The Calgary Flames had two first-round picks at the 2025 draft, but it’s their fifth-round selection who is really turning heads.

Heading into the 2025 draft, there were some concerns regarding Ethan Wyttenbach. The 18-year-old is a bit undersized at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds. There were also questions regarding his defensive play, making it a bit of a question mark as to how he’d adjust to the college ranks.

Rather than return to the USHL for a second season, Wyttenbach did indeed choose to go the college route, joining Quinnipiac University for the 2025-26 season. It’s turned out to be a brilliant decision.

Following a five-point weekend in wins over St. Lawrence and Clarkson, Wyttenbach is up to 15 goals and 41 points through 28 games. His 41 points rank first amongst all college players this season.

HOCKEY FANS.

After a 5-point weekend, the nation’s leading scorer (41 points) is now the Freshman, Ethan Wyttenbach from Roslyn, Long Island. The #Flames 5th round pick in 2025 played in the @USHL last season and is lighting up the NCAA.

He turns 19 next week, and to me… pic.twitter.com/x8tBhLdYpR

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) February 2, 2026

“I expected to finish around a point-per-game. I kind of figured out the college style a little quicker than I had anticipated,” Wyttenbach said in a chat with Daily Hive in December.

To no surprise, given his stats, Wyttenbach was one of 86 players nominated for the Hobey Baker Award in late January. While there are many deserving candidates, Wyttenbach is absolutely in the mix.

There have been only four freshmen to date who have won the Hobey Baker Award. Macklin Celebrini was the most recent to do so (2024), while Adam Fantilli did the same the year prior (2023).

Jack Eichel also took home the Hobey Baker as a freshman in 2015, while Paul Kariya was the first-ever player to do so in 1993.

To give further indication of just how good Wyttenbach has been this season, consider this: Johnny Gaudreau, whom the Flames drafted in the fourth round in 2011, recorded 21 goals and 44 points in 44 games with Boston College that very next season. The late Gaudreau would go on to record 609 points in 602 games with the Flames.

While it isn’t fair to put the weight of the world on Wyttenbach’s shoulders just yet, it’s easy to understand why he is already being dubbed the steal of the 2025 draft.

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