Years of hard work pay off as Ethen Frank records three-game point streak to start NHL career: ‘It’s still pretty much a big whirlwind for me’

January 14, 2025 11:37 pm by Katie Adler

WASHINGTON, DC — Ethen Frank has taken a winding road to the NHL, but his performance so far has been worth the wait.

Frank, 26, scored the second goal of his career against the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday night and now has three points (2g, 1a) in three games since making his NHL debut. Per the Capitals, Frank is only the sixth player in franchise history to begin his NHL career with a three-game point streak.

After a wildly successful start, Frank said the reality of his first few games has eclipsed even the glory he imagined in his childhood dreams.

“I still remember staring at the Fathead of Ovechkin on my walls when I was a kid in Nebraska,” he said. “So it’s pretty surreal to be here and to be happening as the way it is for sure.”

Frank’s goal Tuesday came late in the second period. After entering the Ducks’ zone on a two-on-one, Frank picked up a slick pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois and fired from the right faceoff dot to beat Anaheim goaltender John Gibson.

Head coach Spencer Carbery praised Frank’s lethal shot after the 3-0 win.

“It comes off so hard,” he said. “It just ripples the netting. It’s extremely accurate. That’s not an easy shot placement there. If you go glove there high, under the bar, he’s putting that underneath. A really precise shot. That’s extremely hard.”

Frank reacted to his first home goal with joy, grinning as he returned to the bench while fans at Capital One Arena cheered him on.

“It’s been a blast,” he said. “This place is absolutely electric when it gets loud. And so it’s been a lot of fun to play in front of the home crowd. And yeah, I’m truly thankful for sure.”

Since coming to Washington on Friday, Frank has begun to settle with the Caps thanks in part to a warm welcome from his teammates.

“I think [my confidence is] just growing by the day, especially in practice,” he said. “Everybody’s been really helpful and kind to me. And it’s just helping me feel more comfortable and at home and just continue to get better from here.”

Still, he admitted the last few days have yet to fully sink in.

“It’s still pretty much a big whirlwind for me, but it’s been a lot of fun. I’m just kind of [living] in the moment and take it day by day, moment by moment, and just enjoy what’s going on.

Tuesday’s goal marked Frank’s first time scoring in the District, but he netted a crucial shot against the Nashville Predators Saturday night, earning the game-winner with his first NHL goal.

He previously recorded his first career point in front of family and friends on Friday, assisting on Lars Eller’s game-tying goal against the Montreal Canadiens after speeding down the rink to negate an icing.

Frank’s success has garnered plenty of attention from his teammates, who highlighted how impressive his start has been.

“Yeah, easy league,” Nic Dowd joked. “He’s playing great and from his history, from where he started and what he’s been able to do, it’s really, really impressive and we’re all really, really happy for him.”

Brandon Duhaime added, “The guy can scoot, he can skate, he’s a really good player for us and it’s been awesome. He’s kind of been the motor for that line and it’s been real good.”

Though a three-game point streak is impressive on its own, John Carlson pointed out the subtler parts of Frank’s game that have helped the team succeed.

“More than just the tallies and stuff, I think he seems to be a positive impact every time he steps on the ice” Carlson said. “Obviously a guy with speed like that is a threat no matter where he is. It’s great to see. It’s a great story, and we’re relying on him big right now.”

Upon hearing what Carlson had said, Frank told reporters the comments felt extra special coming from a player with Carlson’s resume behind him.

“It means the world,” he said. “He told me this morning to bring enough legs for the both of us tonight. So I tried to do my best and yeah, just buzz out there and try to catch people off-guard with how fast it is.”

Frank’s path to the NHL hasn’t been simple. After going undrafted, Frank played for Western Michigan University before joining the Hershey Bears as a free agent in 2022. His standout play in Hershey earned him a two-way NHL contract with the Caps in March of 2023, but he continued to wait for a call-up from Washington; he later competed for a roster spot at Training Camp this fall but failed to make the cut.

While he waited for a chance in the show, Frank continued to rack up points in the AHL, recording 125 points (80g, 45a) in 161 career games for the Bears. Carbery highlighted how Frank’s time in the minors and consistent play in Hershey have made for a well-earned Cinderella story in the NHL.

“He’s worked so hard to prepare for this moment,” he said. “For it now to have arrived and then to be thriving in the situation, it’s great to see. You pull for people like that who have persevered, have been knocked down and continue to get back up. For him to score again tonight, a big goal in a big moment.”

Frank’s moment has been a long time coming. But to hear him tell it, the wait just made the payoff even sweeter.

“One of the things that I keep thinking about is the harder you work, the harder it is to give up,” he said. “And there’s been a lot of unseen hard work. So yeah, it feels pretty special and very good.”