Ethen Frank (born February 5, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a forward for 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. 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. 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. He was able to parlay his collegiate success into a professional contract and signed with the Hershey Bears.
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.
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.
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.nhl.com .
On January 10, 2025, Frank made his NHL debut with the Capitals, tallying an assist in the 3–2 overtime loss against the Montreal Canadiens. The next day, on January 11, 2025, Frank scored his first NHL goal in the Capitals' 4–1 victory over the Nashville Predators, with his goal being the game winner.
On March 4, 2026, Frank signed a two-year, $4 million contract extension with the Capitals.https://apnews.com/article/washington-capitals-ethen-frank-d6d0c6e3067e250384d0e9742366250f
Career statistics Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2014–15 Lincoln Stars USHL 3 0 2 2 2 — — — — — 2015–16 Lincoln Stars USHL 48 10 9 19 4 1 0 0 0 0 2016–17 Lincoln Stars USHL 55 18 23 41 77 — — — — — 2017–18 Western Michigan NCHC 30 7 5 12 23 — — — — — 2018–19 Western Michigan NCHC 34 15 11 26 29 — — — — — 2019–20 Western Michigan NCHC 32 9 11 20 6 — — — — — 2020–21 Western Michigan NCHC 24 13 8 21 4 — — — — — 2021–22 Western Michigan NCHC 38 26 13 39 34 — — — — — 2021–22 Hershey Bears AHL 5 1 0 1 0 — — — — — 2022–23 Hershey Bears AHL 57 30 19 49 20 16 2 4 6 4 2023–24 Hershey Bears AHL 64 29 18 47 14 18 10 7 17 2 2024–25 Hershey Bears AHL 35 20 8 28 12 — — — — — 2024–25 Washington Capitals NHL 24 4 3 7 6 — — — — — 2025–26 Hershey Bears AHL 3 2 0 2 0 — — — — — 2025–26 Washington Capitals NHL 62 12 12 24 18 — — — — —NHL totals 86 16 15 31 24 — — — — —
Awards and honors Award Year College All-NCHC First Team 2021–22 AHCA West Second Team All-American 2021–22 AHL All-Rookie Team 2023 Calder Cup 2023, 2024
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