Di Iorio impressed the Blue Jackets with skill, leadership

Alessandro Di Iorio describes himself as an extrovert.  

That may just be another way to say the word leader. 

The center taken in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Blue Jackets wore the captain’s “C” this season with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League. He’s also worn an “A” alongside a Maple Leaf on his sweater, serving as an alternate captain on Team Canada’s squads that took part in the IIHF World Under-18 Championship and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. 

There’s a lot to like about Di Iorio’s skills – including good speed, a 200-foot game and a hard, accurate shot – and 6-1, 194-pound frame, but what excites the Blue Jackets most might be what he brings off the ice. 

“This kid brings a lot of leadership,” Blue Jackets assistant director of amateur scouting Trevor Timmins said. “He was captain of Sarnia. He's usually worn a letter on all the teams that he's been with. He has strong character, and he pays attention to details off the ice. He's already conducting himself as a young pro, doing all the right things – training, nutrition, all that good stuff."

Maybe that comes naturally given the fact that Di Iorio is a people person. He’s pointed to the relationships he’s built throughout hockey as one of the best parts of the game, and his dedication to his friends and family was notable when he had nearly 20 people in attendance to root him on at the draft late last month in Buffalo.  

"I think my family drives me the most,” Di Iorio said after being selected. “I have a really good support group, and they’re all here right now supporting me. When they come to games, you want to play your best and show that you want to make them proud. That’s my main goal. I’m a big family guy, I like hanging out with people. I’m a big extrovert, so other people drive me.” 

It didn’t take long for Di Iorio to start to feel that connection to the Blue Jackets when he arrived in Columbus for the team’s annual prospects development camp, presented by G&J Pepsi, after the draft. One of the first people he heard from after the draft was CBJ center Luca Del Bel Belluz, a fellow Sarnia product with whom he shared billet parents; in fact, when Di Iorio first arrived in Sarnia, he went to dinner with Del Bel Belluz. 

Upon his arrival in Columbus, he started building relationships with some of his fellow development campers, including 2026 draft picks Oscar Hemming and Anttoni Uronen.  

“He’s a great guy,” Uronen said. “We clicked like this, and he’s a very good guy. We have good talking sessions with him. He’s always laughing, just like me.” 

On the ice, Di Iorio has shown signs of a bright future, as the second overall pick in the OHL draft in 2024 has posted 13 goals and 69 points in 103 games over the last two years with the Sting. This season was a tough one, though, as the Vaughan, Ontario, native missed the beginning of the campaign with an elbow injury. He ended up finishing with a 12-19-31 line in 45 games for a Sarnia team that missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Timmins noted that the extent of the injury seemed to impact Di Iorio as the year went on, and the Blue Jackets still believe that’s a lot of upside with the center they chose with the No. 94 pick. Another person who agrees is FloSports NHL draft analyst Chris Peters, who rated Di Iorio as the No. 31 player in the draft class before the picks were made.  

"Di Iorio is probably one of my favorite players in the class given that I think he has a lot of NHL-level tools at his disposal,” Peters wrote. “He thinks the game well and has a hard competitive drive that makes him difficult to play against. His lack of production in an injury-shortened season does merit some concern, but I think there’s a good all-around player there who can impact the game in more ways than the scoresheet.” 

Seemingly echoing that, Di Iorio pointed to Ottawa center Dylan Cozens as an inspiration, noting that the fellow right-shot centerman can play anywhere up and down the lineup while proving to be equally effective scoring goals and killing penalties.  

If there’s one place Di Iorio wants to improve this season, it’s adding more points to the score sheet, especially now that he’s fully healthy after the elbow injury.

"Playing that two-way game, that versatility, being able to play up and down the lineup, and I think my offense will develop,” he said when asked about the strengths of his game. “It’s something I want to work on. I think my defensive game has been pretty good, and I had a leadership role at many Hockey Canada events and with the Sarnia team as well, so I love being around the guys. My work ethic on the ice is really good as well.”