DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: Ethan Wyttenbach

  • USA Offense Explodes in 7-2 Victory Over Canada

    Team USA dominated Team Canada 7-2 on the final day of World Junior Summer Showcase action.

    What began as a hesitant first period with both teams feeling each other out quickly erupted into a shooting gallery for the rest of the game.

    The first goal came shortly after the first intermission when Sammy Nelson stole the puck and took off to the races, beating Lukas Beckman low glove side for the shorthanded tally.

    Canada responded quickly. Ethan Belchetz forced an offensive zone turnover, then fired it home to tie the game 1-1. 

    Minutes later, following a dominant shift that included a breakaway attempt, Cole Reschny was rewarded when his shot deflected off teammate Dima Zhilkin and in to give Canada a 2-1 lead.

    Then the USA rallied back, scoring 4 unanswered goals to close out the second period. Ethan Wyttenbach potted 2 back-to-back goals in tight, one of which was on the power play. Then Sean Barnhill scored from long distance on a seeing-eye shot before Brooks Rogowski showed off his speed going end to end and blasting one blocker side to beat Lukas Beckman. 

    The Americans didn’t slow down in the third. Wyatt Cullen picked up the period’s opening goal when a broken-up 2-on-1 pass bounced right back onto his stick. Blake Fiddler then capped off the scoring following an extended sequence of zone pressure in the Canadian end.

    Team USA closed out the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase with an emphatic 7-2 victory over Canada.

    Both teams will now shift their focus to Edmonton and Red Deer, where they’ll look to carry this momentum onto the podium in search of gold.

    Standouts:

    Carter Sanderson – Brooks Rogowski – Mason West (USA)

    What’s the quote again? “All for one and one for all?” In all seriousness, what a standout performance from this entire unit. Setting the tone from the opening puck drop, they were physical, skilled, and relentless, helping Team USA find its offensive groove in the second period. The trio combined for five points while wearing down the Canadian defence all night.

    Mikey Berchild – Wyatt Cullen – Ethan Wyttenbach (USA)

    Again. This entire line has been exceptional all tournament long. While it remains to be seen if coaching keeps them together come December, this showcase proved the Americans have a legitimate top line capable of doing serious damage. Combining for another eight points tonight, they made a compelling case to stay intact for the main event.

    Cole Reschny (Canada | Calgary Flames)

    One of the few highlights for Canada, Reschny flashed his high-end skill during a dominant second-period shift, one of the best of the entire tournament. He split the defenders with speed to create a prime scoring opportunity before picking up an assist 30 seconds later, shooting it off Zhilkin and in. Reschny will need to be a major presence if Canada wants to succeed in Edmonton.

  • Finland Gets Revenge Against USA in World Junior Tune-Up

    Team Finland edged out Team USA 3-2 to begin Day 3 of the World Junior Summer Showcase after a practice day on Tuesday.

    Although Tuesday morning’s official announcement for USA’s merged roster never came, we did see the players who are now left take the ice today. Given that this showcase is a precursor to the World Junior tournament, making this merged roster goes a long way to making the official 25-man roster.

    Coming off a 4-1 win over USA White and a 5-1 loss to USA Blue, today felt like the rubber match between Finland and USA.

    After a back-and-forth start to the game, Vilho Vanhatalo scored on the breakaway after a missed breakaway attempt by Ethan Wyttenbach, putting Finland on the board.

    From that goal onward, the USA was in complete control through the rest of the first period. Ethan Wyttenbach scored on a long-distance shot through traffic to tie the game with 4:54 left in the period.

    The second period was very similar to the end of the first, with the US dominating the pace of play and Finland counterattacking when the opportunity presented itself. 

    Mikey Berchild jammed one home on the power play early into the second period, but the play was reviewed and later overturned due to the US entering the zone offside. 

    Finland was on their back foot most of the period, but a long-distance shot from Jesse Parssinen kicked out a rebound directly onto the stick of Ilari Kapanen, who shot it in, giving Finland the 2-1 lead.

    The bad rebound luck continued for the US with Eetu Orpana finding the loose puck off a Chase Reid blocked shot, making a quick cutback move, and firing it past Harrison Boettiger.

    The third period was much more competitive, with different exchanges of both teams dominating the pace of play and their looks. With Finland on the power play, the puck got rimmed around the boards, and Sammy Nelson outskated the Finnish backchecker to get to the puck first, shooting it past Patrik Kerkola to bring the game within a goal.

    Although the US pushed Finland to the brink, they could not beat Kerkola in the end, and Finland took home the victory 3-2.

    Team USA will play Sweden tomorrow at 3 p.m. EDT, while Finland will take on Canada at 7 p.m. EDT/ 2 a.m. EEST

    Standouts:

    F Ethan Wyttenbach (USA | Calgary Flames)

    Team USA’s entire top line with Wyttenbach, Cullen and Berchild was incredible, but the standout performance again today was Wyttenbach, who continued as the offensive catalyst for Team USA. Scoring a goal and generating numerous high-quality chances throughout the game, it felt like a different team whenever Wyttenbach and his line jumped over the boards.

    F Carter Sanderson (USA | Pittsburgh Penguins)

    After scoring a hat trick in his opening game and adding another goal in his second, Sanderson was one of the most deserving players to make this US merged team, and today he rewarded the decision with another strong game. Creating opportunities with his speed and size, he had a number of high-quality looks while taking care of his responsibilities in his own end. 

    F Sammy Nelson (USA | 2027 Draft Eligible)

    Turning out to be Team USA’s MVP of the game, Nelson put together another strong performance for the US squad, picking up a shorthanded goal in the process. The expected top 5 pick at the 2027 NHL draft will look to continue his strong showcase ahead of the World Junior tournament that could propel him into the top 3.

    G Patrik Kerkola (FIN | 2027 Draft Eligible)

    Strong goaltending will, like always, play a major factor in Team Finland’s success when they embark upon Edmonton and Red Deer. Today we saw a solid all-around performance from Kerkola, who strung together some key saves late in the game to give Finland the victory. If Kerkola can continue to play the way he did at the end of this game, the Finns might just be able to pull off the miracle and return to gold for the first time since 2019.

    F Eetu Orpana (FIN | 2027 Draft Eligible)

    It was another strong game from Orpana tonight on both ends of the ice. On the offensive side, he was all around it, picking up the eventual game-winning goal in the process. On the defensive side, he was lights out, in one instance chasing down Carter Sanderson back the full length of the ice to deny the American the chance.

  • USA Blue Takes Down Finland at World Junior Summer Showcase

    Day 2 of the World Junior Summer Showcase kicked off with the two best teams from Day 1 facing off, seeing USA Blue take down Finland 5-1.

    As they did in Game 1, Finland came out of the gates hot, controlling much of the play and generating a handful of high-quality chances. 

    Ryan Cameron, who started for USA Blue, was perfect through his opening period and a half, being a key reason why the game remained knotted at zeros through the opening frame.

    It was just past the 30-minute mark when we saw the opening goal of the game, this time coming off the stick of Ethan Wyttenbach, scoring on the breakaway past the glove of Juuso Ainasto.

    After a strong forecheck from Wyatt Cullen, which knocked the puck off of Max Laatikainen’s stick, Wyttenbach picked it up and fired it home for his second of the game.

    From there, Finland had a strong end to the period, collecting their first goal of the game with Eetu Orpana tipping one past Harrison Boettiger.

    A standout player from yesterday, Brooks Rogowski, showed off his skating ability to score off the rush 34 seconds into the third period.

    Later in the third, Jamie Glance sniped one from a low angle over the shoulder of Juuso Ainasto to ice the game, putting USA Blue up by 3 goals.

    Carter Sanderson potted his fourth goal of the tournament into the empty net to secure the 5-1 final for USA Blue over Finland.

    Standouts: 

    F Ethan Wyttenbach (USA | Calgary Flames)

    Wyttenbach put together another great performance today after yesterday’s game, where he tallied 3 assists en route to a 6-1 win for USA Blue. Today we saw the goal-scoring side come out for him, potting 2 goals en route to the win for USA Blue. 

    F Aapo Katavisto (FIN | 2027 Draft Eligible)

    Yesterday, we highlighted Katavisto as a standout performer for what he did with the puck, collecting a goal and an assist on the day. Today we saw a more complete game, getting into lanes, blocking shots, and playing very well defensively throughout the game, a role you can expect him to play on the main roster come December. 

    D Vertti Svensk (FIN | Los Angeles Kings)

    An extremely strong skater, we saw Svensk continue to control the pace of play around him throughout today’s game. If he can use his speed and edges to get around defenders while also continuing to play well defensively, he could emerge as a minute leader for this Finnish team as they continue the showcase.

    G Ryan Cameron (USA | Edmonton Oilers)

    What previously felt like a set goaltending rotation for the United States could become much more interesting after Cameron’s performance today. The 221st overall pick was lights-out today for USA Blue, with strong positioning, the ability to battle through screens, and good lateral movement. Whether Cameron has done enough through 2 separate 30-minute appearances to make the merged US roster, which will be decided tomorrow, still remains to be seen, but there will be plenty of excitement with what he’s been able to do.