General | 4/11/2025 3:57:10 PM

Excellence on the ice, passion for the game and care for those around them. It’s what made Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau so special, and it’s why their legacy continues to live throughout the hockey community.
 
They’re also the same traits Ethan Wyttenbach has exemplified in his first USHL season. Fittingly, the Quinnipiac commit is the inaugural winner of The Gaudreau Award.
 
“Ethan’s such a mature kid and he’s shown a tremendous amount of character, and it’s such a tremendous honor,” said Sioux Falls General Manager Tony Gasparini. “He’s been able to be one of our most consistent scorers while also juggling the academic portion, and he’s made time each and every week to get involved in our community.
 
“He wants to educate the people of Sioux Falls about the Stampede and the sport, and it’s something he enjoys doing. And you can see it with the way he interacts with people, whether that’s our fans, youth hockey players or even kids at the schools. He cares and he’s always going the extra mile. So he’s a tremendous young man and it’s a well-deserved honor.”

From community service to fan engagement, the off-ice responsibilities are a critical component of the junior hockey experience. It’s long played a key role in Sioux Falls’ success, as is the case for many organizations.

For those that can contribute on the score sheet and in the community, it takes a special person, and it isn’t always easy to balance. Especially as a young kid, potentially living away from home for the first time.
 
However, Wyttenbach has carried himself wise beyond his years, and he’s your prototypical rink rat – often the first player to arrive at the arena and the last one to leave. Yet he’s been rewarded for his work ethic.

On top of averaging 1.14 points per game and being one of the USHL’s top NHL draft prospects, the 18-year-old has made a positive impact on so many.
 
“It’s really special to see Ethan get recognized. He has a lot of the traits you look for in a young player, both on and off the ice,” said Sioux Falls President and CEO Jim Olander. “You could tell early on that he was going to be a special player and honestly, he didn’t have a lot of trouble transitioning to the league. But I also think we could see how special he was as a person. He cares so much about the people he’s around and he wants to give back, and he understands the importance of being involved in the Sioux Falls community.”
 
“I think it’s an amazing accomplishment for Ethan, and he’s a very outgoing kid,” added head coach Ryan Cruthers. “He’s a passionate hockey player and he loves the sport, but he also understands he can extend that passion throughout the community and be a role model. And he takes a lot of pride in the Stampede organization, so it’s a huge honor and it’s a credit to Ethan’s family for the kid and hockey player he’s become.”
 
Wyttenbach’s season hasn’t been adversity-free, which has only made his contributions more impressive. The New York native sustained a lower-body injury in early February and missed roughly seven weeks before returning on March 27.

He continues to lead Sioux Falls with 23 goals and still ranks second with his 49 points. He’s also one of the team’s leaders in community service hours – volunteering at Feeding South Dakota, the St. Francis House and local schools, on top of attending several youth hockey practices. 
 
Wyttenbach rang bells for The Salvation Army during the holiday season and helped drape rally towels over seats on Weiner Dog Night without being asked. He continued to volunteer and remained invested in his team while recovering from the injury.

Wyttenbach may be one of the team’s youngest players, but he’s become a fan favorite and represented the organization tremendously.
 
“The award speaks volumes of Ethan and what a great young man he is, on top of being a highly skilled player,” Olander said. “We couldn’t be more proud of him and we couldn’t ask for a better kid than Ethan to represent our organization, and he’s gone above and beyond. He wants to be involved in our community and he shows up every day with a smile and willingness to help, and it doesn’t always happen that way.

“Ethan’s truly a family-first and team-first kid though, and that’s something we take a lot of pride in here. And he wants to be a positive influence. So we’re really proud of everything he’s done. He defines who the Sioux Falls Stampede are and how we want our players to carry themselves.”

Wyttenbach will be honored before Saturday’s regular-season finale as the Stampede host Fargo at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
 
Members of the Gaudreau family will be in attendance, along with USHL President Commissioner Glenn Hefferan, and a ceremony will take place before the opening faceoff. The award will be given out each season. Wyttenbach will forever be known as the firs  and he’s exemplified so many of the same qualities of the award’s namesakes.

“The impact that Johnny and Matthew had in our league shows the type of people and players they were, and I think it’s tremendous that an award such as this is named after them,” Gasparini said. “Those two are going to have a lasting impact in our league, and our sport as a whole, and for Ethan to have his name tied to them, it’s a tremendous honor.
 
“I think when our staff read the criteria and what this award stands for, both on and off the ice, Ethan really stood out from the get-go. He’s a pleasure to be around every day, he always has a smile on his face and puts one on the people around him, and he’s earned it.”
 
*Each USHL General Manager nominated one player for the award, answering a series of questions and submitting testimonials to contextualize their selections. Click here for more on the award criteria and to learn about all 16 finalists.
 
About the USHL

The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.