Spartan Hockey earns big-time commitment from Ethan Belchetz

On Tuesday morning, the Michigan State hockey team added another talented recruit, as they seek to get over the hump and win their first NCAA Championship since 2007, while looking to "four-peat" as Big Ten Champions.

Ethan Belchetz, a 6'5" 227-pound 2008-born forward - and projected 1st round pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft - announced his commitment to the Spartans.

Belchetz, an Oakville, Ontario native, played last season with the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League, registering 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 games played. Belchetz missed the Spitfires end of the regular season and playoffs with a broken clavicle suffered in early March.

Belchetz joins MSU commits defensemen Chase Reid, forward Nikita Klepov, forward Brooks Rogowski (expected Fall 2027), defensemen Tommy Bleyl (expected Fall 2027), and forward Jack Hextall as players who have all been projected in NHL mock drafts to go in the first round.

These players will join forward Cullen Potter (1st round 2025), forward Cayden Lindstrom (1st round 2024), forward Ryker Lee (1st round 2025), incoming freshman forward Mason West (1st round 2025), and incoming freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen (1st round 2025) as first rounders all on the same roster.

Belchetz is a left hand shot, and I would slot him somewhere in the top three lines as left wing - likely first or second line - with a center like Cullen Potter or Cayden Lindstrom beside him.

Here is what scouts have said about Belchetz...

Corey Pronman (The Athletic):

"Belchetz was once thought of as a potential top-five pick due to his massive 6-foot-5 frame, hard elements and being able to score. He didn’t have a great season, though, and scouts have concerns about his pace."

Scott Wheeler (The Athletic):

"Belchetz is an extremely physically advanced winger who was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 OHL draft and was 6-foot-5 and over 220 pounds as a 16-year-old last season. He got people talking when he got off to a hot start to his rookie season with the Spitfires last year, picking up two points in his debut before a four-goal, six-point night in his third OHL game. He also had a solid tournament for gold medal-winning Canada White at U17s, though I did think he was less impactful in the higher-pace semifinal and final.

He played well (without dominating) on a disappointing team at Hlinka, too, imposing himself at times on the puck and making some plays through the middle. After some dominant stretches to start this season, though, his production leveled off for the second year in a row, and then he broke his clavicle in early March, ending his season with the title-chasing Spits. In my live viewings in the early fall, I thought he looked better than Flyers first-rounder Jack Nesbitt on Windsor’s top line, and there was a lot of early excitement. He had NHL clubs drooling over his hulking frame, legit skill/scoring and developing playmaking and pace then, too. But following a quiet CHL USA Prospects Challenge, he hit a bit of a wall for a long stretch before the injury, finishing his season on a bit of a downspell.

The continued development of his wall game, so that he's more focused on bumping players off the puck and making a quick play off the boards, will be critical in him realizing his potential. His feet can be a little heavy out of the blocks, and his stride can look a little clunky, but he can really get around the ice and drive the middle once he gets moving. And while some of his impact is driven by his sheer size and his ability to stay over pucks and drive into spots, he also has strong offensive tools, he handles well into congested areas, he's comfortable going to his backhand and he can really shoot the puck. When he's at his best, he looks like a force out there. Think Matthew Knies if it all comes together. Someone is going to make that bet fairly early, even if most softened on where they were on him in October/November. Before the injury, he was still on pace for 41 goals."