Projected first-round NHL draft pick Ethan Belchetz is leaving the Windsor Spitfires for U.S. college hockey.
Belchetz, who was the first overall pick by the Spitfires in the 2024 Ontario Hockey League draft, announced Tuesday he has committed to play for Michigan State.
The 6′5″, 227 lb forward had 34 goals and 59 points in 57 games for the Windsor Spitfires this past season that was cut short after he suffered a broken left clavicle in early March, which resulted in his missing the Spitfires’ playoff run.
The 18-year-old is ranked 9th in North America by NHL Central Scouting for the upcoming NHL draft set for June 26 in Buffalo.
Windsor Spitfires General Manager Bill Bowler says it is news they did not expect.
“Obviously, we’ve always anticipated high-end athletes leaving to go to the National Hockey League. Obviously, drafting Ethan when we did, with the first pick, never did we think he’d leave after two years. It becomes challenging. It is just a different landscape; we’ll adjust, and the Windsor Spitfires will figure this out,” he says.
The commitment comes after fellow Spitfire Jack Nesbitt announced in April that he was committed to playing for the University of Michigan. The 19-year-old centre was the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2025 first-round pick, 12th overall.
Bowler says it’s not good news for the Spitfires, but they will deal with it.
“We had no idea that a 2008 Ethan Belchetz or a 2007 Jack Nesbitt, two NHL first rounders, we can’t replace that, let’s be honest. You just can’t find players of that type of ability. We will figure this out; we will put together a good team as we always do,” he says.
Rule changes that took effect in 2024 now allow players in the Canadian Hockey League to join teams in the NCAA, as before a commitment to the CHL made them ineligible to play U.S. college hockey.
Bowler says it’s news they didn’t expect in the middle of May.
“This is a landscape that the CHL and the Ontario Hockey League have to deal with. The timing-I don’t know how many teams are losing two players like this. Again, it’s just part of it; it’s nothing out of our hands; it’s out of our control,” he says.
Other Windsor Spitfires who have also committed to play NCAA hockey this upcoming season include Cole Davis, who’s committed to the University of Connecticut (UConn); Jakub Fibgir, who’s going to Ohio State; and Carson Woodall, who has committed to Boston College.