Former Mississauga Steelheads & Sarnia Sting defenceman Ethan Del Mastro made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks on April 12th against the Nashville Predators.
Ethan Del Mastro made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks last Friday night against Nashville. Del Mastro has spent all of this season with their AHL affiliate — the Rockford IceHogs.
He played his second game with the Blackhawks against Carolina on Sunday as well.
Del Mastro played three seasons in the OHL — 2020-2021 season was cancelled due to COVID pandemic. He played games with the Mississauga Steelheads and the Sarnia Sting — most of which with Mississauga. He was traded to Sarnia for their playoff run in 2022-2023.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenceman was drafted in the 4th round by Chicago in 2021, and his development has always been on an incline. He represented Canada in two World Junior tournaments, and matured tremendously as a solid defenceman through his years in the OHL.
He plays a very strong, solid defensive game, but he's also an efficient skater for his size. He moves the puck at a high level, he's rangey, and he uses his body to be a physical presence in the D zone. He's also got a rocket of a shot from the point.
The Blackhawks got a good one with Del Mastro, and he should have a long career as a solid defenceman in the NHL. Chicago doesn't have a lot of depth on defence, and Del Mastro is a part of that young core developing into NHL defenders.
He's been playing alongside Connor Murphy in his first two NHL games, a player with a little more experience on their blue line.
Del Mastro is getting his first shot at the NHL level as the season comes to an end. He has had a strong first season in the AHL with Rockford, and he will be looking to turn this into a full-time NHL role next season with Chicago.