Sam Morton has impressed in his first full professional season.
The Lafayette, Colorado native played for the Wenatchee Wild of the British Columbia Hockey League in 2016-17, scoring seven goals and 25 points. Morton followed that up with a 29-goal, 54-point season in 58 games in 2017-18. In the post-season, Morton scored six goals and 25 points in 20 games as the Wild won the Fred Page Cup.
Morton honoured his commitment to Union College. He played 29 games in 2018-19, scoring a goal and 10 points in 29 games, followed by a two-goal, three-point performance in 13 games in 2019-20. However, he returned to the Wild to finish out his 2019-20 season, scoring 11 goals and 31 points in 26 games.
Due to the pandemic, Morton was given an additional year of college eligibility and transferred to Minnesota State University – Mankato. In his first season there in 2020-21, he scored five goals and nine points. The following season, he scored nine goals and 25 points in 38 games but only played 10 games in 2022-23 where he scored six goals and eight points.
Morton had a strong final collegiate year, scoring 24 goals and 34 points in 37 games, turning professional shortly after. He signed a standard player contract (he was too old for an entry-level deal) and joined the Calgary Wranglers on an amateur try-out at the end of his college season, scoring five goals and seven points in 13 games.
Coming into the 2024-25 season, Morton was an honourable mention in our top prospect countdown. Mike Gould noted that while he may not have a high ceiling as others on the list, Morton could get a National Hockey League look sooner rather than later due to his age.
In turn, he’s performed well with the Wranglers. Through 48 games this season, the 25-year-old has 13 goals and 32 points in 48 games while mainly playing centre. Morton is tied for fourth in goals with the Wranglers while his 32 points have him sixth – that’s just how deep the Wranglers are this season.
Thanks to the performance of not just Morton, but also Dryden Hut, Martin Frk, William Strömgren, Rory Kerins, Clark Bishop, and many more, the Wranglers sit near the top of the AHL’s Pacific Division with a 29-15-5 record.
Will Morton get an opportunity with the Flames at some point this season, perhaps as a fourth-line centre? That’s yet to be determined, but his performance in 2024-25 will surely help his case.
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