NEW YORK – The way Ethan Wyttenbach’s season is going, no one would have been surprised if he showed up at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night in gear.
After all, there’s already a debate going on about whether the 19-year-old Long Island native is ready to make the leap to the big business.
This is what happens when you go from a fifth-round draft pick as a freshman to a Hobey Baker finalist. This journey will likely lead to a fascinating year-end discussion with the Flames about their plans moving forward.
Should the nation’s best college scorer turn pro?
Or should he return to Quinnipiac University in Connecticut for at least another year or two to continue his development?
Flames GM Craig Conroy continued to insist that no one would be rushed as part of the team’s youth movement and had plans to attend Friday’s home game against Clarkson.
Their serious discussions won’t begin until the youngster’s season is over.
But Wyttenbach was only too excited to see his future team Tuesday. He drove from school to his childhood home after practice and rode the Long Island Railroad to watch the Flames play the Rangers. With the Flames down 4-0, Wyttenbach visited Conroy in the press box and they shared many laughs.
Oh, and he brought his own advisor.
Wearing a red Flames hoodie and matching shoes, the personable Wyttenbach smiled down at his future teammates, including longtime Long Island friend Matt Coronato.
They spend the summer training and skating together.
The question is, when will we start playing together?
“Obviously, those conversations need to be had and I don’t think we want to rush it, even though he’s still young,” said Wyttenbach, who has 24 goals and 57 points in 36 games and is nine points ahead of second-place Gavin McKenna, who is projected to go first overall in this summer’s draft.
“I want to make the right decisions for my career and my overall development, and I’m honored to be able to have those conversations and be a part of them, but obviously we still have a long way to go this season and we’re definitely hoping to win a national championship.”
Has his incredible success changed his approach to future roadmaps?
“To be honest, I was expecting three or four years, especially as a fifth-rounder,” he smiles about his original college plans.
“I definitely think I’ve sped things up a little bit. We’re definitely looking at a shorter timeline.
“So just to have that opportunity is really cool. It was really cool to play in the NHL, especially as a kid dreaming of it. It was really cool to be able to have those conversations with Craig and the whole staff has been really awesome to me. It’s really exciting.”
Wyttenbach, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound right-hander who had just over a point per game in the USHL last season, has been one of the biggest stories in college hockey this season and has continued to build on his growing confidence.
As the Flames move from several pillars, new pillars appear.
The club has three roster spots open with a handful of college players who could sign up in the coming days and weeks and potentially fill those spots after the team is eliminated from the playoffs.
“I think I definitely felt confident that I could have a good year and I thought I would come in and definitely want to be a key contributor to our team,” Wyttenbach said.
“Obviously, I might have been a little surprised myself, but it was really awesome. Hanging out with people and engaging with them. And obviously our team has done some really cool things this year, so it’s been really awesome.”
Quinnipiac is ranked No. 7 in the nation with a 26-7-3 record heading into Friday’s home game against Clarkson, Conroy’s alma mater.
“They might send him,” laughed Wyttenbach, who nearly secured a spot in the 16-team national championship tournament.
“It’s definitely cool for him to come see the game because Calgary is pretty far away, so if he has the opportunity to come watch me, it’s obviously a huge honor for me. And I know he played for Clarkson, so there’s a little bit of competition, but I think it’s just fun and games.”
On the ice, the kid was clutch, exuding a confidence that even the Flames could not have imagined before.
“To come into a big game and have swagger, you have to have confidence, but obviously you have to use it in a good way,” said Wyttenbach, who scored four game-winning goals and came in at plus-19.
“And I think I’ve learned over the years how to utilize that and use it in the right way.”
