Dylan Wendt (born January 9, 2001) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL).
| Dylan Wendt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 9, 2001 Grand Haven, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
New Jersey Devils Utica Comets (AHL) | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2024–present | ||
Playing career
editWendt played junior ice hockey in the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he was drafted in 2018 by the Green Bay Gamblers. In the 2018–19 season, he recorded three goals and 18 points in 58 games. Early in the 2019–20 season, he was traded to the Muskegon Lumberjacks for defenseman John Prokop. He was later named the Lumberjacks' captain. Although he initially committed to the University of Michigan, he changed his commitment to Western Michigan University in 2020.[1]
As a freshman in the 2021–22 season, Wendt totaled just three points in 38 games, with his first of two goals coming against his former commitment, the University of Michigan.[2]
In his sophomore season in 2022–23, Wendt's production improved to eight goals and 22 points, playing in all of Western Michigan's 39 games and earning the team award for Most Improved Player.[2]
In the 2023–24 season, Wendt ranked second on the Broncos with 23 goals and 44 points in 38 games, including a seven game point streak through November and December. He led Western Michigan with nine power play goals and four game-winning goals, and was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award.[3][2]
Wendt signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) on April 4, 2024. He also signed an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of the 2023–24 season with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets.[4][5] He recorded his first professional point, an assist, on April 7, 2024, in his AHL debut against the Toronto Marlies.[6][7] His first professional goal came on April 20, against the Syracuse Crunch.[8]
Personal life
editWendt graduated from Ashwaubenon High School before studying business at Western Michigan University. His uncle and cousin both played college ice hockey at Ferris State University.[2]
Career statistics
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2018–19 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 58 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | 35 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | 53 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Western Michigan University | NCHC | 34 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Western Michigan University | NCHC | 39 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Western Michigan University | NCHC | 38 | 23 | 21 | 44 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Utica Comets | AHL | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 111 | 33 | 36 | 69 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
References
edit- ^ DeCamp, Scott (December 23, 2020). "Muskegon Lumberjacks captain, WMU commit enjoying homecoming in hockey journey". mlive.com. Michigan Live. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Dylan Wendt". wmubroncos.com. Western Michigan University. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Gaudio, Julian (April 4, 2024). "Report: Devils Sign College Free Agent Dylan Wendt". thehockeynews.com. The Hockey News. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Clark, Ryan S. (April 4, 2024). "Devils sign college free agent Dylan Wendt to 2-year contract". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Devils sign free agent Dylan Wendt to two-year, entry-level contract". sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ @WMUHockey (April 7, 2024). "Dylan Wendt takes the ice for his first professional game!" (Tweet). Retrieved April 18, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ @UticaComets (April 7, 2024). "Milestones all around on that play: Ryan Fitzgerald's 1st as a Comet and Dylan Wendt's first pro assist! @TheAHL" (Tweet). Retrieved April 18, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ @UticaComets (April 20, 2024). "Soak it in, Bronco Nation— that's a rifle of a wrister for goal #1 @WMUHockey 💥" (Tweet). Retrieved April 20, 2024 – via Twitter.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database