‘We didn’t have a bond before?!’ Sam Morton and Hunter Brzustewicz talk about their shared NHL debut

Hunter Brzustewicz and Sam Morton were new names to the Calgary Wranglers this season. What was known of Morton is just what he showed on his ATO at the end of the 2023-24 season and into the AHL playoffs. What was known of Brzustewicz was his outstanding play in the OHL and his part in the trade that sent Elias Lindholm to Vancouver. Hunter Brzustewicz earned his place as a highly regarded prospect and fans were eager to see him play this year.

By the end of the 2024-25 season, both of these players were known as AHL graduates with an NHL game under their belts.

Sam Morton made an immediate impact with the Wranglers in his first few games at centre, putting up an assist in his professional debut and scoring in just his second game in the league. He ended up finishing the 2023-24 season with seven points in 13 games player. In the playoffs, he put up four points in six games.

In 2024-25, his impact was still felt even when he was not scoring. He’d go on runs of points and by the end of the season, he finished with just over a point every two games with 20 goals and 25 assists in 70 games played. Even when his name didn’t appear on the scoresheet, he still found ways to contribute

When that last point was brought up in Wranglers exit meetings, Morton said:

“I mean, I try to pride myself on having a B game, so, like, you have your A game where, you’re kind of feeling it, you have the puck on your stick a lot, you’re creating chances and then your B game’s gotta be your backup plan. So if you don’t have it, how else can you contribute?”

Morton continued on about the point of consistency in his game saying:

“It’s funny you say that, because I think it’s something that I need to work on and get better at, is just making sure I always have those B game attributes, all the time, non negotiably. So, I think it’s something that I’ve tried to work on over the past couple of years, but still can get better.”

Hunter Brzustewicz, on the other hand, played his first professional games in the fall of 2024. He took some time to get used to the new pace, but once he hit the second month of play, he was finding consistency in a big way. Brzustewicz had a six game point streak between the end of November and mid-December.

Seasoned blueliner Yan Kuznetsov took Brzustewicz under his wing this year as his regular defensive partner. Brzustewicz said around the midway part of the season that some of the communication was a learning curve with the language barrier, but they saw their way through that with 53 points between the two of them. Brzustewicz’s numbers finished with five goals and 27 assists in 70 games played with the Wranglers this season.

Even with other choices on the roster and guys that got NHL games this year, these two showed they deserved that rookie lap and an extra boost of confidence to carry into their post-season play and off-season training.

Sam Morton spoke on his brief NHL experience, saying:

“It’s unforgettable for sure. It’s just excitement, just really cool. Honestly, it kind of leaves me speechless, but it was a really fun experience and, just kind of makes me feel grateful and like the whole process of getting here and getting to that point. There’s a lot of long days and a lot of sacrifice from other people that help get you there, so that part’s cool.”

Not only did Morton have the experience to remember forever, but he also wasted no time putting up his first NHL goal. He scored the second goal of the season finale for the Flames 6:05 into the third period off a set up from Ryan Lomberg and Dryden Hunt.