Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Forward Ethan Czata to Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Ethan Czata to a three-year, entry-level contract, Vice President and General Manager Julien BriseBois announced today.
Czata, 18, appeared in 68 regular season games with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League last season, ranking fourth on the team for goals (21) and points (55) while his 34 assists were good for fifth. Playing in his second OHL season, the 6-foot-2, 178-pound forward also contributed on special teams, ranking tied for second for power-play assists (12) and tied for fourth for power-play goals (4) among all IceDogs skaters.
After recording two assists in five OHL Playoff games with Niagara, Czata capped his season by winning the Gold Medal with Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, registering four assists and five points in seven games.
A native of Brampton, Ontario, Czata was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round, 56th overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Leave a Reply