First overall pick Ethan Belchetz had an impressive two seasons with the Windsor Spitfires, putting him in a good spot to be picked early in the 2026 NHL Draft
As the celebration of the Memorial Cup dies down, the hockey world changes their focus to the NHL Draft, preparing to see the next generation of hockey players begin the next phase of their careers.
Among the OHL players eligible to be selected, Ethan Belchetz of the Windsor Spitfires has a lot of eyes on him ahead of the start of the draft on June 26.
The left winger from Oakville, ON entered the league as the first overall pick of the OHL Priority Selection in the 2024/25 season and he didn’t disappoint. In his rookie season, he scored 17 goals and 38 points in 56 games, four of his goals happening in the Spitfires’ home opener.
The next season, Belchetz’s scoring increased as he recorded 34 goals and 59 points in 57 games, ending the season second in goals and fifth in points among his Windsor teammates.
Although Ethan’s talent on offense will be a massive draw for any team hoping to draft him, there is one thing to be mindful of: his injury history.
As a rookie, Belchetz sustained an injury in the second last game of the regular season, which kept him out of the entire post-season.
During the 2025/26 season, he got injured again, this time with eight games remaining in the regular season, not being able to play in the playoffs again.
That being said, these injuries don’t appear to be affecting Belchetz too much since he’s still projected to be a top 15 pick in the first round of the draft and NHL Central Scouting kept the 18-year-old at ninth in their final prospect rankings of North American skaters.
As long as Ethan can stay healthy and keep scoring once he starts playing games for Michigan State, he should have a bright future ahead of him.