Cole James O’Hara Bio
Cole James O’Hara is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League and a prospect for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. Drafted 114th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, O’Hara developed his game in junior hockey before starring at the University of Massachusetts and turning professional in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Cole James O’Hara was born on June 20, 2002, in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of Mike and Betty O’Hara and grew up in a family that includes two siblings, Jake and Megan.
Raised in Richmond Hill, O’Hara progressed through local development and reached junior hockey in the United States Hockey League, a formative step that prepared him for collegiate competition and the NHL draft. His size and right-handed shot were noted attributes as he moved from junior ranks to the NCAA level.
Path to Hockey
O’Hara moved into the USHL with the Tri-City Storm, where he played two seasons and produced increasing offensive totals that drew NHL attention. His performance in junior hockey helped position him for selection by the Nashville Predators in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft at 114th overall.
Following the draft, O’Hara committed to the University of Massachusetts, joining the Minutemen program for the 2022–23 season and beginning the next stage of his development in a major NCAA conference. His combination of goal scoring and playmaking at UMass established him as a high-impact college forward over three seasons.
Cole O’Hara Career
Early Career (2020–2022)
O’Hara’s junior career with the Tri-City Storm spanned two full seasons in the USHL. In the 2020–21 season he recorded 11 goals and 17 assists in 53 games, and in 2021–22 he elevated his output to 25 goals and 48 assists in 58 games, demonstrating marked improvement and consistency as a right wing who shoots right.
Those back-to-back seasons in the USHL established O’Hara as a productive offensive player at the junior level and contributed directly to his selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. His junior totals reflected both goal scoring and playmaking, attributes that carried into his collegiate career.
College Breakthrough (2022–2025)
O’Hara began his collegiate career at UMass in 2022–23, recording four goals and 13 assists in 32 games as a freshman while adjusting to NCAA competition. In 2023–24 he increased his role and production, posting seven goals and 11 assists in 37 games and further integrating into the team’s offensive structure.
The 2024–25 season was a breakout year for O’Hara at UMass. He led the team with 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points in 40 games, a total that tied for sixth among all NCAA players and tied the program record for most points in a single season with 51. During that season he registered a first career hat-trick on January 18, 2025, against Merrimack and finished that game with a career-high tying four points.
Across conference play in 2024–25 O’Hara produced 13 goals and 16 assists in 24 games, ranked in the top five in league scoring categories, and recorded a program-record 13-game point streak from January 18 to March 7, 2025. His play earned recognition as an All-Hockey East First Team member, a New England Men’s Division I All-Star, and a finalist for Hockey East Player of the Year. He completed his UMass career with 33 goals and 53 assists in 109 games.
Milwaukee Admirals Era (2025–Present)
On April 2, 2025, O’Hara signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators that takes effect in the 2025–26 season, and he was immediately assigned to the Predators’ AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, for the remainder of the 2024–25 campaign. The move brought O’Hara into professional hockey after a standout collegiate run and began his tenure in the Predators’ development pipeline.
O’Hara continued his professional progression with the organization and later made his NHL debut on April 16, 2026, recording his first NHL point with an assist on a Steven Stamkos goal in a 5–4 game against the Anaheim Ducks. That milestone marked his initial contribution at the highest level following his transition from NCAA and AHL competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a right wing who shoots right and stands 6 ft 0 in, O’Hara blends goal-scoring ability with playmaking instincts, as evidenced by his assist totals at the junior and collegiate levels. His season-long point streaks and program-leading totals in 2024–25 highlight consistency, offensive awareness in the offensive zone, and an ability to generate both primary and secondary scoring chances.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in O’Hara’s career include his 2024–25 UMass season in which he tied the program record with 51 points, his January 18, 2025 hat-trick against Merrimack with a four-point night, his selection to the All-Hockey East First Team, and his April 2, 2025 entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators. His NHL debut and first NHL point on April 16, 2026 serve as the opening markers of his professional resume.
Cole O’Hara Career Wins
Across junior and collegiate levels, O’Hara compiled notable offensive totals that demonstrate his scoring and playmaking contributions. His documented statistics include significant goal and assist totals in the USHL and a cumulative collegiate line that reflects steady production over three seasons at UMass.
NCAA (UMass) Highlights
At the University of Massachusetts O’Hara finished with 33 goals and 53 assists in 109 games, led the team in scoring in 2024–25 with 51 points, and tied the program single-season points record. His 29 assists in 2024–25 tied for the seventh-most in a single season in program history and his scoring pace placed him among the top NCAA contributors that season.
Other Wins & Perfromances
In the USHL with the Tri-City Storm, O’Hara posted 11 goals and 17 assists in 53 games in 2020–21 and improved to 25 goals and 48 assists in 58 games in 2021–22, totals that underscore his rapid development in junior hockey and helped secure his selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Cole O’Hara Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Cole O’Hara was born and raised in Richmond Hill, Ontario, to parents Mike and Betty O’Hara and grew up with two siblings named Jake and Megan. That family background is part of his documented personal history and is included in public biographical records.
Personal Life
Public records list his parents and siblings but do not record a spouse or children. O’Hara maintains a public social presence, including an X account listed in his professional profile, and his private residence details have not been publicly disclosed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 season served as O’Hara’s definitive collegiate campaign, as he led UMass in scoring with 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points while producing a 13-game point streak and a program-record tying single-season point total. Those accomplishments earned league and regional honors and positioned him as one of the top NCAA forwards that season.
Following that collegiate success, O’Hara signed with the Nashville Predators on April 2, 2025 and joined the Milwaukee Admirals for the remainder of the 2024–25 season, beginning his professional career in the AHL and entering the Predators’ prospect pipeline. The 2025 outlook placed him as a player to watch for continued development in the AHL and for potential NHL opportunities with the Nashville Predators in the years ahead.