The San Jose Sharks’ coaching camp is effectively underway they usually’ll have their first preseason recreation of the season this weekend in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. One participant who’s trying to make an enormous impression is their 2021 fourth-round decide, Ethan Cardwell, who had an amazing displaying on the Rookie Faceoff however for probably the most half, has flown underneath 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 stage.
Who Is Ethan Cardwell Off the Ice?
Cardwell is from Oshawa, Ontario, and sometimes spends his summers again house within the Better Toronto Space. Hockey was a significant a part of his life from a younger age, partially attributable to his household’s roots within the recreation. His grandfather, Steve Cardwell, is somebody who long-time hockey followers might bear in mind as he performed components 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 Combating Saints and Cleveland Crusaders. Cardwell’s father, Justin Cardwell, additionally performed at knowledgeable stage however was by no means fairly capable of make it to the NHL. He did spend a substantial period of time within the ECHL and made a number of appearances within the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Windfall Bruins.
Regardless of all of his household ties to hockey, Cardwell wasn’t at all times sure he was going to observe of their footsteps. Once I requested him if there was ever any considered taking his life in one other route, he replied, “To be sincere with you, I had a really powerful resolution once I was about 15 years previous, going into my OHL (Ontario Hockey League) profession. I wasn’t certain if I wished to play hockey or if I wished to pursue golf on the NCAA (Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation) stage. I used to be type of caught at a crossroads there, and I didn’t actually know what to determine, and type of leaning on [Steve and Justin], seeing the lives that they’ve been capable of stay and the connections that they’ve made by hockey, it made me type of understand how particular a sport it’s.”
He continued, “Simply with 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 to play the sport I really like and make a residing doing it, undoubtedly trying again, I’d make this resolution 100 occasions out of 100.“
Cardwell on the Ice
As a child, Cardwell was a fan of his grandfather’s former staff, the Penguins, which in the end led to him turning into a fan of their celebrity, Sidney Crosby. When requested if there was anybody he modeled his recreation after as a child, he replied, “Such as you mentioned, my grandfather performed within the NHL. He performed with Pittsburgh, and my favourite staff was, indisputably, the Pens rising up, so I’d say Sidney Crosby. I’m certain that’s a fairly fashionable reply for the youngsters who’re my age, rising up, type of residing off Sid and going by the years of him profitable Cups and stuff like that, so undoubtedly him.”
As soon as Cardwell made the choice to enter the OHL fairly than pursue golf on the collegiate stage, he went on to begin his junior hockey profession with the Saginaw Spirit. Midway by the 2019-20 season, he was traded to the Barrie Colts the place he’d play the rest of his junior profession, in addition to 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 received older, his mindset of who he wished to mannequin his recreation after modified. “As I type of received older, I wished to mannequin my recreation after a participant like Travis Konecny. He’s not over the 6-foot mark, and he performs arduous, he skates quick, he shoots the puck effectively, and he performs all these sorts of roles that I used to be referring to earlier. So, watching him by my junior profession, type of making an attempt to construct a mildew of his recreation and making an attempt to place it into thoughts and add that edge that he performs with has undoubtedly been one thing I’ve been making an attempt to attempt 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 effectively.
When requested to explain his recreation, Cardwell mentioned, “I attempt to carry power each evening and play with a sure tempo that permits me to face out at any stage that I’m taking part in at. Simply carry that power, be capable to play in all conditions. I pleasure myself on the penalty kill, particularly with the ability to be a dependable participant and {that a} coach desires to placed on when you could have a penalty within the final couple minutes and an empty internet state of affairs, but additionally with 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 prefer 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 once 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 targets 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 pal, 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 children since we have been about 5 years previous, so performed minor hockey collectively, and that’s been type of the man that I’ve type of gone by all this with. [We’re] with 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 in regards to 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 greatest pal, so it’s straightforward to hold up the cellphone 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 might be. So, I declined his name about 3 times, and I received a textual content. He mentioned, ‘It’s important to name me proper now.’ So, I’m like, ‘That’s bizarre, hopefully every little thing’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 could’t be actual.’ So, it received 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 subsequent evening, and for the subsequent couple of days, it type of felt like we have been residing in a lodge. So, it’s bizarre as a result of if you’re in junior, I really feel like we might at all times get collectively. If I used to be at a lodge on the street taking part in his staff or any of my different buddies, we’d at all times attempt to get collectively. So, it type of felt like he was simply on the opposing staff. We have been simply hanging out for the weekend till it actually set in. Now, particularly this yr, residing collectively, it’s similar to, I don’t know, it feels so regular now, however undoubtedly a shock at first.”
Heading into his second season on the skilled stage, Cardwell is aware of there are nonetheless some areas he must give attention to if he’s going to crack the NHL roster. “[I need to] play with a bit of bit extra of an edge, type 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 appropriate play on each type 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. Aside from that, simply being a pest, being somebody different groups hate to play in opposition to, and being somebody that may be that bottom-six ahead within the NHL to begin and type of carve out a task that method, as a man groups don’t need to play in opposition to, and a man you need to have in your staff.”
Associated: Sharks’ Ethan Cardwell Optimistic Heading into Rookie Faceoff
Total, it appears secure to say that Cardwell made the appropriate resolution sticking with hockey fairly 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 appropriate angle, and his play on the ice is trending in the appropriate route. It solely looks like a matter of time earlier than we see him don the teal uniform on the SAP Heart.
