Tory Mariano on Family, the Road to Northeastern, and Why She's Ready for the PWHL Draft
From tee-ball to the blue line: How a lifetime of sport shaped Northeastern's Tory Mariano into one of the most prepared defenders heading into the 2026 PWHL Draft.
Sport was a constant in Tory’s household long before hockey was her focus, and that has had a lasting impact on her life.
“When I was younger, my dad would always take me to soccer games or baseball games,” she said. “I feel like just being in that environment made me think this was something I wanted to do.”
My full conversation with Tory is out now on YouTube.
And while she tried other sports, like tee-ball, she didn’t feel that spark until her dad, a hockey player himself, had suggested that she give hockey a try. “I started off pretty old, I’d say,” Tory recalled. “I didn’t learn to skate until I was seven-ish, and he would take me to open skate at a rink in our hometown.”
It didn’t take long for her dad's passion for hockey to be shared by Tory, and that drive to succeed in the sport was sparked by a role model she had never met.
“My grandfather, he passed before I was born,” Tory said. “Everyone in my family growing up, and as soon as I started hockey, they were like ‘You remind me so much of your grandfather.” And it wasn’t until she was older that she learned he was a professional tennis player.
“I would have loved to meet him. He’s my role model. I want to be as good as him and have the discipline and everything that he had.
When it came time to make that jump from the junior to the collegiate level, everything just “clicked” for Tory when it came to deciding on Northeastern University.
“Everybody gets that feeling when they know that a place is right for them,” Tory recalled. “And the coaching staff, they just seemed like the type of people that were going to push me to grow. And I really enjoyed being someone who had somebody to push them me and try to reach my limits.”
And making that decision to commit to a five-year program at Northeastern meant that when the PWHL came into existence, she would have to delay pursuing her professional dreams. But in doing so, she learned a lot about herself.
"Doing it on my own has been hard at times, but I feel like I've appreciated it more because I'm doing it for myself and I have a goal," she said. "Everything that I've done, I feel like it's starting to pay off. I'm proud of myself, and it's been hard, but I'm glad to see where I am now."
And pay off it will, with the 2026 PWHL Draft on the horizon, which will mark a culmination of a journey that began in hometown rinks, was fuelled by a role model she never met, and was tested at every level. A journey that may very well end with her joining the ranks of the best players from around the world. And that’s a destination worth cheering for.
My full conversation with Tory is out now on YouTube.