Emerson Etem
In June of 2010, the Ducks selected a local kid, Emerson Etem with the 29th pick in the entry draft. It was a boon to the emerging SoCal youth hockey scene for a player from Long Beach to go that high. So far he has played in 115 NHL games over parts of five seasons. Etem, left the Coyotes AHL Tucson affiliate in January to continue his career with Lugano of the Swiss League.
He didn’t develop into the star Anaheim had hoped when they drafted him. Etem is still a pioneer for both hockey in non-traditional market players and diversity. At only 25-years-old, he has plenty of time to make it back to North America.