Hunter Brzustewicz (born November 29, 2004) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a prospect to the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] He was selected in the third round by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.[2]
| Hunter Brzustewicz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
November 24, 2004 Washington, MI, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Calgary Flames Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
75th overall, 2023 Vancouver Canucks | ||
Playing career
editAs a 15-year-old, Brzustewicz achieved 111 points in 66 games for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, capturing the record for most points by a defenceman in that league.[3] Brzustewicz saw his ice time limited playing two seasons for the US National Team Development Program. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Barrie Colts in 2020 but was traded to the Kitchener Rangers in exchange for Declan McDonnell.[4] Brzustewicz committed to play for the University of Michigan at the age of 13, but de-committed when the Rangers showed interest.[5] In the first month of the 2023 OHL season, Brzustewicz lead the league with 16 points in 7 games, which saw him playing on the Rangers’ top pairing and running the first unit power play.[6] His 46 points in 28 games and plus-20 differential had some speculating he was a "draft steal", comparing his season to that of Ryan Ellis and Brandt Clarke.[7][8] Brzustewicz became the first OHL defenceman to lead the league in scoring at the halfway point of a season since Bryan Fogarty in 1988.[9]
On January 31, 2024, Brzustewicz was traded to the Calgary Flames, along with Andrei Kuzmenko, the Canucks’ 1st round pick in 2024, a conditional fourth round pick and Joni Jurmo in exchange for Elias Lindholm.[10] He was later signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flames on March 14, 2024.[11]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 25 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 68 | 6 | 51 | 57 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 67 | 13 | 79 | 92 | 24 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 12 | ||
| OHL totals | 135 | 19 | 130 | 149 | 36 | 19 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 12 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | United States | HG18 | 5th | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2022 | United States | U18 | 
|
5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 9 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | ||||
Awards and honors
edit| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| Second All-Star Team | 2024 | |
References
edit- ^ Raptis, Mike. "Canucks prospects: Everyone but Willander playing for keeps now". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Wheeler, Scott. "Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz, once viewed as a 'special' talent, is back". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Wagner, Daniel (October 19, 2023). "Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz leads the OHL in scoring". Vancouver Is Awesome. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Josh (October 31, 2023). "Leader of the pack: Kitchener Rangers d-man Hunter Brzustewicz in rare territory atop OHL scoring race". The Record. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ Raptis, Mike. "Canucks prospects: Willander working out well at BU; Brzustewicz goes brrr". The Province. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Raptis, Mike. "Canucks prospects: Brzustewicz plays provider, Kudryavtsev on the mark". National Post. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Raptis, Mike. "Canucks prospects: Brzustewicz shoots for the stars, Willander comes up aces". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Welsford, Kyle (December 2023). "Hunter Brzustewicz: The Canucks' Rising Defensive Dynamo". The Canuck Way. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Fullerton, Owen. "Canucks prospect making history: Confirmed steal for the team's scouts". Canucks Daily. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ Johnston, Patrick. "Canucks pick up Elias Lindholm in trade from Calgary Flames". The Province. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "Flames sign Hunter Brzustewicz". Calgary Flames. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database