Greig, Landon Slaggert, Will Cuylle, Chase Bradley, Luke Tuch, Colby Ambrosio, Vasily Ponomarev, Riley Piercey, Aidan Thompson, Kaspar Simontaival, Dylan Peterson, Logan Morrison, Raivis Kristlans Ansons, Kienan Draper, Jack Smith, Thomas Bordeleau and highly rated 2021 prospects Zach Stringer, Daniil Lazutin, Matthew Knies and Matt Argentina.
Toronto Marlies Holiday Tournament, January 2017: Tullio uses his hockey sense to find open space. He plays a cerebral game with the puck on his stick and moves the puck when he finds the open man. He has a good set of hands in traffic and is willing to go 1v1 against any defender. He has a smooth release and surprisingly powerful shot despite his size and age. He is only a 2002 so ineligible for the 2017 OHL Draft but what he’ll be a coveted prospect by OHL teams the following year.
Wendy Dufton, October 2016: Tullio is an under-aged player who relies on hockey skills and smarts to make up for his lack of size. He is willing to take a hit to make a play and has good vision with the puck on his stick. He has the offensive tools and knowledge to play both the top and bottom in a PP set up. Although he is good at intercepting passes with his stick and hand-eye coordination, he plays too much with his stick in the air. He lacks the speed to get a step on the outside against the older kids and sometimes makes his passes too soft. The Wendy Dufton was loaded with familiar names who are currently playing Major Junior or college hockey. Some have been drafted while others are hoping to hear their names in called in 2020: Cameron Butler, Ryan Suzuki, Logan Morrison, Cole Mackay, Cole Schwindt, Alex Newhook, Jacob Winterton, Luke Drewitt, Navrin Mutter, Adam Jeffery, Aaron Shaw, Brett Budgell, Matthew Altomare, Mark Woolley, Nathan Allensen, Mason Millman, Mason Howard, Bryce Kilbourne and Cole Brady.
Alliance Major Bantam Showcase, September 2016: Tullio has played up a division for many years for the Windsor Minor Midgets. He is on the smaller size but makes up for it with his hockey smarts. He often takes the big hit because of his willingness to get the puck first and he sees the ice well. He has some serious skills around the net and shows the poise to let the goalie make the first move. He needs to work on his skating power as well as his strength to not only help absorb hits but to make stronger passes. Benjamin McFarlane, George Diaco, Dylan Robinson and goaltender Brett Brochu are all 2020 NHL Draft eligible players who were evaluated at the Alliance Showcase.