Thursday, May 19, 2011

Ducks Sign Etem to Three-Year Contract

Press Release

The Ducks have signed right wing Emerson Etem to a three-year entry-level contract. Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

A native of Long Beach, California, Etem scored 45-35=80 points with a +41 rating and 24 penalty minutes (PIM) in 65 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) last season. Etem, 18 (6/16/92), finished tied for fifth among WHL leaders in goals and tied for eighth in plus/minus. He also led the WHL in shorthanded goals (9) and tied for 12th in power play goals (15). Among team leaders, Etem ranked second in points and goal scoring, and first in power play goals and plus/minus. In 15 WHL Playoff games, Etem added 10-11=21 points to finish 10th among league leaders.

Selected by Anaheim in the first round (29th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Etem is the highest drafted Southern California born-and-trained player in Ducks history and third-highest in NHL history. The 6-0, 195-pound right wing played his minor hockey at the Los Angeles Hockey Club before moving to Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep School in Faribault, MN in 2007-08 and later the U.S. National Development Program in 2008-09. Etem represented Team USA at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, NY, scoring one goal in six games to help his country to a bronze medal in the tournament.

Etem made his WHL debut with Medicine Hat in 2009-10, earning 37-28=65 points with a +8 rating in 72 games. Named Medicine Hat’s Rookie of the Year for 2009-10, Etem ranked second on the club in goals and fourth in scoring. Among all WHL rookies, he finished first in goals and fourth in points. Etem has appeared in 137 career WHL games, collecting 82-63=145 points with a +49 rating and 50 PIM. He has also played 27 career WHL Playoff games, recording 17-14=31 points with the Tigers.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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