Wingles grew up in Evanston, Illinois. Being an Illinois native, he was an immediate fan-favorite night in and night out once joining the Chicago Blackhawks. Before that, though, Tommy joined the Miami University RedHawks to play hockey at the college level. Previously less-than-special, Wingels and his fellow freshman helped to change the RedHawks into an elite, powerhouse program in college hockey.
Between 2007-10, Wingels and his teammates were big pieces of a Miami team which won 85 games and made three appearances in the NCCA Tournament. Two of those resulted in trips to the Frozen Four.