Calgary Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach playing for Quinnipiac. Courtesy of Quinnipiac Athletics

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The hype train is only picking up steam.

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For all of last season, Calgary Flames fans could look east and see Ethan Wyttenbach tearing it up at Quinnipiac University. He led the NCAA in scoring in his first season playing college hockey and if there was any hesitation in already declaring him the steal of the 2025 NHL Draft, it was simply because it was a little hard to contextualize the 25 goals and 34 assists that he put up.

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Observers are calling him the best player at the tournament and nobody has put up more points than the three goals and three assists he’s managed prior to Thursday’s games.

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His performances with the American team have only confirmed that the Flames’ scouts hit one out of the park when they landed the crafty winger with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of last year’s draft.

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“He’s got a knack to score for sure,” Team USA head coach Adam Nightingale told reporters in Windsor, Ont. “That’s something we can’t teach. It’s a gift he’s worked hard at, where we’ve got to keep helping him is away from the puck. I think he’s had a great start to camp here and when you look at how hard it is to score and beat goalies at this level, you’re definitely going to need guys like that.”

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After what he did in college last season, Wyttenbach had put himself right in the middle of the mix for the team that will represent the U.S. at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Red Deer and Edmonton in December and January.

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With the way he’s played this week, he must now be a lock.

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And looking a little further down the road to next spring, is there anyone betting against Wyttenbach making the jump to the pros and joining the Flames once the NCAA season ends?

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He’ll be returning to Quinnipiac for another season in the fall but hasn’t been shy about declaring his intention of fast-tracking his path to playing in the NHL.

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“Just for the team, I want to win a national championship. We have the team to do it, we have the culture to do it,” Wyttenbach said. “That’s definitely goal No. 1 and then just individually get ready for the NHL, every kid’s dream is to play in the NHL and do it as quick as possible. So just coming back to college, hopefully for one more year, and getting ready for the NHL as quickly as possible.”

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Wyttenbach isn’t alone in having that ambition and there could be an injection of young talent into the Flames organization next spring, with the likes of Carson Carels, Cullen Potter and Cole Reschny all aiming to join the fold in 2027.

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Those are all first-round draft picks. This week has only confirmed what we already knew: Wyttenbach’s name should be mentioned alongside them when Flames fans find themselves getting excited about the future.

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