Emerson Albert Spratlen Etem (born June 16, 1992) is an
American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
right winger
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
and current co-owner of the
Long Beach Shredders of the
USPHL. He was originally selected in the first round, 29th overall, by the
Anaheim Ducks in the
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial re ...
. He has also played for the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
. He retired in 2020 and became the head coach and general manager of the Missoula Jr. Bruins in the
North American 3 Hockey League
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league that consists of teams from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New Yo ...
. In 2021, he purchased a junior team and became the head coach of the Long Beach Shredders in the
United States Premier Hockey League
The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is an American ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL has grown to over 60 organizations from across the United States fielding teams in the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), ...
.
Early life and family
Etem comes from a family where
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...
is very popular, and his African-American mother
Patricia
Patricia is a female given name of Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word ''patrician'', meaning "noble"; it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick. The name Patricia was the second most common female name in the United State ...
made the U.S. Olympic rowing team, though due to the
1980 Summer Olympics boycott
The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was one part of a number of actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, which hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and its allies later ...
, did not participate at the
1980 Games in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
. Continuing with his family's rowing tradition, Emerson's elder brother Martin rowed four years for
Syracuse University where he was team captain his senior year. After graduation he became an elite rower who trained to compete for the US National Rowing Team, and he placed third in the men's double in the Olympic trials prior to the London Olympic Games. Emerson has an older sister Elise who also has had a successful athletic career. She was nationally ranked in the butterfly from age 10 and was Wilson High School's Most Valuable Swimmer her senior year. She swam for one season at
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
and then walked on to the Women's Rowing team at the university ultimately becoming captain of the Pac-12 champion team her senior year.
Etem and his wife, Danette, had a son together in 2016.
Playing career
Junior
![Emerson Etem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Emerson_Etem.png)
As a youth, Etem played in the 2004 and 2005
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with a
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...
team from
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
.
Etem followed his older brother Martin into
roller then ice hockey. While watching Martin play with the Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs in the 2003 National Tier II Championship tournament, he saw
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first o ...
lead the
Shattuck-Saint Mary's Sabres to the Tier I 17 under National Championship (held concurrently at
The Gardens Ice House
The Gardens Ice House is a privately operated skating and fitness facility in Laurel, Maryland. Built on Fairland Regional Park land, the venue features an Olympic ice rink, two NHL rinks (the third of these added on January 1, 1999), and since N ...
in
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...
). Inspired by the caliber of players, coaching and winning tradition of Sabres hockey, Etem moved to
Faribault, Minnesota
Faribault ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 23,352 at the 2010 census. Faribault is approximately south of Minneapolis–Saint Paul.
Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway ...
, at age 14 to play at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, where he led the Bantam team to a third-place finish at the Tier I 14 & under 2007 National Championship at
Amherst, New York
Amherst () is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. Amherst is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. This represents an increase from 122,366 as reported in the 2010 census.
The second ...
, in his freshman year. As the only sophomore on the Shattuck-Saint Mary's 2007–08 Midget Minor AAA team, Etem helped the Sabres win their second consecutive Tier I 17 & under National Title, the first time in the school's history.
In 2008–09, Etem then moved to
Ann Arbor, Michigan, to play for
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the governing body for organized ice hockey in the United ...
's
National Team Development Program (NTDP).
Etem was drafted into the Western Hockey League (WHL) 115th overall by the
Medicine Hat Tigers
The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) who play in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Divis ...
in the 2007 Bantam Draft. While playing for Medicine Hat in
2009–10, he led all WHL rookies in goals.
Professional
Despite reaching the eighth spot in the
NHL Central Scouting Bureau The NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) is a department within the National Hockey League that ranks prospects for the NHL Entry Draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate to the profe ...
's rankings ahead of the
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial re ...
, Etem's draft stock plummeted him down to the 29th overall pick by the
Anaheim Ducks. He scored his first career NHL goal on March 18, 2013, against
Antti Niemi of the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
.
On June 27, 2015, Etem, along with a second-round draft pick, was traded to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in exchange for
Carl Hagelin
Carl Oliver Hagelin (born 23 August 1988) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hagelin was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round, 168th overall, of the 2007 NHL ...
and two draft picks in the
2015 NHL Entry Draft. After his first training camp with the Rangers, Etem made the opening night roster for the
2015–16 season. Used as the a depth forward, Etem was unable to cement a role and in 19 games provided 3 assists. On January 8, 2016, Etem was traded by the Rangers to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for
Nicklas Jensen
Nicklas Jensen (born 6 March 1993) is a Danish ice hockey winger. He is currently playing for SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League (NL).
After beginning his career with Danish team Herning Blue Fox at the junior and men's level, ...
and a 6th round pick in the
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
draft. As a result, Etem was reunited with former junior coach with Medicine Hat in
Willie Desjardins
Wilbrod "Willie" Desjardins (born February 11, 1957) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and player. He is currently head coach and general manager of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers. He has also been the head coach of the NHL's Vancouver ...
. He scored his first goal as a Vancouver Canuck on February 6, 2016, against the Calgary Flames. In 39 games with the Canucks, he tallied 7 goals, 5 assists (12 points).
On June 27, 2016, Etem re-signed with the Canucks to a one-year contract worth $775,000. However, he did not make the opening roster for the
2016–17 season and was placed on waivers at the start of the season. Etem was picked up by the Anaheim Ducks off waivers on October 13, 2016, reuniting him with the organisation that drafted him. He played in 3 scoreless games in his return to Anaheim before he was reassigned to AHL affiliate, the
San Diego Gulls
The San Diego Gulls are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in San Diego, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks, the Gulls play th ...
. In his debut game with the Gulls Etem scored a goal, however suffered a knee injury which later required season ending surgery.
On June 26, 2017, Etem was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Ducks, releasing him as a free agent. On July 5, 2017, Etem agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with his fourth NHL club, the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mul ...
. On January 2, 2018, the Coyotes announced that Etem's contract was terminated after he asked to be released from his contract.
On January 14, 2018, Etem signed with
Lugano
Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...
of the Swiss
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
(NL) until the end of the
2017–18 season. He went scoreless in 5 regular season games for Lugano before making 1 post-season appearance.
As a free agent, Etem returned to North America in the summer, agreeing to a professional tryout to attend the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
2018 training camp on August 22, 2018. While impressing with the Kings, Etem was among the last cuts from the opening night roster. He accepted a reassignment to join AHL affiliate, the
Ontario Reign
The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays ...
, on a professional tryout contract on October 3, 2018. Etem failed to seize his opportunity with the Reign, posting 1 goal in 9 games before he was released from his tryout on November 3, 2018.
He retired in 2020.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Post playing career
After retiring from playing, he became the head coach of the Missoula Jr. Bruins, a
junior ice hockey team based in
Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label= Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork ...
, and a member of the
North American 3 Hockey League
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league that consists of teams from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New Yo ...
, for the 2020–21 season. The team was sold in 2021 and Etem and his wife Danette purchased their own junior team in the
United States Premier Hockey League
The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is an American ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL has grown to over 60 organizations from across the United States fielding teams in the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), ...
, relocating the Anaheim Avalanche to become the Long Beach Shredders in his hometown of
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
. Etem serves as part-owner, head coach, and general manager of the Shredders.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Etem, Emerson
1992 births
Living people
African-American ice hockey players
American men's ice hockey right wingers
Anaheim Ducks draft picks
Anaheim Ducks players
Ice hockey players from California
HC Lugano players
Medicine Hat Tigers players
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
New York Rangers players
Norfolk Admirals players
Ontario Reign (AHL) players
San Diego Gulls (AHL) players
Sportspeople from Long Beach, California
Syracuse Crunch players
Tucson Roadrunners players
USA Hockey National Team Development Program players
Vancouver Canucks players
21st-century African-American sportspeople