Lightning select Ethan Czata No. 56 overall in 2025 NHL Draft
The Tampa Bay Lightning selected center Ethan Czata of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs with the No. X overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft on Saturday.
Through 68 appearances with the IceDogs this season, the 18-year-old native of Brampton, Ont., made significant offensive strides as a sophomore, improving to 21 goals and 34 assists to finish fourth in team scoring with 55 points. Of note, Czata had 13 multi-point efforts, highlighted by a season-high five-point showing coming against Sudbury in mid-December.
After a solid season, Czata then added another two points through five postseason appearances. In all, through two seasons with the IceDogs, the budding forward has collected 28 goals and 44 assists for 72 points through 130 career contests.
Beyond his time in the OHL, Czata has also achieved success in international competition, most recently at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, where, in seven outings, he scored once and added four assists for five points to help Canada to its second-straight gold-medal finish. Czata also joined Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, earning another gold medal. Not yet finished, Czata also claimed gold with Canada White at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge after finishing with four points in eight contests.
Equally adept at setting up his linemates as he is at finding the back of the net himself, Czata brings an impressive offensive skill set built on anticipation and patience with the puck. With a solid two-way game, Czata has also shown an ability to play throughout the lineup, though long term he projects as a bottom-six skater. Czata also brings modest size, standing 6-foot-1.
“Czata started the year with a disappointing showing at the Hlinka Gretzky, but he showed he could be equally dangerous as a shooter and a passer in the OHL,” Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis said. “He’s a good two-way forward who can play many different situations, but I think he’ll be used more in a bottom-six role. He put up good numbers this year, but I’d like to see him add more finesse and deception into his game next season. I do think Czata will be an NHLer one day, though.”
Czata is set to return to the IceDogs for the coming campaign, where he will have the chance to share the ice with 2026 NHL Draft headliner Ryan Roobroeck.
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