After taking six forwards in the first four rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Blackhawks finally took a defenseman in round six: Ashton Cumby, who played for the Seattle Thunderbirds last season.
welcome to Chicago, Ashton!đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/kxeDmklotl
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 28, 2025
At 6-foot-5 and 216 pounds, Crumby is a towering, left-shot defenseman with a no-nonsense style who brings physical play and an improving two-way game. After growing through Winnipeg’s and Wenatchee’s rosters, he was acquired by Seattle in January during the 2023-24 season, where he finished as a quiet but steady bottom-pair defender. In the 2024‑25 campaign, Crumby moved up to the top-four as a reliable shutdown defender who chips in some offensively — he had 13 points (2 G, 11 A) in 34 regular season games and added a goal in six playoff games — and isn’t afraid to engage physically.
Despite entering the draft as one of the older eligible players at 19, Cumby is still viewed as a developmental project with his raw tools.
Oh, and almost all his clips are of fighting, so there’s that.
5'9" Oasiz Wiesblatt vs. 6'4" Ashton Cumby pic.twitter.com/W4NndNps6B
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) January 15, 2023