Prior to his second NHL career game, Ozzy Wiesblatt visited with his Prince Albert billet family, Jordan and Candice Ambrose and kids. (Submitted photo/Jordan Ambrose)

By paNOW Staff

NHL Debut

Wiesblatt’s billet family happy to share in his ‘special story’ as he makes NHL debut

Jan 6, 2025 | 5:00 PM

It’s been a few years since he played in ‘Hockey Town North’ but Ozzy Wiesblatt is still a Prince Albert Raiders fan favorite. The winger recently made his NHL debut in his hometown of Calgary, Alta. and just like they did every game while he was living with them, Wiesblatt’s billet family was there to cheer him on.

“We couldn’t make it to Vancouver for his debut, but we made it to Calgary for his hometown game …his second NHL game and oh man, it was pretty cool,” said Jordan Ambrose whose family billeted Wiesblatt in Prince Albert between 2017 and 2022.

“We watched warm-ups down by the ice with a bunch of his family and friends and people who have supported him and people he wanted there, and he was tossing pucks over the glass for the kids and then Steven Stamkos came over and said ‘hi’ and threw a puck over the glass for the kids. It was pretty cool to be there.”

The now 22-year old was drafted by the Prince Albert Raiders in the second round of the 2017 WHL Prospects Draft. Between 2018 and 2022, the winger put up 178 points and served as an assistant captain for the Raiders in his last two seasons. In 2020, the San Jose sharks selected him with the 31^st overall pick in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. He played two seasons with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda and then joined Nashville’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, on loan in 2023-24 and has been in the Predators’ system since then.

“From where he was five years ago to where he is now..finally getting called up… we’re just so proud of him and its awesome seeing how proud his family is of him,” said Ambrose. “His Mom and his brothers said that if one of them were to ever play a game in the NHL, it would be such a dream come true and now that’s happened.”

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Wiesblatt has a sister and three brothers. All of the boys played hockey. Oasiz is currently the captain for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL. Orca played for the Calgary Hitmen and is now a part of the independent Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) along with the eldest brother Ocean. A few year’s ago, the family’s story was shared on Sportsnet’s ‘Home Town Heroes.’ Mom Kim White was born deaf and struggled financially as a single parent, but sacrificed so her boys could continue to play hockey. Prior to his NHL debut, Wiesblatt introduced himself to Nashville Predators fans in a video using American Sign Language (ASL) as a tribute to his Mom.

“His family didn’t have much growing up. His mom worked multiple jobs, and they had other families that helped out, you know driving Ozzy and his brothers to hockey and going to their friend’s houses for meals. So, just to grow up like that without having the things that most kids have, it’s such a special story for him to make it to where he is now,” said Ambrose. “When he lived with us, he was so grateful and his family would come and stay often and they became part of our family too.”

Wiesblatt got the call up New Year’s Eve and was quoted in a Canadian Hockey League article saying he ‘just broke down, crying like a baby and it was hilarious.’

“But yeah, just super excited to be here, honestly. It’s a dream come true,” he said.

Wiesblatt will hope to stay in the lineup and make an impact at the NHL level with the Predators. He joins a list of former teammates during his time with the Prince Albert Raiders who also currently play or have played in the NHL including Kaiden Guhle, Zack Hayes, Brayden Pachal, Aliaksei Protas, Noah Gregor, Brett Leason, Nolan Allan and Parker Kelly.

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Teena.Monteleone@pattisonmedia.com