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FN AHL Report Cards: Etienne Morin showed growth and confidence in back half of the season
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Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Paige Siewert
May 29, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: May 28, 2026, 23:35 EDT
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Etienne Morin came to Calgary for his first professional season after a one game preview with the Wranglers in 2024-25 and four years with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. Morin served as alternate captain his last two seasons in junior and topped out in points in his draft year with 72 in 67 games. His last season in Moncton, he had 58 points in 62 games, then 20 points in 19 playoff games. He showed he was ready for pro hockey and this season was to show how his skills translated.

Expectations

Expectations for Etienne Morin this season were quite bullish. A top performing defender coming off a championship season in junior getting his first taste of pro hockey was quite exciting for the organization. The blue line depth for the Wranglers was forecasted to be steep so it was up to Morin to establish if he was ready for the AHL or if he’d spend the year mostly in the ECHL.

Performance

Morin played in a handful of Wranglers games in the first month of the season but was getting buried on a third pairing and not finding a lot of confidence. He ended up being sent down to the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush on two assignments in November. Once for a back to back on Nov. 7 and 8, then again later in November and into early December. He found his first professional goal against the Idaho Steelheads on Nov. 28 and finished the night with a multi-point game. He returned to the Wranglers for their home game against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Dec. 9 and brought more confidence with him.
Morin scored his first AHL goal in his third game back in the league after his ECHL assignment against the Abbotsford Canucks on Dec. 13. At this point, Hunter Brzustewicz and Yan Kuznetsov were up with the Flames and it was a good opportunity for Morin to get some more ice time.
He followed this up with a few good stretches of games in January but in early February, he was separated by his hometown friend, Jeremie Poirier, who was dealt in an AHL trade with the Dallas Stars for Gavin White. Morin ended up playing some games with White and was pretty consistently making the Wranglers lineup for the last two months of the season.
Morin’s season totals in the ECHL finished with seven games, 1 goal and two assists. In the AHL, he played 42 games and put up one goal and six assists. Morin was very open about the growing pains of his first pro season, especially on the scoring side and how much he needed to learn along the way.
When he took some time to reflect on his year at Wranglers exit interviews, he said:
“First of all, I got to clear my head a little bit. So, that’s what I have been telling everybody. I’m super excited just to go back home and it’s been a really hard year for me, especially off the ice and mentally. But yeah, that’s exactly it. I got to clear my head off and then just go from there, but I know what they expect of me, and obviously, I have really high expectations. So, I’m gonna come back next year and be more ready.”
Riding the high of his last junior season, it seems Morin would’ve liked to see a quicker transition to pro than what the reality was this year. Some of the veterans like Nick Cicek did a good job taking him under their wing and helping him shape up the off ice and on ice expectations at the AHL level. He did miss a little bit of time with the Wranglers due to a family matter so hopefully that situation has improved as well. Etienne Morin shows a willingness to learn, work and adapt, and that will continue to benefit him in the early days of his professional career.

Outlook

Morin is going to be one of the players who would like to take a step forward this off-season. He might not bulk up like Sam Honzek this summer but he’d like to get stronger. He knows the pace of pro now and the next thing for him to do is to grow his game and bring in the traits that made him successful in junior. As far as the summer goes, his plan is to skate with Jeremie Poirier and join him for a few rounds of golf between working with his trainer and gym time. Morin said:
“What I’ve been through mentally this year, I’m really proud of myself, and it’s been a really hard year. Like I’ve been telling in interviews, I had a lot to learn. I still have a lot to learn, but I learned a lot this year. And I’m gonna take that into summer, train as hard as I can. be the best version of myself, come back here with a clear head and just enjoy hockey the most I’ve ever enjoyed it.”
He continued:
“One of my strengths is being consistent. I wasn’t that consistent this year, so that’s the part that I have a lot to learn still from, but I’m gonna be ready for next year, that’s for sure.”
Etienne Morin’s upside and potential is still there. There is more that he can bring to his game and if he is able to earn more time elevated in the defensive pairings, he’ll have more chances to be successful. Morin still has two years of his entry level contract and could very well be one of the NHL debuts we see up at the Flames at some point next year.

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