The San Jose Sharks were on a tight deadline to sign forward Carson Wetsch to an entry-level contract, as his rights were set to expire on June 1, but Mike Grier was able to get it done.
The captain of the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League, Wetsch is preparing to participate in this year's Memorial Cup but he had to file some paperwork before the tournament kicked off later this month.
As the Sharks' third round draft pick in 2024, Wetsch had the opportunity to re-enter the NHL Entry Draft this June if he didn't reach an agreement with the Sharks. Instead, the 20-year-old winger opted to sign and will remain a member of the Sharks organization.
Wetsch's offensive production took a major step forward this season, his first in Kelowna. He registered a career-high 72 points in 65 games while scoring 22 goals, which, ironically, was his lowest total since his first season in the WHL.
Known for his physical style of play and getting toward the net to create scoring chances from the dirty areas of the ice, Wetsch projects to be an effective bottom-six forward at the NHL level whenever his time comes. As a 20 year old, Wetsch will most likely join the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, next season where he could potentially fill a top-six role if needed.
Wetsch's Kelowna Rockets qualified for the 2026 Memorial Cup as the host team for this year's event, which will start on May 21st. Currently, the only other team that has locked in a place in the Memorial Cup are the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers, who won their league title on Tuesday night.
