NHL Draft Prospect Ethan Procyszyn: The Perfect Combination of a Two-way, Power Forward

Top NHL Draft prospect, North Bay Battalion forward Ethan Procyszyn spoke one-on-one with us at the NHL Combine

What are a few characteristics NHL scouts love in a prospect? To name just a few, teams want a player with a competitive fire in them, someone willing to help the team win by playing a full 200ft game, and a physical beast who will hit anything that moves on the ice. That’s Ethan Procyszyn in a nutshell.

Each year, certain players are drafted for their exceptional skating or elite offensive skills, while others stand out for their ability to play a more well-rounded or powerful game.

Procyszyn is the type of player who loves to the dirty work for his team. That includes winning physical battles and throwing punishing hits. There are a lot of aspects of Florida’s Sam Bennett in his game. And we’ve seen how valuable a player like Bennett can be in the NHL playoffs.

We asked which NHL player he likes to model his game after. He fittingly answered with a former Battalion, Tampa Bay Lightning centerman Nick Paul.

“I embrace the power forward role and physicality of the game. I like to model myself after former Battalion Nick Paul. I think I play a lot like him and that’s how I see myself as an NHL player,” said Procyszyn.

Procyszyn had a strong combine showcasing his athleticism. He finished in the top 25 in numerous fitness tests, including doing 12 consecutive pull-ups. Ethan also came in with the third-lowest body fat percentage at 6.84%. And it was noticeable when being next to him. The kid is in great shape. 

What will get NHL teams excited is hearing that he already has a good understanding of what type of player he needs to be for the show. Ethan may not be a very skilled forward, but he has all the attributes to become a quality middle-six forward who can play center, wing, and on the penalty kill.

North Bay have reached the Eastern Conference Finals three years in a row, but have failed to get past that stage every year. After going down 3-0 in the series to the Oshawa Generals this year, Ethan and his team rallied back to force a Game 7, but faltered in that do-or-die game losing 6-1.

“We got to fight that slump a little bit (on getting past the East Finals), but I feel like we still have a ton of special players on our team still now, and we’re going to have another good team in North Bay. Our goal is to get past the Conference Finals.”

Procyszyn mentioned that the toughest OHL draft-eligible player he played against this year was Oshawa’s Beckett Sennecke in those Conference Finals, crediting his shiftiness and offensive skills.

The Wasaga Beach, Ontario native told us he likes to go fishing up in his hometown when he has days off. He mentioned the biggest fish he caught was a 10-pound salmon, which he had a little bit of help with from his friends to reel in.

“I like to head out with my buddies and my dad. It’s something we’ve liked to do and it helps get my mind off hockey at times.”

Ethan is slotted as a potential fourth-round pick for the upcoming draft. But NHL teams will soon find out that he could be a diamond in the rough type of player due to how well-suited his game is for the pro level.