Calgary Flames prospects Ethan Wyttenbach and Tyson Gross earned national recognition at the NCAA awards, headlined by Wyttenbach’s Rookie of the Year honors.
The NCAA and its affiliated organizations unveiled a slate of major men’s hockey honors Friday as part of the Frozen Four festivities, headlined by Max Plante claiming the Hobey Baker Award. Beyond the sport’s top individual prize, a pair of Calgary Flames prospects also earned national recognition, underscoring the organization’s growing pipeline of collegiate talent.
Ethan Wyttenbach emerged as one of the day’s biggest winners, capturing the Tim Taylor Award as the NCAA’s top rookie, an honor voted on by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
The freshman standout delivered a remarkable debut season, leading the entire NCAA in scoring with 59 points, including 25 goals and 34 assists. His production not only paced all players nationally but also set him comfortably atop the freshman leaderboard, finishing eight points clear of Gavin McKenna. In doing so, Wyttenbach became the first Flames prospect to win the Tim Taylor Award since Jon Gillies in the 2012–13 campaign.
A fourth-round selection by the Calgary Flames in the 2025 NHL Draft, Wyttenbach is expected to return to Quinnipiac University for his sophomore season in 2026–27, where he will look to build on an already elite offensive foundation.
All-American Honors Highlight Flames Prospects
Wyttenbach’s accolades did not end there. He was also named a First Team East All-American, earning a spot among the NCAA’s elite as selected by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
He shared the distinction with goaltender Michael Hrabal of Massachusetts, defensemen Brandon Holt of Maine and Colt Hutson of Boston University, along with forwards James Hagens of Boston College and Hayden Stavroff of Dartmouth.
Meanwhile, fellow Flames prospect Tyson Gross secured Second Team West All-American honors following a strong junior season at St. Cloud State University. Gross recorded 41 points in 36 games before turning professional at season’s end, signing with Calgary as a free agent.
He has already begun making an impact at the NHL level, scoring his first career goal earlier this week in just his third game.
The All-American teams, which function as the NCAA’s equivalent of national all-star selections, also featured standout performers across the country. On the West Second Team, Gross was joined by goaltender Josh Kotai of Augustana, defensemen Ty Hanson of Minnesota Duluth and Evan Murr of Minnesota State, as well as forwards McKenna and Charlie Stramel of Michigan State.
Beyond Wyttenbach and Gross, several other Flames-affiliated players earned conference-level recognition. Cole Reschny was named both to the NCHC All-Rookie Team and as the conference’s Rookie of the Year, while Jonathan Castagna earned ECAC First Team All-Star honors in addition to being recognized as the league’s top defensive forward.
Elsewhere, Eric Jamieson secured a place on the NCHC All-Rookie Team, and Abram Wiebe was named to the NCHC Second All-Star Team. Gross, in addition to his national recognition, also collected NCHC First Team All-Star honors and was named the conference’s Defensive Forward of the Year, further highlighting his two-way impact. Trevor Hoskin rounded out the group with a selection to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team.
Several members of this cohort—including Castagna, Wiebe, and Gross—have already signed entry-level contracts with Calgary, while the remaining prospects are expected to return to their respective programs next season, continuing to develop within the NCAA ranks.
