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Hunter Brzustewicz made an outstanding transition to pro hockey in his rookie season
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Photo credit: Terence Leung/Calgary Wranglers
Paige Siewert
Aug 22, 2025, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 22, 2025, 09:35 EDT
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Hunter Brzustewicz is one of the best prospect trade pieces the Calgary Flames have gotten in recent years.
As part of the trade that sent Elias Lindholm to Vancouver and brought Andrei Kuzmenko and Joni Jurmo to the Flames in 2024, Brzustewicz remains the last player in that group still in the organization. Fans caught a glimpse of him in pre-season and would have seen him with the Wranglers all year, but his first big performance as a Flame was in his NHL debut on the last game of the regular season. In a whirlwind season, Brzustewicz bought in and settled into the Flames system and found a lot of success. 

2024-25 expectations

Hunter Brzustewicz was expected to make a solid addition to the Wranglers’ defensive core but his spot among the existing skaters was unsure. There was no denying he had the talent to be an everyday defenceman at the AHL level; there was just some uncertainty on how long his transition into pro hockey would be. 
Being a more offensive defenseman and having another defender like Jeremie Poirier fitting that mould, there were some ideas around putting those two together and seeing if they could generate some chemistry. Ilya Solovyov, if available with the Wranglers also would’ve been one of the veteran options he could pair up with.
Hunter Brzustewicz’s welcome into the Calgary organization wasn’t expected to be a quiet one and he came in with high expectations placed on him. He’s a player who would be getting monitored closely in his rookie season with the AHL affiliate. 

2024-25 results

Brzustewicz ended up finding almost instant chemistry with another veteran defender with the Wranglers, Yan Kuznetsov. Their games clicked very nicely, and with Kuznetsov playing a balanced and consistent game, Brzustewicz was able to learn from his poise and positioning. On top of that, he was also able to start taking risks and leaning in to more of that offensive side of his game as the season went on.
When Brzustewicz reflected on his experiences in his first year he said,
“It was a slow start just getting used to things but I think I finished strong. It was all good and I’ve been learning a lot and I think that’s really important for sure.”
In his first full season with the Wranglers, Brzustewicz played in nearly every game, earning five goals and 27 assists for a total of 32 points. He played in 70 games and only missed two to realize his dream of playing in the NHL. On Apr. 17, he made his debut in a Flames jersey against the LA Kings, playing on a pairing with Brayden Pachal. He didn’t pick up any points but did finish the night with a healthy +2 rating. 
When he reflected on that experience and sharing it with peers like Sam Morton and Zayne Parekh, he said:
“It was unbelievable. I think the little things for me like the travel, the food. I think just looking up at the bright lights in LA, it was unbelievable for myself. I think the first thing I looked at was the banner of the Lakers and stuff. That was a really cool moment for me.”
Brzustewicz continued:
“At the start of the season when we were in Seattle for the pre-season game. I was sitting on the bench with Zayne (Parekh), and we just took a moment and we were like this is unreal and it was just preseason. Then when we were on the plane, me and Sam, (Morton), he was like we forever have a bond now. And I was like, we didn’t have a bond before?!”
Brzustewicz returned to the Wranglers to finish the season and played in the first playoff game against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He was out of the lineup for game two due to a minor lower body injury and with Calgary’s playoff run closing off after two games, that wrapped up his season. This injury wasn’t something that would keep him away from off-season training for long.
Brzustewicz definitely met and arguably exceeded the set expectations for him in his rookie season and there was not much more he could’ve done to make that first season any better. 

Next season’s expectations

Brzustewicz is aware of the things he’d like to polish so he can continue to move his professional path forward to a more regular NHL role. He said in Wranglers’ exit meetings:
“It sounds cliche, but just get the stronger part for myself just on all areas. Then the power and speed comes with that when you get the strength.”
A stronger, faster Brzustewicz paired with the knowledge he has now of what that NHL job looks like, is giving him an edge going into the 2025-26 season. He said after his experience with the Flames:
“I think you just become more confident. They see you and you realize that you become more comfortable. Whether it’s around the older guys here or up there. When you become more comfortable off the ice, that’s when you become more comfortable on the ice.”
It feels like next season, Brzustewicz’s chances with the Flames will not be just a one game stint. He feels prepped and ready to play a handful of games in the NHL (if not more) and fall back to the AHL for extra development in this transition year.

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