Ethen Frank Was Just A Kid From Nebraska With A Dream. Now, He's The Spark The Capitals Have Been Looking For

The Capitals continue to see Ethen Frank take his game to the next level.

WASHINGTON — There’s no one who loves the Washington Capitals’ homegrown Hershey Bears products more than Brandon Duhaime. That’s why coach Spencer Carbery gave him the floor after Tuesday’s win to talk about Ethen Frank.

“Best player in the NHL. Hands down,” Duhaime declared.

Frank had a two-goal performance to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games and give him his first 10-goal season at the NHL level, marking another chapter in a journey that he himself feels needs better words to describe.

“It’s meant a lot. It’s been quite a ride,” Frank said, adding, “It’s been pretty chaotic, but it’s been a lot of fun, for sure. It’s a good start, I think, to my career so to call it in this league, and I’m just trying to keep taking steps forward every day.”

It wasn’t easy to get to this point for the Nebraska native, who nearly quit ice hockey as a kid because he didn’t think it moved fast enough.

Though he had a strong training camp, a lack of spots on the roster meant that he had to clear waivers and start from scratch in the American Hockey League once again.

After an impressive start with the Bears, where he first rose to prominence as an AHL All-Star, top goal scorer and notable speedster with a record 12.399 lap around the rink, and amid mounting injuries in D.C., Frank was called back up to fill the void.

“playing with him in Hershey, I’ve seen a lot of goal scoring from him,” Connor McMichael noted. “It’s nice to see it translate to the NHL.”

He had other plans in mind, though, turning his temporary stay into a permanent roster spot, as he showed he can do more than just put pucks in the net.

“It goes unnoticed, because the scoring and the speed and generating, it’s his bread and butter. It’s what separates him from normal NHL players… the other stuff, though, is what he has worked tirelessly on to make sure that he can earn a spot in the lineup every single night,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “He can be reliable, he can be strong on the puck, he can win wall battles, he can be aware and shoulder check, all that stuff he has worked tirelessly on.”

It’s shown on a daily basis. Frank is among the first on the ice to work with skills coach Kenny McCudden well ahead of practice, and after all of his teammates have left the ice, he stays on for extra work.

“He wants to see film and wants to constantly push himself so that the Ethen Frank, two years ago that maybe struggled a little bit with the little things inside of an NHL game, now, I don’t even notice.”

“He’s incredible,” teammate Matt Roy added. “Aside from his speed and skill, he’s a guy that, he shows up first every morning to practice and games, and he’s always working his bag off. All of us couldn’t be happier for him, he’s such a good teammate for us.”

Frank isn’t just a constant in the lineup anymore; with the Capitals needing to gain ground in an ever-tight Eastern Conference, he’s an asset, and has been tasked with working on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome, which has so far, been a perfect fit.

“A lot of talk (helps). Those two obviosuly have the experience of a ton of guys combined. They’re obviously really smart, and they make it really easy,” Frank said. “Telling me where to go and where they’re going to be, it makes my job really easy.”

Now, it’s just a matter of him taking that chance and running with it, something he’s shown he can do time and time again.

“He’s worked his butt off his entire life for an opportunity like this,” Carbery said. “Nothing’s been handed to him.”