Ethan Belchetz Commits To Michigan State
Another top NHL Draft prospect is headed to play College Hockey. According to an announcement on his Instagram, Ethan Belchetz, a projected first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, has committed to Michigan State University.
Belchetz did not confirm in the announcement whether he was staying or leaving his current team, the Windsor Spitfires, but he will likely arrive in East Lansing this fall. He finished the 2025-26 season second on Windsor in goals with 34, behind Rangers prospect Liam Greentree‘s 38 and fourth in points, scoring 59 across 57 OHL games. He added seven points in five games en route to a Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Bronze Medal with Canada and was a +5 rating on the U18 team in that tournament.
At 6-foot-5, 227 lbs, Belchetz is known as a strong forward with great offensive awareness. The 18-year-old forward from Oakville, Ontario, is likely to be selected within the top ten of the draft. He has an average ranking of eighth among all consolidated outlets that cover the NHL Draft and its prospects. Belchetz is set to join notable NHL Draft names also committed to Michigan State, like Mason West (2025-CHI-1), Chase Reid (2026), Nikita Klepov (2026), Jack Hextall (2026), among others.
Under head coach Adam Nightingale, Michigan State has become a dominant force in the college hockey realm. The Spartans have boasted three consecutive seasons with 25 or more wins and have won the Big Ten regular season title en route to the NCAA Tournament in each of those campaigns. Two of those seasons saw them also win the Big Ten championship in 2023-24 and 2024-25.