2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Ethan Belchetz

Ethan Belchetz is a six-foot-five 18-year-old left-shooting left-wing from Oakville, Ontario. He is projected to be drafted around 9th overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the 2025-26 season with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, where he scored 34 goals and 25 assists over 59 games. He is committed to Michigan State University for the 2026-27 season.

Draft Position

#9 Inside The Rink
#9 NHL Central Scouting
#10 Consolidated Ranking

Diving Deeper

Belchetz’s hockey sense is one of the more underrated aspects of his game. While his size and goal-scoring ability immediately draw attention, his understanding of how to use those tools effectively is what allows him to consistently generate offense. He reads plays well in the offensive zone, finds gaps in coverage, and has a strong understanding of where to position himself around the net to create scoring opportunities. Rather than solely relying on his physical advantages, Belchetz processes the game at a steady pace and makes intelligent, thought-out decisions with the puck. He consistently attacks open ice, protects the puck along the boards, and can move the puck to teammates in better scoring positions. Belchetz stays aware even off the puck, which allows him to get to dangerous areas at just the right time, making him a consistent threat in the offensive zone.

Areas to Improve

The biggest area of focus for Belchetz moving forward is his skating, although he moves well for a player of his size and can be difficult to contain once he gets up to speed, his first-step quickness and overall explosiveness remain works in progress. Improving his acceleration would allow him to separate more consistently from defenders and make his already dangerous offensive game even more effective. There is also some room for growth in his overall defensive consistency. There have been times where he gets a little to caught up in his offensive game that he loses track of defensive responsibilities.

Final Thoughts

A power forward with Belchetz’s combination of size, skill and finishing ability don’t come around often, which is a major reason why he is viewed as one of the top forwards in the 2026 NHL Draft class. His ceiling is certainly a top-six winger who is capable of producing offense while wearing down opponents physically. While player comparisons aren’t perfect, elements of his game resemble players such as Tom Wilson and Alex Tuch. Like Wilson, Belchetz uses his size and strength to create opportunities around the net, while his offensive instincts and ability to contribute as a scorer draw similarities to Tuch. If Belcehtz can continue improving his skating and overall defensive game, he has all the tools necessary to become a valuable top-six NHL player.