“If there’s one thing I took from her it’s her determination,” he said. “She’s a goalie at Connecticut so just the way she can be so mentally dialed and 100 percent ready for every single game. I really wouldn’t be here without everyone in my family, but especially her.”
Taylor, who is 18 months older than Ethan, is 1-0-0 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .885 save percentage in one game this season.
She remembers how determined her brother was in improving his shot when they were younger and can understand his desire to be an even more complete player today.
“I’m most proud of who he is as a person,” Taylor said of Ethan. “On the ice he’s a strong, powerful hockey player but he’s never let any ratings or any Instagram followers change who he is as a person. No matter how high or low people rank him, he’ll always just put his head down and work hard and that’s something I’ve always admired.”
PROSPECTS ON THE RADAR (listed alphabetically)
Malte Gustafsson, D, HV71 Jr. (SWE-JR): The 17-year-old (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) raised eyebrows after he had six points (two goals, four assists) in five games for silver medal-winning Sweden at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 13 games in Sweden’s junior league, which earned him a promotion to the Swedish Hockey League. He made his SHL debut Oct. 30 and has no points and two shots on goal in two games.
“He’s a solid skater with speed and agility for his size,” NHL director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. “He’s mature and steady with good confidence and a professional style, including hard passes and physicality in battles.”
Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL): The son of former NHL center Manny Malhotra ranks second among OHL rookies with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) and is first with nine power-play points (three goals, six assists) in 17 games. The 17-year-old (6-1,182) also has won 47.1 percent of his face-offs and has scored three game-winning goals.
Egor Shilov, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL): The 17-year-old (6-0, 177) is second among Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League rookies with 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) and 12 power-play points (three goals, nine assists) in 16 games. Last season, his first in North America from his native Russia, he had 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) with 39 games with Green Bay in the United States Hockey League.
“He’s an excellent prospect with a ton of skill,” Central Scouting senior Eastern scout Jean-Francois Damphousse said. “His hands and puck skills are as good as anyone in this draft. He creates lots of scoring chances for his team and is producing at a good clip.”
