Sung was the most effective and productive member of Team Red throughout the entirety of this camp, picking up 8 points in 4 games and tilting the ice in his teams’ favour whenever he was on the ice. The deception, manipulation and versatility in his attacking style make him such an unpredictable attacker both off the rush and operating in the offensive zone, which in turn keeps defenders on their heels and unsure of how to defend him. His processing ability off the rush allowed him to make his decisions quickly, use manipulation tactics such as look-offs to create space for his target by diverting attention away before slipping a pass to his teammate up high. Sung also displayed the ability to beat attackers one on one using his high-end puck skills, especially his patented toe-drag which he used several times to walk around defenders off the rush and break in alone for a scoring chance. For a smaller player his shot really explodes off his stick, especially in motion where he was able to beat goaltenders clean and from distance a couple of times throughout the camp.

Ethan Sung had a phenomenal WSI for the East Coast Kings, the speed and dynamism put on display was some of the best seen during the entire event. Immediately it was clear that he played with a great level of evasion, pace, and puck control, zigging-and-zagging around the ice, through both the neutral and offensive zone(s). His ability to build speed, change direction and pace in a split second, whilst handling the puck just as quickly and scanning the ice in the process made him a dynamic force that did a great job at putting defenders in a whirlwind, and moving the puck to open teammates before defenders could converge on them. He did a good job at remaining deceptive, and balancing the act of playmaking and shooting. Mixing it up on occasion, and taking shots in situations where you would maybe expect a pass, but the shot in question would remain accurate, and dangerous as a result of intelligent placement, shooting through a screen, and or against the grain. When he elected to skate the puck himself through the neutral zone and build speed, get in close proximity to a flatfooted defender 1-on-1, he demonstrated a very fluid transition between lightning quick puck handles as he danced around sticks, and curling a strong wrister on net all in motion, on occasion, using the aforementioned defender as a screen in the process. Away from the puck he continued to play with high energy, using some underrated physicality to lean on opponents to force errors, along with covering passing lanes in the defensive zone, and being quick to intercept passes in stride thanks to some strong anticipation.

It was a dynamic offensive performance for Ethan Sung who put his athleticism and high-end skill on display every game, making him an incredibly impactful player for his team throughout the USA Hockey Nationals. Everything he does with the puck is at such a fast pace, whether it's using his speed to blow by defenders before attacking the net or combining his ultra-quick stickhandling and lateral movements to bypass any pressure and create separation for himself while circling around the offensive zone going from low-to-high or cutting to the middle of the ice. There were rarely any answers found by his opponents on how to stop him from imposing his offensive dominance; he was able to pick apart defenses with his passing ability by demanding the attention of the other team, forcing them out of their positions and consistently getting pucks through sticks and bodies to open teammates for dangerous scoring chances. Even when an opponent tried to be physical along the boards, as a smaller forward he was excellent at absorbing contact by lowering his center of gravity to give himself just enough time and space to move the puck, extending offensive zone possessions and showing a willingness to go to the corners and battle with defenders of all sizes for loose pucks. He was a constant threat to score all tournament in many ways including his exceptional playmaking abilities, his ability to beat defenders 1-on-1 with quick hands and footwork, and with an accurate and powerful shot that kept opponents guessing what his next move would be.

The East Coast Kings were an interesting team to watch in my few viewings of them, and Ethan Sung is one of their top players who stood out to me. Sung is another type of player who in this ranking I didn’t see too much of, but in moments when they had the puck, they flashed high-end skill that you could tell was a step above the rest. Extremely quick to think with the puck, he was able to funnel several quality passes to the middle of the ice with pristine accuracy and awareness in the offensive zone. Shifty in both his feet, hands, and hips, he could evade pressure, stagger his points of explosiveness to manipulate his angles, and make sharp turns and stops if needed to slip off a check. A quality player working within tight spaces, particularly from the outside, he could pull in defenders, slip around them, and waltz into the mid-slot to do some damage. The few times I saw him shoot the puck were impressive, both from poor and strong angles he can pick his spot well, with great power and a nice release, he’s a very strong shooting threat on top of his crafty playmaking game.

Another game, another really good Ethan Sung performance. While he was held off the scoresheet, I thought Sung’s ability to impact the game offensively in a myriad of ways made him one of the game’s top performers. He could do it all in this game, whether it was finding teammates off the rush by hitting trailing options or sliding pucks cross-ice through traffic that somehow found the blade of a stick. He was so difficult to contain in one on one situations, as he could either speed things up and get a step on a defender or slow things down, cut laterally to the middle of the ice and expand his options with the puck. Sung often would open up his hips while attacking to keep defenders on their toes, using it to get a step on opponents and create passing lanes for himself. His ability to read the intentions of his opponents, primarily defenders, allowed him to cut off plenty of plays in the offensive zone, where he would then drive the net himself or make a quick pass to a teammate in a dangerous area. He also showed he could generate offense on his own accord, when in the second half he gained separation from a checker in the neutral zone to gain the offensive blueline before executing a slick toe drag around a defender to break in alone but missed on the opportunity.

Sung was the beneficiary of a couple impressive passing plays in the offensive zone, scoring 2 of his team’s 3 first period goals showing really good instincts to get himself in the positions to be a prime scoring option and converting on his chances with a nice finishing touch around the net especially on his second goal where he transferred all his power into his shot, going down on one knee and ripping it over the shoulder of the Navy Blue netminder. He was also a very creative playmaker who used his speed on the perimeter to draw in the eyes of defence and caught his opponents off guard with quick passes to open teammates for grade-A scoring chances multiple times in this game.

Another game down, yet another game where I thought Ethan Sung was the best player on the ice. With his team down 4-3 in the second half, it was Sung who tallied three straight primary points (two goals and an assist) to propel his team to their third straight win at this Select Camp. It sometimes seems like he’s playing a different game than everybody else with how quickly he makes decisions, sometimes even deceptively hiding his intention to open up space for his intended target before executing a no-look pass in motion. Both his goals came off strong and accurate shots while in stride, demonstrating great shot power for a 5’6 player and the ability to beat goaltenders clean. He was probably the only player in this game who could’ve pulled off the pass he made on the game-tying goal, firing a perfect feed through traffic from the top of zone that found a teammate at the hashmarks.

Sung put his stamp on this game from the very first drop of the puck and never looked back, making an impact on nearly every shift throughout. In his first shift he attacked laterally off the rush, drew pressure up high then slipped a backhand pass to a teammate underneath who was in alone. Just seconds later he went to the front of the net, picked up a rebound and pulled the puck around the goaltender and slid it into the empty net. He was fantastic in transition as well, making a series of quick one touch passes in the neutral zone that allowed his team to play quickly and attack the offensive blueline with speed. He was the catalyst on the game winning goal late in the latter half of the game when he peeled back in the offensive zone, showed tremendous patience with the puck and waited for a seam to open up before executing a pass to Rocco Pelosi who tapped it home.

The top player for Shattuck not only in this game, but through the entire event, Ethan Sung caps off a strong tournament in the championship game. Early in the game he brought the heat, playing with good speed going wide on opponents, utilizing quick dekes around sticks and bodies stepping up on him, and demonstrating good processing speed off the rush. His 1-on-1 soft skill slipping pucks under sticks, through bodies, and within the vulnerable areas of defenders to take advantage of poor positioning. Despite not being the biggest player, listed at 5’5, 146lbs, he demonstrated some good strength on his feet, dropping the shoulder, crashing the crease, and leaning on defenders in the process. Throughout the game he was clearly the leading play driver for his team, skating across both bluelines with speed, along with playing strong through the middle, forcing possession back to his team, and being quick to transition up ice. Just before overtime he had a good chance making a strong move just inside the offensive blueline cutting into the middle in step with a crossover, opening a shooting lane to the net from high in the zone. The dynamism, raw talent, hockey IQ, and athleticism put on display by Sung throughout the event was some of the best hockey I’ve seen him play

Sung was a real difference maker in this game by creating and finishing a lot of scoring chances for his team. He used his speed to burst past defenders one-on-one and consistently found wide open teammates in the middle of the ice for scoring opportunities. This was the first time where I saw him tested physically in this tournament and for a smaller forward, I thought he handled it well by absorbing and making plays through the contact or by evading defenders like he did in the second period when he used a quick spin move to avoid a check and then sent the puck to Fitzhenry streaking down the middle for his team’s fourth goal of the game. He was a pain for Pittsburgh defenseman to handle when he roamed around the offensive zone because he was so shifty with the puck, changing directions on a dime and when he combined his speed with his playmaking ability is when he became the most impactful. After scoring off a scramble around the net late in the first, his second goal showcased his sweet finishing touch when he snapped a puck past the goalie from the high slot on a 3-on-2. He capped off the hat trick with the empty netter to seal his team’s victory and send them to the finals.

Sung was the most dynamic player in this game by a large margin as he consistently created chances while in the offensive zone by combining his agility and his vision with some ultra-quick and crafty stick work. Sung just took over shifts often circling around the zone with the puck, swinging from the half wall all the way up across the blue line and back around the net while weaving through opponents before sending the puck to a teammate for a scoring chance. It was so fascinating to see how he was able to contort his body and stick handle so fluidly and still maintain his speed while roaming in the offensive zone. With 30 seconds left in the first period, he intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, side-stepped a defender and passed it off within a matter of a couple of seconds and after his team got set up in the o-zone he scored with a deflection from a point shot and always seemed to be bursting into open with or without the puck to create from high danger areas. On the fourth Shattuck’s goal, he caught the puck in stride along the boards, skated around the defender and through a perfect backhand pass to the slot for Fitzhenry who fired it into the back of the net.

Ethan is an easy player to like since he’s smart, controls the puck so carefully along the offensive exterior, and can adapt to give and go plays with teammates down low. This is a player who walked a defender quite easily when he noticed they were off balance and continued to fake to the indies and sneak short side for a high-danger attempt. He does clock in at 5’4 and 125 lbs right now but I’d describe him as a high-skilled forward with ample room to continue to grow his game; the kind of player you can feel comfortable putting on anyone’s wing.

One of the more dynamic forwards for Philly Orange, Ethan Sung of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings was one of the leading forces for his AAA team last season and showed off instances as to why in this game. A smooth puck carrier who reads and reacts well to the situation around him, he was calm under pressure in the offensive zone, pulling in defenders, hanging onto the puck for that extra half-second to open passing lanes to teammates. His ability to change directions quickly and explode out of his twists made him tough to contain, enabling him to make some strong moves to the middle of the ice. One of which he ripped a strong shot on net that had a real chance of beating the goalie. He can go from gliding with the puck to exploding with great speed and skill in only a few steps, making him extremely deceptive, assuring defenders must stay on their toes when checking him. Later in the game he had a bit of a lucky break as on a 2-on-2 rush a defender fell down turning it into a 2-on-1, Sung then fired a shot on net and followed up his own rebound to extend the lead to 4-0.