[News] With the 144th OA pick, the Flames select LW Ethan Wyttenbach

[Calgary4LIfe]

It is still early, but this is one of those potential 'stars' you hope you draft in the middle-rounds that completely alter the trajectory of your team. Just imagine the Flames without Gaudreau in the last rebuild - how boring, and how much less successful would that have been?


I love that Conroy is continually adding more bullets to the chamber. It lets the Flames really gamble on some players a little more. Wyttenbach was playing through an injury last season. Stockselius and all of his health struggles is another really good example - I think he is flying under the radar somewhat due to his long-term injury (cut) he suffered, but I think he has that potential as well.


This rebuild is making me really excited. Flames are a really good drafting team, multiple firsts for so many consecutive years in a row, potential stars being unearthed deep in a draft, and now they are about to bottom-out and pick high.


I believe it is likely that the Flames come out of this as a contender down the road. However, am 100% confident that this team will be exciting and fun to watch in a few years. It makes watching the end of this era more bearable.

[FBI]

WhitenBack

Thought it was WittenBock

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

It is still early, but this is one of those potential 'stars' you hope you draft in the middle-rounds that completely alter the trajectory of your team. Just imagine the Flames without Gaudreau in the last rebuild - how boring, and how much less successful would that have been?


I love that Conroy is continually adding more bullets to the chamber. It lets the Flames really gamble on some players a little more. Wyttenbach was playing through an injury last season. Stockselius and all of his health struggles is another really good example - I think he is flying under the radar somewhat due to his long-term injury (cut) he suffered, but I think he has that potential as well.


This rebuild is making me really excited. Flames are a really good drafting team, multiple firsts for so many consecutive years in a row, potential stars being unearthed deep in a draft, and now they are about to bottom-out and pick high.


I believe it is likely that the Flames come out of this as a contender down the road. However, am 100% confident that this team will be exciting and fun to watch in a few years. It makes watching the end of this era more bearable.

I'd argue that they would've gotten a top 5 pick and one of McDavid, Eichel, and Marner in the 2015 draft without Gaudreau. They wouldn't have traded for Hamilton, or Hamonic, but stayed the course, likely drafting Tkachuk + one of Heiskanen, Makar, and Pettersson in 2017.

So the Flames would've had a core of something like:
Tkachuk - Monahan - Marner
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik

Gio - Brodie
Heiskanen - Andersson

That's not a bad core either IMO, even without Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Hanifin.

[FBI]

8 mins in, Wyttenbach has an assist so far. How many points does he need to lead the NCAA?

[FBI]

Leader Max Plante has 40 pts.
Ethan now with 37.

[FlamingHomer]

Originally Posted by FBI

WhitenBack

Thought it was WittenBock

C. None of the above

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by FlamingHomer

C. None of the above

How is it said?

I am pretty sure on his post draft interview with Steinberg, he said it like Ethan "Witten-bock" when he introduced him on the radio.

[FlamingHomer]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

How is it said?

I am pretty sure on his post draft interview with Steinberg, he said it like Ethan "Witten-bock" when he introduced him on the radio.

Ah OK. I thought it was asking about spelling not pronouncing.

[FBI]

Yeah but on that clip above they pronounce it White ‘n Back

[D as in David]

Just heard he had an assist on their 4th goal of the game so I'm guessing at least 2 pts tonight so far.

They're up 5-0 now. No pts for Wyttenbach on the 5th goal.

[FBI]

I’m watching it on ESPN+ now. Beauty tape to tape pass from blue line to blue line to send Pelosi in on a breakaway for the 4th goal. 2 assists, 38pts, 2 back from first in league.

[Reggie Dunlop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7x_yDEKlrs

[Sandman]

Man, I was big Wyttenbach detractor last summer, but now I think he’s one of our untouchables.

2 points out of first in NCAA scoring.

[getbak]

2 points out of first while playing nearly 5 fewer minutes per game.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Man, I was big Wyttenbach detractor last summer, but now I think he’s one of our untouchables.

2 points out of first in NCAA scoring.

I wonder where he would go this year if he was undrafted last season and was re-entering the draft. I think it's rare for D+1 players to go in the first round, but would second round be out of the question? Are there any examples like this. I know Tomas Galvas went undrafted last season (I was hoping the Flames would take him late in the draft), and this year I have seen him ranked as high as a potential late 1st or 2nd rounder.

If he wasn't drafted though, I wonder if he would have gone to the NCAA this year. I think the original plan was for him to stay in the USHL for another year and then transfer, but getting drafted changed the plans.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Vytten-bach is the certainly the coolest pronounciation.

He'll be bach, it is vytten.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I wonder where he would go this year if he was undrafted last season and was re-entering the draft. I think it's rare for D+1 players to go in the first round, but would second round be out of the question? Are there any examples like this. I know Tomas Galvas went undrafted last season (I was hoping the Flames would take him late in the draft), and this year I have seen him ranked as high as a potential late 1st or 2nd rounder.

If he wasn't drafted though, I wonder if he would have gone to the NCAA this year. I think the original plan was for him to stay in the USHL for another year and then transfer, but getting drafted changed the plans.

I think he said that the Flames were involved in his decision to go to the NCAA this season, instead of next?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Vytten-bach is the certainly the coolest pronounciation.

He'll be bach, it is vytten.

Incidentally, Wyttenbach means ‘white stream’ in Swiss German. So for the moment, we have a white creek to go with our Whitecloud.

[Freeway]

He was going to do what Mace'o Phillips is doing: D+1 in USHL, D+2 in NCAA as a 19-year-old.

[Snuffleupagus]

Not sure if anyone has seen this but it's a good read written before the draft.

Some snippets:

Growing up in the shadow of New York City, Roslyn native Ethan Wyttenbach enjoyed all the trappings that go with living close to the Big Apple. He had his favorite bagel place and pizza restaurant, along with easy access to watch his favorite hockey team, the N.Y. Islanders, in action.

“At first, it was difficult getting adjusted to a different lifestyle. Obviously, South Dakota and New York are very different, and I think the biggest thing for me was it was my first time away from home, so that played a factor into it. It was definitely an adjustment for me,”

Thankfully for Wyttenbach and the Stampede that period of adjustment was short lived as he took to his new surroundings and the level of play in the USHL very quickly and instantly became a fan favorite.

It didn’t take long for him to warm to his new home as he stepped on the ice at Denny Samford PREMIER Center for the first time with a capacity crowd of 10,000 cheering on the Stampede.

And South Dakota’s largest city has grown to love the talented transplant, who has not only endeared himself to the local fans through his play on the ice but also his involvement in the community.

For those things, and many more, Wyttenbach was named the recipient of the inaugural Gaudreau Award, a new honor bestowed upon the USHL player who embodies the legacy of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, the beloved brothers who were tragically killed in a bicycle accident in 2024.

He received the award during a pregame ceremony on April 12 with his family and Guy and Jane Gaudreau in attendance. Afterward, Wyttenbach was able to have dinner with the Gaudreaus, who shared stories about their late sons.

“Getting to meet them and hear the stories about their sons was really a cool moment for me,” Wyttenbach said. “Obviously, you don’t want to meet them under these circumstances, but it’s something that you’d never pass up and you’re always really lucky to get that opportunity. For me, being the recipient of the award is something that connects me with their family forever.”

Over the course of the season, Wyttenbach led the team in community service hours. In addition to being a mentor to local youth hockey players, he has spent time volunteering at Feeding South Dakota, served dinners at the St. Francis House and rung bells for The Salvation Army. He also made numerous school visits and assisted at youth practices after his own.

“Our team is big on culture and having a really strong culture within the community and being role models for the people in Sioux Falls,” he said. “I think with how well I’ve done this year, I’ve grown a pretty big following, whether it’s been kids who come to the games or fans of the team where I’ve been looked up to.

“That’s a huge honor and a huge responsibility that comes along with it. I’m trying my best to be a good role model and be a good person in the community.”

On the ice, Wyttenbach was second in scoring with the Stampede, and his 51 points in 44 games ranked him fourth among USHL rookies. All this despite missing 16 games with a lower body injury.

Under the tutelage of head coach Vinnie Smith, who he still talks to almost every day, Wyttenbach excelled in the Gulls run-and-gun style of play, where offensive creativity and defensive discipline have become hallmarks of one of the premier youth hockey programs in the country.

Once the puck dropped on the season, Wyttenbach made the transition look easy as he registered points in 11 of his first 12 games.

“Before I got here, everyone was saying how big of a jump it is and how much of a difference there is speed wise and skill wise,” said Wyttenbach, who has already committed to returning for another season in Sioux Falls.

“I might be the rare case where I didn’t notice that much of a difference in those areas. I felt speed wise, skill wise, it was just another day, just another game. I know that’s probably not normal, but for me it was a really seamless transition in that area.”

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