Los Angeles, C.A. – Five players with ties to the Sioux Falls Stampede were selected in rounds 2 through 7 of the National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft on Saturday. Active Stampede players Brent Solomon and Ethan Wyttenbach heard their names called, while former members Zack Sharp, Ashton Schultz, and Caleb Heil were also selected.

Stampede right-winger Brent Solomon was the first Herd member taken off the board. The Detroit Red Wings selected the Champlin Park, M.N. native with the 109th pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Solomon played ten games with the Herd last season after completing his high school campaign at Champlin Park. The 6'0" forward netted four goals in his first four games in the United States Hockey League (USHL), including his first goal against the league-leading Lincoln Stars. Prior to joining Sioux Falls, Solomon tallied 56 points (38g, 18a) in 28 games with Champlin Park High School. Committed to the University of Wisconsin, Solomon was ranked #114 among North American skaters in the Final NHL Central Scouting Rankings.

Stampede star forward Ethan Wyttenbach was selected in the fifth round by the Calgary Flames. The inaugural Gaudreau Award winner joins the organization that gave Johnny Gaudreau his NHL start. The 5'10" winger had a breakout year in his first USHL season, ranking among the top three rookie scorers before an injury in mid-February. The Roslyn, N.Y. native maintained an impressive 1.16 points per game, finishing the season with 51 points (24g, 27a) in 44 games. Wyttenbach ended the season fourth among rookies in scoring, behind fellow draftees Ryker Lee and Adam Benak. He is expected to return to Sioux Falls next season, aiming to build on his standout rookie campaign.

Three former Stampede players were also selected during the draft. Defenseman Zachary Sharp was taken by the San Jose Sharks with the 124th overall pick. The Naperville, I.L. native played 44 games with the Stampede between 2021 and 2023. Sharp spent the 2024–25 season with the Western Michigan Broncos, where he helped lead the team to an NCAA National Championship. The left-handed defenseman recorded a +19 rating over 42 games with the Broncos.

With the seventh pick in the sixth round, the Buffalo Sabres selected former Stampede forward Ashton Schultz. The University of North Dakota commit appeared in 12 games with Sioux Falls across two seasons. The Victoria, MN native was ranked #83 among North American skaters in the Final NHL Central Scouting Rankings and was selected 167th overall in the draft.

Finally, former Stampede goaltender Caleb Heil was selected 193rd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Also from Victoria, MN, Heil spent two years with the Sioux Falls Power before playing 28 games with the Stampede, where he posted a .879 save percentage. He also made four starts for the Team USA NTDP program during the 2023–24 season and earned a silver medal at the 2024 U-18 World Junior Championship. The 6'2" goaltender is committed to the University of North Dakota.

Following the draft, players will head to their respective NHL team's development camps, where they will join other draftees for 3–5 days of both dryland and on-ice training.

The Stampede, along with their newly drafted NHL prospects, will begin preparations in mid-August before heading to the USHL Fall Classic in September. The Herd will open their home schedule on Saturday, October 4 at 6:05 p.m. against the Tri-City Storm. The full 2025–26 schedule can be found here.