MSU hockey lands another elite recruit in projected 1st-round pick Ethan Belchetz

The Michigan State hockey team has landed another elite prospect for the upcoming season.

The Spartans landed a commitment from Ethan Belchetz, a power forward who is projected to be selected among the top 15 pick in this summer's NHL draft.

Belchetz had 34 goals and 25 assists in 54 games playing for the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League this past season. Belchetz suffered a broken clavicle in early March and missed the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, but he is expected to be fully healthy in time for the start of MSU's season in October.

Belchetz, a 6-foot-5, 227-pound left winger from Oakville, Ontario, Canada, is the ninth-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting and is ranked in the top 10 overall by several other prospect rankings. Before his injury, Belchetz was projected to go as high as the top five due to his size and scoring ability.

Belchetz was drafted first overall in the 2024 OHL Draft by the Spitfires and had 17 goals and 21 assists in his first season with Windsor.

Belchetz will be among several high-end incoming prospects joining MSU for the coming season, including defenseman Chase Reid, who is likely to go in the top five in June's NHL draft, and forward Nikita Klepov, another projected first-round pick. Other highly ranked incoming players who were previously drafted include goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen, center Mason West and transfer portal forward Cullen Potter, who were all selected in the first round of the 2025 draft.

The Spartans had an open roster spot for Belchetz after recruit Max Heise, who was projected to slot into MSU's lineup as a freshman this upcoming season, decommitted from the program.

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU hockey lands top recruit in expected 1st-round pick Ethan Belchetz