San Jose Sharks forward Ethan Cardwell will make his NHL debut alongside his childhood best friend, Jack Thompson.
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Cardwell and Thompson are from Curtis, Ontario, Canada, a small town. The duo are roommates in San Jose. Thompson was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2024 NHL trade deadline.
“I think it’s crazy. We were talking about that on our way over here. [We] just can’t really believe it’s happening and playing on the same team in the NHL after growing up for years and years playing minor hockey together,” Cardwell said. “The community as a whole, it’s a big hockey town. People love hockey, rally together around hockey, and you know, that’s how we made so many of our friends growing up.”
Cardwell will enter the Sharks lineup after the team placed Ty Dellandrea on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
“We’ve done it so many times together, whether on the road in minor hockey or going to the rink together in Sweden and now here in San Jose,” Cardwell said about his ride to the rink with Thompson. “It’s been special everywhere we’ve gone. So it’s just more of the same for us.”
Cardwell mentioned the community, and tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings is broadcast on ESPN and Sportsnet 1, giving his community a chance to tune in. The 22-year-old also said he watched last night’s comeback and then was told by John McCarthy that he was going to the NHL about seven minutes after the game ended.
“I hope so. I don’t see why not. As long as they can stay up late,” Cardwell said about his community watching. “I watched the game last night, and I was super excited for the guys to see the comeback, and then when I got the call that I’d be joining them, my first thought was like, let’s keep that rolling.”
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Cardwell was a late cut at the Sharks training camp this season. Despite being a scorer in juniors, the forward’s game has become a hard-nosed checking forward.
“In junior hockey, everyone was on me about my defensive side of the puck and playing hard on that end. Coming here last year as a rookie, I knew to get myself in the lineup in the AHL, it was going to be good on the defensive side of the puck and let the offense take care of itself,” Cardwell explained. “It’s kind of the same model I’ve been going with now for a while, and I’ve been hearing it from management, just to be hard on that side of the puck, and you’ll get rewarded. I’ve been fortunate enough to not sacrifice too much offense.”
Cardwell has five points in six games in the AHL this season. His effort is never questioned, and his ability to win physical battles is his top talent.
Cardwell said that despite being informed late last night that he was headed to the NHL, he was able to contact his parents, who will be in attendance for tonight’s game, along with his brother.
“[I tried] to get a hold of my parents. Actually, [it] was around 10 o’clock, so it was one o’clock back home on the East Coast, so I didn’t get a hold of them, but I was able to get a hold of my brother. Then, after spam calling my parents, we finally got them,” Cardwell said. “I don’t even think they slept after that. I think they got on a flight around five or six Eastern and made it here first thing this morning. So it’s pretty cool.”
The winger also explained that his parents left the San Jose area just three days ago from a visit.
Cardwell will play with Nico Sturm and Carl Grundstrom.
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