Ryder Fetterolf’s weekend plans aren’t written in stone just yet.
Then again, there are at least 32 different outcomes he might be facing.
The Sewickley native is a candidate to be selected in the NHL Draft this weekend and is keeping his and his family’s options open for the event, which will be staged in Buffalo.
“We haven’t decided if we’re going to go to Buffalo or not,” the goaltender said Friday by phone. “Going to decide that soon, whether it’s going to the draft for the experience or having a small gathering of my close teammates and coaches. Both would be pretty cool.”
Hearing his name, either in person or over the television, get called would certainly be cool. But it wouldn’t exactly be a new experience.
Fetterolf, 18, has been feted repeatedly in recent weeks after a dominant season at the junior level with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League.
In 41 games, he posted a 29-9-3 record, a 2.07 goals-against average, a .923 save percentage and six shutouts.
Fetty Stop's highlight reel is never ending ????
Ryder Fetterolf made another sensational save for the @Ottawa67sHockey this afternoon, earning him the @RealCdnSS Save of the Night!#NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/3PTQ1ZNkK8
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 23, 2026
Those figures led to Fetterolf being selected to the OHL’s first All-Star team and first All-Rookie team, as well as being honored with the Jim Rutherford Trophy as the OHL’s top goaltender.
(That award is named after the former Penguins general manager and goaltender, who was a star at the junior level with the former Hamilton Red Wings franchise.)
Those honors were followed a few weeks later when Fetterolf was named the goaltender of the year by the Canadian Hockey League, the governing body that oversees the three major junior leagues in that country, including the OHL.
“Going into the year, those were a part of my goals,” Fetterolf said of the various accolades. “I knew all the work it would take. It wasn’t going to be easy. But that’s what I was hoping for this season. It shows all the work this season paid off. You could see the growth in my game and my development. To get those awards is a huge honor.
“To do it in my rookie year was super special.”
All the recognition hasn’t necessarily translated to how he is regarded as a potential draft pick, however.
The NHL’s Central Scouting bureau, which ranks draft-eligible prospects, rated Fetterolf as the 11th-best North American goaltender available in the upcoming draft in its final rankings, which were released April 17.
(For the sake of comparison, the 11th-ranked North American goaltender from the NHL’s Central Scouting final rankings in 2025 was Gabriel D’Aigle, whom the Pittsburgh Penguins selected in the third round, No. 84 overall.)
The 11th overall ranking represents an improvement for Fetterolf, who was 16th in the mid-term rankings that were released Jan. 12.
Fetterolf is aware of the rankings but isn’t dwelling on them.
Or agreeing with them.
“It’s still cool to be noticed,” Fetterolf said. “But then again, I don’t think I’m the 11th-best goalie in the draft. With my year this year, I think I proved what I’m capable of doing. It shows the dedication and hard work I’m willing to put in. I don’t really pay attention to it too much. If I paid attention when I was 16th, I probably would have gotten caught up in that a bit too much and that might have taken me off my game.
“The most important thing for me is to keep doing what I do and let the NHL teams make their pick instead of basing myself off of where NHL Central Scouting puts me. I’m just going to have to keep proving myself, which I don’t have a problem with. Whatever team takes me, I want to prove that they made the right decision.”
Should Fetterolf, an alumni of the Penguins Elite youth program, be drafted this weekend, it would mark the fifth consecutive season a native of Western Pennsylvania has been selected in an NHL Draft. He has been preceded by:
2022 — Logan Cooley, Arizona Coyotes
2023 — Brandon Svoboda, San Jose Sharks
2024 — Christian Humphreys, Colorado Avalanche
2025 — L.J. Mooney, Montreal Canadiens
All-time, only two goaltenders from the area have been selected in an NHL Draft:
2002 — Dwight LaBrosse, Penguins
2011 — John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
Fetterolf is committed to Penn State for the 2026-27 season but indicated a handful of NHL teams he has interviewed with before the draft may want to steer him back to Ottawa to give him a longer “runway” for his development.
Regardless of what path he takes, the left-catching Fetterolf (6-foot, 186 pounds) just hopes the right team — out of the NHL’s 32 outfits — calls his name this weekend.
“I had a great year this year to show what I can do,” Fetterolf said. “That was really important to prove myself and make a name for myself out there, coming up to the NHL Draft. The most important thing for me … is going to the right spot. Obviously, everyone wants to go as high as they can. It’s super cool at the moment. But 10 years down the line, whether you’re drafted first round or fourth round, you’re going to hope you went to the right space.
“You get drafted, there’s so much more work to do. That’s kind of just the start of it all. I want to go high, obviously. That’s super cool and a great experience, but I think the most important thing is going to the right spot.”