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Hunter Brzustewicz celebrated signing his first skilled contract in a pair other ways.
There have been plenty of conversations with household, and his mother particularly despatched him a number of thrilling texts — which is just applicable.
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Then, there was dinner along with his agent on the at all times unimaginable Charcoal’s Steakhouse in Kitchener, Ont. They every bought a Tomahawk Steak.
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Then, it was again to his Kitchener Rangers teammates.
There was no journey to the bar or massive home get together to have a good time Brzustewicz signing an entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames, although.
As an alternative, they watched The Bachelor.
“All of the boys, we’re Crew Maria,” Brzustewicz mentioned.
Sadly for the Ontario Hockey League’s Rangers, Maria was despatched house after hometowns this week. Perhaps she’ll be the subsequent Bachelorette or possibly she’s due a visit to Paradise.
Brzustewicz, although, can in all probability begin mapping out the subsequent few steps of his hockey journey.
He’s going to wind up in Calgary at some point, he can financial institution on that a lot.
Brzustewicz was a vital a part of the package deal that the Vancouver Canucks despatched to the Flames in alternate for Elias Lindholm on the finish of January.
The 6-foot-0, 190-lb. blueliner was chosen within the third spherical, seventy fifth general, within the 2023 NHL Draft by the Canucks, and has seen his inventory rise within the time since.
With the Rangers this 12 months, he’s scored 12 objectives and added 73 assists in 62 video games. No one has extra assists within the OHL than the 19-year-old and his 85 factors are the ninth-most within the league.
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So there’s each cause to be excited in regards to the Rochester, Mich. native’s potential, particularly for a Flames staff that had a reasonably empty cabinet when it got here to younger defencemen a number of months in the past. As GM Craig Conroy dealt away veteran soon-to-be unrestricted free brokers over the previous couple months, getting younger blueliners again was a precedence.
And Brzustewicz has the potential to be as impactful as any of the fellows they’ve added to their system.
There shall be alternative, too, each with the Flames and their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers.
That wasn’t essentially true in Vancouver.
“The chance is far more right here, with the prospect pool and never having as many guys there could be a faster alternative or extra alternative down the street,” Brzustewicz mentioned about becoming a member of the Flames. “It’s actually thrilling when a staff trades for you and I feel it’s actually cool that they did. With Calgary not having as many prospects as Vancouver, it’s actually cool being a part of the younger wave coming in. I feel it’s a extremely good group that they bought and so they’re solely going so as to add extra.”
The Flames are actually completely happy to have acquired Brzustewicz within the deal that additionally introduced defensive prospect Joni Jurmo, the Canucks’ first-round decide within the 2024 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth-round decide on this summer season’s draft.
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Brzustewicz may probably be part of the Wranglers when the Rangers’ season is over, though he’s taking part in for a superb staff in Kitchener and there’s no assure that the Calgary crew shall be taking part in deeper into the spring than his OHL staff.
However he’ll presumably be with the Wranglers subsequent season and may offensive aptitude to their blueline.
“He strikes effectively and sees the ice with nice imaginative and prescient and hockey sense,” Conroy mentioned in a press launch. “Without any consideration-shot defenceman, Hunter offers us with a extremely regarded skill-set.”
Brzustewicz nonetheless has work to do earlier than he’s NHL-ready, identical to other19-year-old defenceman.
However he’s very conscious of the chance that lies forward of him. Signing his first skilled contract is simply step one.
And he is aware of what he’s started working on. That course of has already begun.
“It’s a no brainer, I’ve talked about it for the previous couple months with the mix and the draft final 12 months, it’s simply positioning within the d-zone, my play away from the puck,” Brzustewicz mentioned. “That’s the most important factor my coaches and I’ve talked about this 12 months and that’s what we’ve centered on. I feel I’ve performed an awesome job getting higher at it, however I feel I can take it to the subsequent stage.”
daustin@postmedia.com
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