Emilio Pettersen named finalist for NCHC Forward of the Year

As the various leagues around the globe tidy up their year-end affairs in the wake of shortened seasons, a Calgary Flames prospect is an award finalist. Emilio Pettersen was named a finalist for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Forward of the Year award.

The other two finalists are University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Noah Cates and University of North Dakota’s Jordan Kawaguchi, the conference’s leading scorer.

Pettersen, 19, is originally from Norway and was the Flames’ sixth round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft. He just missed the cut for the NCHC’s All-Rookie team last season with 30 points in 40 games. As a sophomore this season, he increased his point production to 35 in 36 games – including doubling his goal output from six to 13. He was named to the NCHC’s Second All-Star Team earlier this month, narrowly missing the cut for the First All-Star group.

Pettersen finished tied for fourth in the NCHC in points, fifth in conference games, and was one of the most productive power play weapons in the conference. The challenge for his junior year, if he goes back to college, will be becoming a more dangerous player at even strength.