Tusks Up for Ethan Belchetz
Utah wanted Ethan Belchetz badly enough to give up picks to get him.
The Mammoth traded up from 19th to 17th overall at the 2026 NHL Draft, sending the Kings the 19th pick and an 83rd rounder to land the Windsor Spitfires winger.
It's easy to see why. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Oakville native put up 59 points in 57 games this season, and that was with a broken clavicle cutting his year short in March. Over two OHL seasons with Windsor, Belchetz scored 51 goals and assisted on 46 in 113 games.
He also made history with the Spits, becoming the youngest Windsor rookie to score four goals in a single game since Taylor Hall.
Belchetz was quoted as saying, ""My heart was racing a lot more for this one, but it's a different experience. This is a way bigger stage and you never know what's gonna happen. I'm just so excited to get down to Utah."
A former #1 overall pick by the Windsor Spitfires in 2024, Beltchez is heading to Michigan State next season before making the jump to pro hockey, but Utah clearly believes they've got something special in the pipeline. Beltchetz was the third player from MSU hockey chosen in the top-20.
More perspectives: https://www.powerplaywindsor.com/post/tusks-up-for-ethan-belchetz