Bears' Frank is still working hard to get his first call-up | TheAHL.com

by Jesse Liebman | AHL On The Beat

Hershey Bears ahead Ethan Frank he already had a decent start to his first professional season when he was selected to represent his team in the American Hockey League's All-Star Classic in February of 2023.

On the day Frank celebrated his 25th birthday, he electrified the Place Bell crowd – and thousands more across North America on television and social media – in the CCM Fastest Skater event with a leg of 12.915 seconds, becoming the first player to break the – 13 – tied for second fastest skater in the AHL or NHL, and earned the moniker “The Man Fastest in Hockey.”

Awards soon followed. Frank finished the year with 30 goals (good for a tie for seventh among all rookies, tops among rookies), signed an NHL contract with the Washington Capitals, earned a spot on the AHL's All-Rookie Team, and helped the Bears to . The Calder Cup, it helps Mike Vecchione's Game 7 overtime clincher over the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The following year, Frank continued to defend his fastest skater title — he led the field at the 2024 event in San Jose with a lap time of 13.032 — and played a major role as Hershey repeated as champion over the Coachella Valley.

As Frank said Drew Remenda in an on-ice interview after his victory in the 2024 fastest skater competition, “speed kills.”

While Frank clearly has NHL-caliber speed, he has consistently shown that he has a goaltender's touch over the past two and a half seasons in the AHL.

Just in case: recorded his first career goal – a power-play-time single from the left circle with the man advantage – on April 15, 2022 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; since that day, Bear Nation and the rest of the AHL have seen Frank fill the net 79 times in the regular season, a mark surpassed in that span only by the 81 goals scored by the Ontarios. Samuel Fagemo. Frank is tied for fourth in the league in 2023-24 with 13 power play goals, and as the Bears enter the holiday break this past weekend, Frank is tied with Calgary's. Rory Kerins first in the AHL with 19 tallies. He appears to be almost a sure bet to be selected to represent the Bears again for a third straight season in the AHL All-Star Classic, which will be hosted in February at Acrisure Arena.

“There is no question [his 2023 performance] He definitely put him on the map, just talking to league officials and managers and the league. They want to see the players succeed that way in the skills competition,” said the Bears coach Todd Nelson said. “He is definitely in the conversation to start for the third year in a row; He leads the league in goals and I'm sure he will deserve consideration for that.”

“It would be very special to be able to represent Hershey and participate in something like this with other teammates, coaches and staff as well.” Frank said. “I know it has entered [Coachella Valley]to hear a few glimpses here and there, but it's all good.”

But Frank is focused on using his speed and scoring ability — and a commitment to raising his 200-meter game — to bring him closer to something that has eluded him until now: getting that first NHL call-up. Because as much as he has already accomplished, there have been growing pains along the way.

Frank stumbled heavily late in his rookie season and struggled to find the back of the net as the team made its way through the Calder Cup Playoffs, and was scratched in parts of the Eastern Conference Finals and the championship round against the Firebirds. After hoisting the Calder trophy in 2023, Frank spent the entire 2023-24 season with Hershey, and badly missed eight games for the Bears with a lower-body injury from mid-February to early March, when he was going to be there. It was an option to remember for the Capitals as they made a postseason bid for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But Frank once again exorcised his playoff demons later that spring, tying for the league title with 10 goals — at one point including a six-game hitting streak — and tying for a four-game winning streak against Hershey as the team also defeated Coachella Valley. to repeat as Calder Cup champions.

Expectations were perhaps as high as they've ever been this fall, but Frank couldn't make enough of an impact in three preseason contests with Washington to make the Capitals' roster.

The motivation to finally break through is probably what sparked Frank's game to start this season. Among his 19 goals, he got a hat trick on opening night against Cleveland, put together a five-game hitting streak in late November, and has collected four game-winners. But he is quick to acknowledge those who have helped him get to this point.

“I have to thank other people at a high level, even the coaches and support staff, I show the video and express opinions on the bench about how the teams are beaten,” said Frank. “Whether it's the power play or 5-on-5, there are a lot of people who support us as players and what we do and try to make our jobs as easy as possible, and it seems to work well for everyone.”

Bears assistant coach Nick Bootland oversees the team's power play unit – a team where Frank has matched Hershey in each of the past two campaigns and currently sits first among the top four players this season. He liked what he saw as Frank continued on his way up.

“If you look back and look at the first year of the playoffs, we actually sat him out because there was no competition. And he wasn't willing to pay the price we wanted. Once we did that, it woke him up. And he never forgot that moment,” said Bootland.

“He went back to that moment early last year in the playoffs where he was like, 'I'm not going to let that happen again.' He was outstanding at the time, and has continued into the season. Sometimes you can see a chance for him to be in the National Hockey League. I think there will be an opportunity at some point. He is one of those guys who has a knack for making things happen. And I think wherever he goes, he's going to score.”

Nelson has seen Frank's effort, and he knows the challenges he faces as a player for opposing teams who often set up games for him.

“I think his confidence is at a high level right now. We all know that he can swing well and has a very good game, but right now he is hitting his best, his shot is very accurate. He plays a solid game and teams are starting to sit on him and try to take away his chances. But he still finds a way to break free and gets the puck in the net.

“I think he is thirsty to be in the conversation, to be called. I think if you look at his training camp with Washington, it may not have gone the way he wanted. I think he's on a rescue mission down here, so that Washington can keep him in the conversation if it has to be called.”

Vecchione, who was with Frank that night in Laval at the All-Star Classic almost two years ago, witnessed Frank's great success as a regular partner, often playing left wing to Frank's right, and the two considered each other closely. friends on and off the ice. Vecchione continues to admire his teammates' ability to score and prepare.

“Even after two years of being a top scorer, he still finds different ways to score goals and doesn't let other teams get in his way,” said Vecchione. “It's a credit to him even before evaluating what he's doing, and all the little things he's doing to put himself in a good position to be a great teammate and a great goalscorer.”

Could Frank finally get the NHL call? Will Frank get a chance to defend his Fastest Skater crown for the third year in a row? Can the Bears capture the Calder Cup three-peat (a feat accomplished once before in the early 1960s by the Springfield Indians)? The answers to all these questions remain to be seen, but regarding the first one, Frank is always straightforward.

“I hope I'm close,” he said. “I like to be confident, but I don't know what [Washington’s] the list looks like a calling one, so I just try to do what I can to give myself the best chance. You can't think about that too much or you won't do very well, so I try to stay in the moment and control what I can't control right now. I think helping get the call would be playing better defensively and off the puck, and having more urgency all over the ice and not just in any one spot, but obviously the NHL is fast and full of good players. and therefore difficult to crack; there is a reason why it is difficult to live in it.”