The San Jose Sharks’ coaching camp is properly underway they usually’ll have their first preseason sport of the season this weekend towards the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. One participant who’s seeking to make a large affect is their 2021 fourth-round decide, Ethan Cardwell, who had an incredible exhibiting on the Rookie Faceoff however for probably the most half, has flown below the radar. Previous to that occasion, I launched the primary a part of my interview with Cardwell and now it’s time to speak a bit extra about Cardwell on a deeper degree.
Who Is Ethan Cardwell Off the Ice?
Cardwell is from Oshawa, Ontario, and sometimes spends his summers again house within the Larger Toronto Space. Hockey was a significant a part of his life from a younger age, partially as a consequence of his household’s roots within the sport. His grandfather, Steve Cardwell, is somebody who long-time hockey followers might bear in mind as he performed elements of three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins within the Seventies earlier than leaping over to the World Hockey Affiliation (WHA) and taking part in with the Minnesota Preventing Saints and Cleveland Crusaders. Cardwell’s father, Justin Cardwell, additionally performed at an expert degree however was by no means fairly in a position to make it to the NHL. He did spend a substantial period of time within the ECHL and made just a few appearances within the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Windfall Bruins.
Regardless of all of his household ties to hockey, Cardwell wasn’t all the time sure he was going to observe of their footsteps. After I requested him if there was ever any thought of taking his life in one other course, he replied, “To be sincere with you, I had a really robust determination after I was about 15 years previous, going into my OHL (Ontario Hockey League) profession. I wasn’t certain if I needed to play hockey or if I needed to pursue golf on the NCAA (Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation) degree. I used to be form of caught at a crossroads there, and I didn’t actually know what to determine, and form of leaning on [Steve and Justin], seeing the lives that they’ve been in a position to stay and the connections that they’ve made by means of hockey, it made me form of notice how particular a sport it’s.”
He continued, “Simply having the ability to undergo it with the blokes yearly and with golf, clearly, you’re by yourself. So, to have the ability to stay my dream out and be capable of play the sport I like and make a residing doing it, positively wanting again, I’d make this determination 100 instances out of 100.“
Cardwell on the Ice
As a child, Cardwell was a fan of his grandfather’s former group, the Penguins, which finally led to him changing into a fan of their famous person, Sidney Crosby. When requested if there was anybody he modeled his sport after as a child, he replied, “Such as you mentioned, my grandfather performed within the NHL. He performed with Pittsburgh, and my favourite group was, indisputably, the Pens rising up, so I’d say Sidney Crosby. I’m certain that’s a reasonably in style reply for the youngsters who’re my age, rising up, form of residing off Sid and going by means of the years of him profitable Cups and stuff like that, so positively him.”
As soon as Cardwell made the choice to enter the OHL moderately than pursue golf on the collegiate degree, he went on to start out his junior hockey profession with the Saginaw Spirit. Midway by means of the 2019-20 season, he was traded to the Barrie Colts the place he’d play the rest of his junior profession, moreover one notable exception. For the 2020-21 season, the OHL season was canceled so he, alongside fellow OHLers Jack Thompson and Blake Murray, performed in Sweden with Surahammars IF within the HockeyEttan.
As Cardwell bought older, his mindset of who he needed to mannequin his sport after modified. “As I form of bought older, I needed to mannequin my sport after a participant like Travis Konecny. He’s not over the 6-foot mark, and he performs onerous, he skates quick, he shoots the puck properly, and he performs all these sorts of roles that I used to be referring to earlier. So, watching him by means of my junior profession, form of attempting to construct a mildew of his sport and attempting to place it into thoughts and add that edge that he performs with has positively been one thing I’ve been attempting to try for.”
We’ll contact on the roles Cardwell was discussing momentarily, however first, it’s price acknowledging that watching him play, it’s clear that he shares fairly a little bit of similarities with Konecny as properly.
When requested to explain his sport, Cardwell mentioned, “I attempt to deliver vitality each evening and play with a sure tempo that enables me to face out at any degree that I’m taking part in at. Simply deliver that vitality, be capable of play in all conditions. I delight myself on the penalty kill, particularly having the ability to be a dependable participant and {that a} coach needs to placed on when you’ve gotten a penalty within the final couple minutes and an empty web scenario, but additionally having the ability to be on the ability play and be a man who can produce offensively after which utilizing my abilities to my benefit. I wish to say I’m a decently quick participant on the market, so to have the ability to use my skating and simply get myself in good areas, and after I get the puck, attempt to give myself the most effective probability to attain on each shot and make a play from there.”
Cardwell: Turning Skilled
After going undrafted within the 2020 NHL Draft, the Sharks chosen Cardwell within the fourth spherical in 2021. He spent a bit longer within the OHL after being drafted, making his skilled debut with the San Jose Barracuda final season. That season was really when his title began rising up the Sharks’ prospect rankings as he put up 23 objectives and 20 assists in his first outing with the Barracuda within the AHL.
Late within the 2023-24 season, the Sharks acquired Cardwell’s long-time buddy, Thompson, in a commerce that despatched Anthony Duclair to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 2 have fairly a prolonged historical past and are going to be roommates for the upcoming season. Cardwell added, “We grew up neighbors as youngsters since we have been about 5 years previous, so performed minor hockey collectively, and that’s been form of the man that I’ve form of gone by means of all this with. [We’re] having the ability to push one another to succeed and make it to the extent that we’re at and now we’re residing collectively in San Jose this yr.”
Cardwell described the second he came upon that Thompson was becoming a member of the Sharks by sharing a narrative concerning the evening.
“I used to be at a dinner on the street with a bunch of the blokes, and he was calling me. Clearly, he’s my finest buddy, so it’s simple to hold up the telephone on him and simply ship it to say no as a result of I do know I can simply name him again in an hour, or no matter it could be. So, I declined his name about 3 times, and I bought a textual content. He mentioned, ‘You need to name me proper now.’ So, I’m like, ‘That’s bizarre, hopefully every part’s okay.’”
Cardwell then continued, “He referred to as me then he goes, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna be a Shark.’ I used to be like, ‘This may’t be actual.’ So, it bought my head spinning a bit of bit and was a bit of little bit of a whirlwind. He flew proper into Texas and performed with us the following evening, and for the following couple of days, it form of felt like we have been residing in a resort. So, it’s bizarre as a result of if you’re in junior, I really feel like we might all the time get collectively. If I used to be at a resort on the street taking part in his group or any of my different buddies, we’d all the time attempt to get collectively. So, it form of felt like he was simply on the opposing group. We have been simply hanging out for the weekend till it actually set in. Now, particularly this yr, residing collectively, it’s identical to, I don’t know, it feels so regular now, however positively a shock at first.”
Heading into his second season on the skilled degree, Cardwell is aware of there are nonetheless some areas he must deal with if he’s going to crack the NHL roster. “[I need to] play with a bit of bit extra of an edge, form of scan performs, course of them faster, so I don’t have to take action a lot quick-thinking on the spot. Additionally, simply being extra conscious on the ice and actually giving myself a bit of bit additional time to make the best play on each form of factor that develops. If the big-time play’s not there, be okay with taking a chip-in and residing to struggle one other day and transfer on from there. Apart from that, simply being a pest, being somebody different groups hate to play towards, and being somebody that may be that bottom-six ahead within the NHL to start out and form of carve out a job that manner, as a man groups don’t need to play towards, and a man you need to have in your group.”
Associated: Sharks’ Ethan Cardwell Optimistic Heading into Rookie Faceoff
Total, it appears secure to say that Cardwell made the best determination sticking with hockey moderately than going to play collegiate golf. He’s proper on the door of an NHL profession, and now it’s as much as him to interrupt it down and make an entrance into the league. He undoubtedly has the best perspective, and his play on the ice is trending in the best course. It solely looks as if a matter of time earlier than we see him don the teal uniform on the SAP Heart.