Ethen Frank Explained

Ethen Frank
Birth Date:5 February 1998
Birth Place:Papillion, Nebraska, USA
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lbs:178
Position:Center
Shoots:Right
League:NHL
Team:Washington Capitals
Prospect Team:Hershey Bears
Prospect League:AHL
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2022

Ethen Frank (born February 5, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL), while under contract to the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was an All-American for Western Michigan in 2022.

Playing career

Frank spent several years playing junior hockey near his home town in the Omaha Lancers system. In his final year of 16-and-under play, he averaged more than two points per game in three separate leagues and made a brief appearance in the USHL. During his senior year in high school, Frank became a full-time member of the Lincoln Stars, playing against men who were 2- or 3-years older. He put up decent numbers that season but came into his own after graduating. He finished second on the team in both goals and points and ended his junior career by accepting a scholarship at Western Michigan.

Similar to what had occurred in the USHL, Frank took a while to get up to the speed of the NCAA game. He produced modest numbers as a freshman but rounded into form as a sophomore. Frank saw a bit of a regression during his junior season but both he and the Broncos suffered a terrible fate when the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] In what was supposed to be his fourth and final season with the program, Frank had to wait nearly two months to play his first game. When he did, however, he began scoring at an increased pace and ended up leading the team with 13 goals in just 24 games. Unfortunately, the team did not fare well during the strange year and finished 6th in the conference standings.

Because the NCAA had already announced that it would not count the 2021 season towards the 4-year limit for player eligibility, Frank was able to return for a 5th season with Western Michigan.[2] From the start of the season, everything seemed to align for WMU including the torrent of goals provided by Frank. He helped the Broncos put together an enviable record and ensure the team a spot in the NCAA tournament. He distinguished himself by leading the nation with 26 goals and was named an AHCA West Second Team All-American. Though the Broncos fell in the NCHC Championship game, reaching the conference final enabled Western Michigan to receive a #1 seed and a favorable draw in the regional semifinals. Frank's final collegiate point came on the game's opening goal which turned out to be vital for the Broncos as the game eventually went into overtime. Less than two minutes into the extra session, Frank was on the ice with the rest of the Broncos, celebrating the first NCAA tournament victory in program history.[3] He was able to parlay his collegiate success into a professional contract and signed with the Hershey Bears.[4]

Frank set a new record for the "Fastest Skater" event during the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic, achieving a time of 12.915, surpassing Connor McDavid's record of 13.310. His skates later went into the Hockey Hall of Fame.[5] [6]

After leading both the Bears and all AHL rookies in goals during the 2022–23 season, Frank was signed to a one-year, two-way contract by the Washington Capitals on March 2, 2023.[7]

On July 1, 2024, Frank, a restricted free agent, signed a two-year contract with the Capitals, worth $1.55 million. The first year of this is a two-way contract, while the second year will be one-way.[8]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
Team LeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
USHL3 0 2 2 2
Lincoln Stars USHL48 10 9 19 41 0 0 0 0
Lincoln Stars USHL55 18 23 41 77
NCHC30 7 5 12 23
Western Michigan NCHC34 15 11 26 29
Western Michigan NCHC32 9 11 20 6
Western Michigan NCHC24 13 8 21 4
Western Michigan NCHC38 26 13 39 34
AHL5 1 0 1 0
Hershey Bears AHL57 30 19 49 2016 2 4 6 4
Hershey Bears AHL64 29 18 47 1418 10 7 17 2
AHL totals126 60 37 97 3434 12 11 23 6

Awards and honors

AwardYear
College
All-NCHC First Team2021–22[9]
AHCA West Second Team All-American2021–22[10]
AHL
All-Rookie Team2023[11]
Calder Cup2023, 2024[12] [13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NCHC Tournament Cancelled Effective Immediately. nchchockey.com. March 12, 2020. March 12, 2020. March 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200318132849/https://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/1094931. dead.
  2. Web site: NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility . CBS Sports . August 21, 2020. January 25, 2021.
  3. News: 2015-16 WMU HOCKEY RECORD BOOK. Western Michigan Broncos. December 8, 2019.
  4. Web site: Ethen Frank Signs With the AHL's Hershey Bears . Wester Michigan Broncos . April 11, 2022 . August 3, 2022.
  5. Web site: Hershey Bears' Ethen Frank sets new record in fastest skater event at 2023 AHL All-Star Skills Competition . February 5, 2023 . July 19, 2024 .
  6. Web site: Ethen Frank's "Fastest Skates" Go To Hockey Hall Of Fame . March 31, 2023 . July 19, 2024 .
  7. Web site: Capitals Sign Ethen Frank . Washington Capitals . March 2, 2023.
  8. https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-re-sign-mitchell-gibson-chase-priskie-and-ethen-frank#:~:text=The%20Washington%20Capitals%20have%20re,manager%20Brian%20MacLellan%20announced%20today.
  9. Web site: Five Different Teams Represented on All-NCHC First Team . NCHC . March 9, 2022 . March 16, 2022 . March 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220312233118/https://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/1214268 . dead .
  10. News: Four players return to 2021-22 Division I men's All-American teams, led by three-time pick Dryden McKay . USCHO.com . April 8, 2022 . April 8, 2022.
  11. Web site: 2022-23 AHL All-Rookie Team named . theahl.com . April 12, 2023 . April 26, 2023.
  12. Web site: Sweeter by the dozen: Hershey wins 12th Calder Cup . . June 21, 2023 . June 21, 2023.
  13. Web site: It Bears repeating: Hershey wins Calder Cup again . . June 24, 2024 . June 24, 2024 .