Intro: Meet Tommaso de Luca
Tommaso De Luca was born on December 29, 2004, in Aosta, Italy. During my interview with him, I asked how his Italian heritage is present in his career. To which he responded with, “I think it’s going to be fun. I mean, I’m Italian, so there’s not really a lot of guys that are Italian that are prospects for the draft, so it’s going to be interesting.”
When I asked him how he originally got into the sport, he said, “My dad was a player, so I went to see all of his games when he was a pro. For me, it was so fun to watch, and at four years old, I just decided to try it, and since then, I’ve just loved it… He’s probably my biggest influence because since I was four, he’s been my biggest fan and supporter.”
Tommaso spent the most recent season with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. He also played for Switzerland in the International Junior tournament.
Tommaso’s favorite memory on the ice is, “The St. Patty’s Day against the Tri-City, I think, and there was a good play from my linemates, and after I scored, I did a funny celly. I saw all the fans just cheering…I don’t really have a celly because when I score, sometimes I just don’t even realize that I just scored. So I’d be like, ‘Oh, I scored.’ In the first 5-10 seconds, I’m not really a celly guy.”
Player Highlights
De Luca is a center / left wing who shoots left-handed. To him, the most challenging and fun things about his position are, “The defense zone is the most challenging because you’ve got to box out and help the defenseman. The fun part is in the offensive zone or the transition zone – when you go from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. That, for me, is the fun part.”
This season in the WHL, Tommaso had approximately 0.70 points per game, as he put up 49 points in the 65 games he played. I asked him to give me one thing that he could say about his presence on the ice. “Well, I had some good chances to score more, that’s for sure. I realize it’s good for the first year. So I would say it’s good but not that good. I could’ve done much better, but I improved.” He had 16 goals this season, and he told me that he feels he’s more accurate with a quick shot, because he’s not so much of a “one-timer kind of guy.”
When I asked him about his thoughts on his performance and development this season, De Luca said, “At first, I wasn’t the best because the differences on the ice; like the level is much higher in America than in Europe. The first couple of moments, I was a bit shaky and didn’t really know what to do, but afterward, I think I developed more in my defensive zone, my forechecks, and my offense.”
Draft dedication
When I asked him how it feels to be scouted by all of these teams recently, he told me, “Well, it’s beautiful for the hockey part, but it’s pressure because it’s the NHL teams. Not everyday every player gets this chance to show up. It’s going to be interesting and fun to put everything in the cards and on the table, so we’ll see.”
I asked him what he thinks he can bring to whatever team may draft him, and he responded by saying, “For sure, my positivity, I’m a good person, I always smile, and I’m never really sad. So I’m really positive on and off the ice. My smartness on the ice and my hardworking abilities.”
Some of Tommaso De Luca’s rankings are as follows:
#102 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #183 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #158 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #66 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #89 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
I asked Tommaso what he looks forward to the most for the draft, and his response shocked me because he said, “Nothing. I’m working out all summer, and I’ll see what happens. I’m not only seeing the draft. Like if I’m not drafted, it’s no problem. I have two more years to show up and show everybody what I can do.”
Personal Perspective:
Based on my conversation with Tommaso De Luca, I can tell he’s confident in himself and his skills, but he is determined to work hard to keep improving. While he is excited about having the opportunity to go to the draft as a prospect, he isn’t going to be there just to hear his name called. I asked De Luca to tell me what current NHL player he could compare his playing style and skill set with, and he said, “Well, my favorite player has always been Patrick Kane because of his skills and smartness. For me, he’s always been like my idol, so I try to watch him when I can and try to do some of the same things.” Let’s see if Tommaso hears his name called on draft night and gets to create his own legacy on the ice. I hope to see his confidence and positive outlooks in the NHL in the near future.
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