Riley Tufte

Growing up in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Riley Tufte moved through local high school hockey into junior ranks before drawing NHL attention. He spent two seasons with the Fargo Force in the USHL, then returned to complete his senior year of high school, a campaign that culminated in the Mr. Hockey award for Minnesota Class AA in 2015–16 after he led the class in goals.

Selected 25th overall in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars, Tufte opted for further development at the University of Minnesota–Duluth rather than turning pro immediately. An injury sidelined him at the start of his freshman season, yet he finished that year with 16 points and delivered a stronger sophomore season as UMD advanced through the NCAA tournament.

After his junior collegiate season, Tufte signed a three-year entry-level contract with Dallas on April 17, 2019. He spent four seasons within the Stars organization without securing a long-term role, then entered free agency and joined the Colorado Avalanche on a one-year, two-way contract on July 1, 2023. On July 1, 2024 he signed another one-year, two-way deal with the Boston Bruins. Following his time in the Bruins system, he signed a one-year NHL contract with the New Jersey Devils on July 1, 2026 and is listed as a winger with the Utica Comets of the AHL while under contract to New Jersey.

Internationally, Tufte represented the United States at the Under-17 Five Nations Cup and the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014, played at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2015, and was part of the U.S. squad that won bronze at the 2018 World Junior Championship. His playing style is that of a left wing who attacks the net and looks to convert scoring opportunities, a trait that has followed him from junior hockey into the professional ranks.