Latest news with #HunterBrzustewicz
National Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: Potential options on defence at the NHL Draft
If there's one thing that's become clear as we've looked through the state of the defence in our Flames Retool Tracker series this week, it's that the organization is well-stocked with young talent on the blue line. Article content That makes it pretty unlikely that the Flames will take a defenceman with their first of two first-round picks at the NHL Draft later this month. Article content Article content After that, though? If the right player is available, who knows? Article content Article content Here are six guys we think might look good in a Flames uniform who are expected to get picked on June 27: Article content Henry Brzustewicz Article content Measurements: 6-foot-1, 192 lbs. Article content The skinny: It's not just that Brzustewicz's brother, Hunter, is one of the most highly regarded prospects in the Flames system and could be part of the blue-line puzzle next season. Henry also played big minutes for the Knights as they won the Memorial Cup this year and was one of the big risers on most draft boards as the season progressed. Scouts praise him for his super-high hockey IQ and his dependability on both ends of the ice, while acknowledging there's room for him to be more assertive offensively. Brzustewicz is expected to be picked in the second round and it would be a great story if the Flames wound up with both brothers. Article content Article content Article content Measurements: 6-foot-4, 200 lbs. Article content The skinny: The son of eight-time Canadian long ball champion Lisa Vlooswyk is a defensive defenceman who brings real physicality to the ice and that could have real value for a Flames team that already has its fair share of offensively minded blueliners in its system. FC Hockey's draft guide credits Vlooswyk for his physical presence, positioning and stick work and notes that he 'excels in denying net-front access (and) tying up threats without losing structure' — and that's exactly what coaches like in a defenceman. If he's available in the later rounds, the Flames just might look at bringing another Calgary kid home. Article content Measurements: 6-foot-0, 190 lbs. Article content The skinny: This writer is a little confused why some outlets have Pickford ranked as low as they do heading into the draft. He put up great numbers for the juggernaut Tigers this season and even set a WHL record for most consecutive games with a goal by a defenceman in the playoffs when he scored in eight straight as his team captured the title. He's a great puck-mover with elite offensive instincts for a blue liner and, while the Flames do have a few guys with similar skill sets, he should still carry a lot of intrigue. It's worth noting, too, that most scouting profiles make a point of mentioning that Pickford isn't a one-trick pony. There's lots to like about his defensive game, too.
National Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: Imagining a future with Parekh and Brzustewicz on blue line
This is gonna be good. Article content That's what Calgary Flames defence prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Zayne Parekh were thinking as they surveyed the scene at Climate Pledge Arena prior to an exhibition audition last fall. Article content Article content 'When we were in Seattle for the pre-season, I was sitting on the bench with Zayne and honestly we took a moment and we were like, 'This is unreal,'' Brzustewicz beamed. 'And it was just pre-season.' Article content This is gonna be good. Article content That's what Brzustewicz and Parekh were thinking months later as they bumped fists in Los Angeles prior to their NHL debuts, one having just completed his solo lap and the other about to step foot on the ice for that customary welcome whirl. Article content As Brzustewicz put it: 'Looking up at the bright lights in L.A., it was unbelievable … I think the first thing that I looked at was all the banners of the Lakers. That was a really cool moment for me.' Article content This is gonna be good. Article content That's what Flames fans are thinking as they envision a future — and a not-so-distant one — with both of these guys in prominent roles. If all goes well, it could someday be standard to see them finish 1-2 on the team in nightly ice time. Article content There is no debating Parekh's status as the Flames' top prospect. When you match junior scoring records that were set in the 1960s by the legendary Bobby Orr, the excitement tends to crank into overdrive. This 19-year-old star-in-the-making didn't exactly hush the hype when he buried a beauty deflection in his big-league debut. Article content Many folks would have Brzustewicz, 20, slotted second on the list of Calgary's most promising pipeline pieces. He is an X-factor in the retool plans because, if he can fulfil his potential, suddenly there's a fixture for the second pairing, too. Article content Article content While everybody was buzzing through the winter about what his buddy was doing in the OHL, Brzustewicz was making a positive impression as a first-year pro, really coming on strong as he started to feel more comfortable with the pace and pressure. Article content During a recent radio interview, Flames director of player development Ray Edwards suggested that Brzustewicz was the Wranglers' best defenceman over the final third of the season and raved that he 'makes tough plays look easy and makes a lot of them.' Article content Brzustewicz completed his first AHL campaign with 32 points, fifth among rookie rearguards on that stepping-stone circuit. Like his pal, he didn't look out of place in that April 17 eye-opener against the Kings in Los Angeles.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calgary Wranglers draw Coachella Valley Firebirds in first round of AHL playoffs
The Calgary Wranglers will face the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the opening round of the AHL's Calder Cup playoffs. The Flames' farm-clubbers wrapped their regular-season work with a victory Sunday at the Saddledome, setting a date with the top affiliate of the Seattle Kraken. The Wranglers finished in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 37-28-7 record. As fourth seed, the Firebirds (37-25-10) will have home-ice advantage for every contest in this best-of-three showdown. The fun starts Tuesday. While the Wranglers will be in tough against the Firebirds, who were 6-2 in their season series, it's a major positive for the Flames that their up-and-comers will be playing high-pressure games this spring in the minors. The Wranglers' roster includes several guys who could challenge for NHL jobs in the fall — Hunter Brzustewicz, Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov on the blue-line, plus forwards Sam Honzek, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton, William Stromgren and the just-signed Carter King. (The 23-year-old King, inked earlier this week as a college free agent, scored his first pro goal and also added an assist in Sunday's shutout victory over the San Jose Barracuda.) The Wranglers should be boosted by the return of right-winger Adam Klapka, although he was waiting for medical clearance after an injury in the Flames' season finale. Rasmus Andersson was playing on a broken ankle ... and five more revelations from Flames' exit interviews 10 Takeaways from Craig Conroy's end-of-season media availability
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Déjà Vu: Wranglers Fall To Reign In Shootout, 2-1
The Calgary Wranglers (29-16-4-2) are no longer the top team in the AHL Pacific Division, as the Ontario Reign leapfrogged the Southern Alberta team thanks to a 2-1 shootout win on Sunday night. The contest marked the third consecutive game the two teams went to extra time, as the Reign swept the Wranglers at the Saddledome on Feb. 15 (4-3) and Feb. 17. (3-2), both games going to overtime. In another case of déjà vu, Calgary opened up the scoring for the ninth straight game when Hunter Brzustewicz scored at 15:59 of the first period. David Silye and Trevor Janicke set up his fourth of the year. Unfortunately, the Wranglers are now 1-3-3-2 in their last nine games, meaning they have managed to secure a single victory after scoring the first goal, which came during a Jan. 31 contest against the Abbotsford Canucks. BRRRRR it's cold in here 🥶 Up 1-0!! — Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) February 24, 2025 On Sunday, the Reign tied the contest midway through the second period at 9:59 when Joe Hicketts tallied his third of the season, thanks to feeds from Jeff Malott and Charles Hudon. It was the defining moment of the period for the home team, who managed 17 shots on Walterri Ignatjew, who was making his first appearance since a 7-5 victory over the San Diego Gulls on Jan. 25. As the two teams battled through the third period and into overtime, the Wranglers outshot (14-9) and outhustled the Reign but were unable to solve Pheonix Copley, who finished his evening with 26 saves (.962 Sv%). In the shootout, he stopped both William Strömgren and Jeremie Poirier. Although Ignatjew was brilliant through regulation with 37 saves (.973 Sv%), he didn't have answers for Glenn Gawdin and Malott, who scored in the first and second rounds of the shootout, giving Ontario another win over Calgary. Interestingly, there were no penalties through 40 minutes, but each team had three power play opportunities in the third, with neither capitalizing on their chances. Moreover, it was a quiet night for several of the Wranglers' top players, including Martin Frk and Rory Kerins, who had six shots on goal and saw their respective three-game point streaks end. Despite picking up another point, these single-digit games have finally caught up to Calgary, who are no longer the top team in the Pacific Division. They play again on Tuesday night against the Gulls before returning home for four contests in the next week and a half.
