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‘He’s a wrecking ball’: Why Ethan Belchetz is pushing up 2026 NHL Draft rankings

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Nov 26, 2025, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 26, 2025, 08:51 EST
Ethan Belchetz (Tim Cornett/OHL Images)
Credit: Ethan Belchetz (Tim Cornett/OHL Images)

Bigger forwards have been all the rage recently.

By default, they almost always seemed resigned to bottom-line, tough-guy roles. We simply weren’t seeing new Eric Lindros clones popping off each year. But highly talented forwards standing 6-foot-5 or taller have become much more normal in recent years. Anaheim’s Roger McQueen, Boston’s Dean Letourneau, Columbus‘ Cayden Lindstrom and Washington’s Ilya Protas have all shot up their team’s depth charts. We can’t forget about the top pick in 2022, Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky.

So when Ethan Belchetz took home OHL Cup MVP after his championship performance with the Oakville Rangers in 2024, you knew he was going to be special. Standing tall at 6-foot-5 and 227 pounds, Belchetz is an absolute force of nature. He was always going to have an edge in his age group due to his size, but other players were bound to catch up – either physically or stylistically.

But by all accounts, Beclhetz is a top-five prospect for 2026, with Daily Faceoff’s recent ranking placing him at No. 4. He’s tracking for around 50 goals and 80 points in his second year with Windsor and should pass the 50 penalty minute threshold, as well. He had a decent rookie season a year ago with 38 points, but it wasn’t mind-blowing. Already, he’s just one goal away from tying his 2024-25 output and 10 points from matching his total points from his rookie season.

Belchetz won’t be the OHL’s top draft-eligible points leader at the end of the season – Pierce Mbuyi and Nikita Klepov are battling out for those honors right now. But when you mix in Belchetz’s brute force physicality and high-end hockey IQ, there are enough elements to his game to fall in love with.

“He’s a wrecking ball,” one scout said. “You’re not safe going into a corner with him.”

It’s rare for Belchetz not to make a positive impact in some way every single period. According to InStat, Belchetz averages 88 puck touches per game – a nice step up from the 67 a year ago. His scoring chances also bumped up from 0.84 to 1.25 while also still throwing the body every time he can. We saw him at his best during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August – nobody created more havoc around the net than he did.

At the U-17 World Championship last year – an event Belchetz won with Canada White – the Oakville, Ont., native said he wanted to work on not overthinking plays and keeping things simple. He got caught trying to do a bit too much at times last year, but scouts have noticed him making more high-impact passes this year.

Belchetz has never lacked confidence – and you have to have loads of it when you’re the Tasmanian Devil on skates. He plays with so much power, which allows him to carve through the middle of the ice with little regard for human life.

“If you’re in his way, he’s going to make you pay,” one scout said.

Belchetz is a good puck distributor, often looking for his linemates on the rush. Sometimes, it’s the smart play. But other times, it’s because he doesn’t have the high-end mobility other top prospects posess. That hurts his overall production, although I’ve seen some decent improvement in his overall speed over the past 24 months. It hasn’t hurt his work ethic by any means – when the puck’s in the offense zone, he’s chasing after it the whole time.

Belchetz is a power forward by every stretch of the imagination. But to be a top prospect, you have to be much more than just big. That’s where Belchetz really shines – he’s got enough skill in 1-on-1 situations to beat just about anyone. With quick hands, a booming shot and a deceptive release, Belchetz has had no issue generating quality scoring chances in the OHL, both at 5-on-5 and on the power play. Mix in the size and hockey sense and you’ve got a rounded forward with a handful of translatable pro traits in his toolkit.

Belchetz is currently in Alberta representing the Canadian Hockey League during the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. He didn’t register a point, but he led both teams with seven shots on net. He’ll be leaned on again on Wednesday as the CHL looks to bounce back from a 4-2 opening-series loss.

Taken first overall in the 2024 OHL Draft, Belchetz knows how to handle the pressure of getting selected early. Some scouts think he could be off the board as high as No. 3, with No. 2 not being completely off the table. Belchetz will need to continue proving he can be consistent, and he’ll need to thrive down the stretch to overcome the powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs.

But, hey – if anyone could do it, you should bet high on the absolute monster that is Ethan Belchetz.

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