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FN’s mid-season Flames prospect updates: Hunter Brzustewicz
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Photo credit: Angela Burger/Calgary Wranglers
Paige Siewert
Feb 14, 2026, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 14, 2026, 13:25 EST
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Hunter Brzustewicz is in just his second year of professional hockey and second season in the Calgary Flames’ organization. As a Vancouver Canucks draft pick, he was traded before he could play a game in his draft organization. His trade continues to be a gift that keeps on giving and this season so far has been an instrumental one for his development. Not only has he really shown his capabilities at the NHL level, but he’s also shown he’s capable of staying up at that level. Now with the Rasmus Andersson trade gone and done and rumours around other potential trades before the deadline swirling, Brzustewicz seems to be a piece that will be sticking around to be a part of the future of the Flames’ blue line.
In his rookie year, Brzustewicz played the whole season with the Wranglers, putting up 32 points in 70 games. Most of his games were played on a pairing with Yan Kuznetsov. His playoff time with the Wranglers was cut short by a lower body injury but the team’s run didn’t end up going much longer than that. Brzustewicz healed right up over the summer and was one of the noticeable prospects in training camp and preseason. He started the year in the AHL and played 23 games with the Wranglers before it was apparent he was ready to make a jump.
On Dec. 8, Hunter Brzustewicz got the call to join the Flames. His efforts in the first two months of the AHL season didn’t go unnoticed and with just one NHL game under his belt at that time, it was his turn to try and prove his readiness for more. Brzustewicz ended up playing his way into an everyday spot and with Zayne Parekh injured at the time, there was a spot on the right side for him if he earned it. Brzustewicz was playing consecutively, with just a few instances where he was scratched to get Brayden Pachal back into the lineup.
On Jan 7. Brzustewicz put up his first NHL point with an assist on Joel Farabee’s goal against the Montreal Canadiens. His first NHL goal came a few weeks later with a deflection goal against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 25. 
He only played in one more game after that as Zayne Parekh wrapped up his conditioning stint with the Wranglers and the Flames brought Parekh in for some NHL action. Brzustewicz and Matvei Gridin were the only two waiver-exempt players who could be sent to the Wranglers over the Olympic break, so there was some “strategic scratching” that happened so he could maintain his eligibility. After the Flames’ win over the Oilers to lead them into the Olympic break, Brzustewicz and Gridin were officially assigned to the Wranglers. This gave Brzustewicz a small break over the AHL All-Star week, but not at all to the same extent as his NHL teammates were getting. 
Bruzstewicz said he only really had a week’s notice that this move was coming and said:
“I’m going to be honest of course, I would’ve liked to go home but that’s not what the plan had for me. I believe in my plan and I’ve just got to stick with the process.” 
Hunter’s move to the AHL is interesting at this point in the season, as he’s not really played his way out of an NHL spot. The Flames just have too many guys and guys that they’d risk losing to waivers for nothing instead of trying to strategically use them in potential trades. Brzustewicz was quite effective at the NHL level and even got some time quarterbacking the power play. This young right-shot defenceman continues to improve and he’s seeing the results. He said:
“I think I’ve taken big strides. The stuff they wanted to get me working on over the past summer, going into the season, I think they fixed right up. Just get back to the puck, playing with pace. Obviously, a lot more to go, but I think I can take a big step in the offensive game.”
Brzustewicz’s offensive capabilities are really part of what put him on the map in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers. You started to see that come alive last season with the Wranglers and he really showed that skill in the first month of this season. It feels like that’s the next thing that will emerge now that he’s up to 19 games in the NHL.
Brzustewicz has already played in two additional Wranglers games and put up an assist in his first game back in the AHL. He’s not unaware of the struggles the Flames affiliate has been facing and when asked about how he’d like to contribute during his likely limited time with them, he said,
“Wins. Anything I can help the team with. Obviously, it hasn’t been great the past few months and hopefully I just bring a positive mindset. Good guy in the locker room and hopefully we can string together some wins.”
Hunter Brzustewicz’s spot in the NHL feels inevitable; just some patience while the Flames shake out their roster, and a convenient NHL break has him out of that league. It’s not to say he might not be right back with them when the Olympic break ends. At the very least, he’s playing in games with top line minutes and approaching the whole situation with a positive attitude. He’s playing these games the same way he would an NHL game and talked about falling back to that B-game if the A-game isn’t firing. Brzustewicz remains eligible for the AHL Playoffs at this point (if the Wranglers qualify) and is set to play in their next games against the Manitoba Moose this long weekend. 

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