Odeen Tufto

Classroom

Odeen Tufto has consistently achieved success in the classroom while maintaining stellar play on the ice. Through his first three years of school, he has maintained an excellent GPA and has begun work this year towards a master’s degree.

Tufto is a three-time selection to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team. He is enrolled in one of the more challenging programs in Quinnipiac’s business school, finance.

Character

Odeen Tufto is one of the finest representations of not just a Quinnipiac ice hockey player, but a college hockey player you will see. This fact is epitomized by his teammates and coaches voting for Tufto to serve as captain of the Bobcats for the 2020-21 season.

He opted to return for his season instead of going pro after his junior year, and has fully embraced his role as captain. Guiding the Bobcats through a challenging spring, summer and fall, throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, Tufto has helped keep morale high and integrate first years to the team through numerous virtual meetings during the time away. Since returning to campus and competition, Tufto has held his teammates accountable on-and-off the ice and has been a big reason for the Bobcats start to the season. He is a fierce competitor who has earned a lot of respect throughout the college hockey community.

Community

Tufto has become a big part of the community in the Hamden area throughout his time with the Bobcats and has become a recognizable face. Although interactions have been limited this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has spent numerous hours helping youth hockey practices with various teams, attending school visits to local schools as well as spending time with Quinnipiac’s Team IMPACT teammate, Michael Torello. The impact Tufto has made with young students and hockey players is profound and Quinnipiac has been lucky to have him be a part of the program.

Competition

On the ice, Tufto has been arguably the best hockey player in the Class of 2021 throughout his time in college hockey. As of Jan. 4, he has a 17-point cushion for most career points in the nation with 140 on 35 goals and 105 assists, and is averaging 1.17 points per game in his career.

Tufto is a two-time ECAC Hockey Second Team Selection, 2017-18 ECAC Hockey Third Team, All-Rookie Team pick and ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year Finalist, and was a 2018-19 New England Division I All-Star and Walter Brown Award Semifinalist.

Statistically, Tufto continues to climb the Quinnipiac record books. As of Jan. 4, he ranked 7th in Division I program history and 11th overall with 140 points and was fourth in Division I program history and seventh overall with 105 assists. Tufto has not disappointed in his senior season, opening the season with points in nine of the first 10 games, and has a seven-game point streak with four straight multi-point games through Jan. 4. He leads the nation with 19 points and 15 assists.

Tufto has 43 multi-point games in his career. One of the best centers in the nation at the faceoff dot, he was .564 in 2018-19, .569 in 2019-20 and, as of Jan. 4, had a .680 faceoff percentage to lead all centers in 2020-21. Tufto’s game has evolved over four years, making him one of the best 200-foot players in the game.