- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,400
- Reaction score
- 59
Buffalo — Make it three top-20 picks joining the Michigan State hockey team's star-studded freshman class.
Ethan Belchetz, a towering left wing who starred for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, was drafted 17th overall by the Utah Mammoth in Friday night's first round of the 2026 NHL Draft at Buffalo's KeyBank Center. Belchetz will play for Michigan State this season as a freshman.
Belchetz is the third Michigan State player off the board in Friday's draft. Future teammate Chase Reid — well know to Belchetz from their head-to-head matchups in the OHL — went seventh overall to the Seattle Kraken and forward Nikita Klepov was drafted 15th by the Anaheim Ducks. They are part of a star-studded freshman class for Michigan State alongside fellow top prospects Jack Hextall, as well as 2025 first round picks goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen and center Mason West.
Michigan State is expected to set an NCAA record for NHL first round draft picks on an NCAA roster. Ryker Lee (Nashville Predators) and Cayden Lindstrom (Columbus Blue Jackets) return for sophomore seasons and transfer Cullen Potter (Calgary Flames) was also picked in the first round of 2025. Reid, Belchetz, Ravensbergen and West join the freshman class as first-round selections. Klepov and Hextall are potential first-round picks as well.
All those picks would make for nine first-round selections on one team. The Spartans' rival Michigan previously held the record with seven first-round picks on its 2021-22 roster, including four of the first five picks in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Belchetz, who hails from Oakville, Ontario (the coordinates of which are tattooed over his right bicep atop a map of Canada), is one of the most intriguing pieces of the class for Michigan State. At 6-foot-5 and 229 pounds, the power forward imposes his will with a blend of physicality and scoring touch.
Belchetz follows in the footsteps of Porter Martone, whose 50-point freshman season with last year's Spartans made him an All-American and allowed him to step right into the NHL and help the Philadelphia Flyers to the NHL Playoffs. In nine regular season games, Martone scored four goals and six assists, then added two goals and three assists in 10 playoff games.
"You see all the guys that come out of that franchise and that organization," Belchetz said. "So it will be pretty special to get down there."
If Martone's play wasn't a recruiting pitch in itself, the winger gave one to Belchetz directly. The two have spoken about Michigan State, and renowned strength and conditioning coach Will Morlock.
"Adam Nightingale and his staff," Belchetz said, "and Will Morlock and his training staff and his program is so intense that for me, getting stronger, feeling my body out, getting leaner and all that is going to really help me for the long run."
In two seasons with the Windsor Spitfires, who drafted him first overall in the 2024 OHL entry draft, Belchetz turned into a game-breaker at that level with 17 goals and 21 assists in 56 games as a rookie, then 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 games last season. That one was shortened when he broke his collarbone in March — Belchetz says he got a call of support from last year's first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, who just won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year with the New York Islanders.
Now, it's off to Michigan State for Belchetz, though that move shocked Windsor general manager Bill Bowler, who expected to keep a player of Belchetz's talent.
"We never thought he’d leave after two years. It becomes challenging," Bowler told CTV after Belchetz announced his MSU commitment May 13. "It’s a different landscape, and we’ll adjust.”
Windsor's loss is Michigan State's gain, and someday the Spartans' loss will be XXXX's gain. In the meantime, there's a clear goal in East Lansing:
"That's one thing for me is I want to be on a winning team," Belchetz said, "and I think that's something I can bring to the table is those big goals in the big games. So I'm pretty excited to get down there and contest for a national championship."
[email protected]
@ConnorEaregood
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ethan Belchetz is third MSU recruit taken in top 20 of NHL Draft
Continue reading...
Ethan Belchetz, a towering left wing who starred for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, was drafted 17th overall by the Utah Mammoth in Friday night's first round of the 2026 NHL Draft at Buffalo's KeyBank Center. Belchetz will play for Michigan State this season as a freshman.
Belchetz is the third Michigan State player off the board in Friday's draft. Future teammate Chase Reid — well know to Belchetz from their head-to-head matchups in the OHL — went seventh overall to the Seattle Kraken and forward Nikita Klepov was drafted 15th by the Anaheim Ducks. They are part of a star-studded freshman class for Michigan State alongside fellow top prospects Jack Hextall, as well as 2025 first round picks goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen and center Mason West.
You must be registered for see images attach
Michigan State is expected to set an NCAA record for NHL first round draft picks on an NCAA roster. Ryker Lee (Nashville Predators) and Cayden Lindstrom (Columbus Blue Jackets) return for sophomore seasons and transfer Cullen Potter (Calgary Flames) was also picked in the first round of 2025. Reid, Belchetz, Ravensbergen and West join the freshman class as first-round selections. Klepov and Hextall are potential first-round picks as well.
All those picks would make for nine first-round selections on one team. The Spartans' rival Michigan previously held the record with seven first-round picks on its 2021-22 roster, including four of the first five picks in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Belchetz, who hails from Oakville, Ontario (the coordinates of which are tattooed over his right bicep atop a map of Canada), is one of the most intriguing pieces of the class for Michigan State. At 6-foot-5 and 229 pounds, the power forward imposes his will with a blend of physicality and scoring touch.
Belchetz follows in the footsteps of Porter Martone, whose 50-point freshman season with last year's Spartans made him an All-American and allowed him to step right into the NHL and help the Philadelphia Flyers to the NHL Playoffs. In nine regular season games, Martone scored four goals and six assists, then added two goals and three assists in 10 playoff games.
"You see all the guys that come out of that franchise and that organization," Belchetz said. "So it will be pretty special to get down there."
If Martone's play wasn't a recruiting pitch in itself, the winger gave one to Belchetz directly. The two have spoken about Michigan State, and renowned strength and conditioning coach Will Morlock.
"Adam Nightingale and his staff," Belchetz said, "and Will Morlock and his training staff and his program is so intense that for me, getting stronger, feeling my body out, getting leaner and all that is going to really help me for the long run."
In two seasons with the Windsor Spitfires, who drafted him first overall in the 2024 OHL entry draft, Belchetz turned into a game-breaker at that level with 17 goals and 21 assists in 56 games as a rookie, then 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 games last season. That one was shortened when he broke his collarbone in March — Belchetz says he got a call of support from last year's first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, who just won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year with the New York Islanders.
Now, it's off to Michigan State for Belchetz, though that move shocked Windsor general manager Bill Bowler, who expected to keep a player of Belchetz's talent.
"We never thought he’d leave after two years. It becomes challenging," Bowler told CTV after Belchetz announced his MSU commitment May 13. "It’s a different landscape, and we’ll adjust.”
Windsor's loss is Michigan State's gain, and someday the Spartans' loss will be XXXX's gain. In the meantime, there's a clear goal in East Lansing:
"That's one thing for me is I want to be on a winning team," Belchetz said, "and I think that's something I can bring to the table is those big goals in the big games. So I'm pretty excited to get down there and contest for a national championship."
[email protected]
@ConnorEaregood
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ethan Belchetz is third MSU recruit taken in top 20 of NHL Draft
Continue reading...
