Rombach Shows Off Size, Shares Preds Fandom During Development Camp

Once a Nashville Predators fan, always a Nashville Predators fan.

For Jacob Rombach, that couldn’t be more true.

After being selected in the second round (35th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft by the Predators, which he celebrated with his friends and family at home in Minnesota, he ran to grab one of his prized possessions after his name was called.

“When I heard it, I was ecstatic,” Rombach smiled while recounting the happy memory during Preds Development Camp last week. “I went upstairs and grabbed my Nashville hat and P.K. Subban jersey. It was awesome.”

While the older jersey no longer fit the 6-foot-7 Rombach, the moment was even more special when recognizing just how far he had come.

Rombach was drafted from the USHL’s Lincoln Stars and recorded 18 points (3g-15a) in the 2024-25 season. He is committed to the University of Minnesota in 2025-26 to play collegiate hockey.

Joined by other Preds prospects at Development Camp this past week, Rombach expressed how the opportunity to mature his game against other up-and-coming players was just as thrilling as being drafted.

“It’s been a couple exciting days,” Rombach said on the first day of Development Camp. “Obviously it's a dream come true, getting drafted, and just coming here is a dream seeing all the other guys. It's a pleasure to play against all those top other talents.”

Certainly not lacking in the height department, Rombach now recognizes a different Predators player to model his game around rather than just watching Subban highlights on YouTube as a child.

Preds defenseman Brady Skjei, who recently won gold for Team USA at the Men’s World Championship, doesn’t match Rombach on height but comes close at 6-foot-3. As another rangy defenseman, Rombach has found value in observing the game Skjei plays.

“I tried to watch Brady Skjei in Nashville,” Rombach shared. “I just like the way he plays. He's a big guy that can skate simple and tries to move the puck up, too.”

As a defenseman, Rombach took the week to show what is going to make him stand out against the other prospects, while learning what he could from both players and coaches alike.

“I want to show them that I can do all the little things on the back end to keep the puck out of the net,” Rombach said.

With such a positive attitude, Rombach was able to make the most of Development Camp by playing, watching and learning the game at a different level.

And even though he’s often asked about another sport thanks to his physical gifts, there’s only one sport for Rombach.

“When I was younger, I [played in a] 3-on-3 [basketball] league because everyone was like, ‘We need your height,’” Rombach smiled. “But hockey was my passion.”