CALGARY — The only thing harder than spelling Hunter Brzustewicz’s name is trying to fathom just how much it meant for him to score his first NHL goal Sunday night.
“A lot,” beamed the Flames defenceman after a 4-3 loss to Anaheim that saw the 21-year-old defenceman pot his first in 18 NHL games.
“It's been a little bit now since I've been called up, and it feels really good. It sucks we didn’t come out with the win, but it felt good in the moment.”
A moment that started and finished with Adam Klapka.
Receiving a pass at the point from the six-foot-eight winger, Brzustewicz tried sending a pass to Joel Farabee net-side that caromed off the stick of Ducks defenceman Jackson LaCombe and past goalie Lucas Dostal.
“I was just looking for the back door, really,” smiled Brzustewicz, who has just one NHL assist.
“It got a lucky bounce, obviously, and I didn't see it go in. And then I just saw some other guys celebrate, and then I figured it was mine.”
The goal put the Flames up 2-0 just a few minutes after Jonathan Huberdeau also benefited from a fortuitous bounce, prompting a euphoric Klapka to maul his former Wranglers teammate.
“He picked me up like I was his kid,” laughed Brzustewicz.
“I don't even know what happened, really. He just picked me up and twirled me around like I was a little string being out there. But, no, it was a lot of fun. He's a great guy. He's been really nice to me ever since I've been in Calgary. He's always taking me under his wing, and I can't appreciate him enough.”
His goal marked the fourth time this year a Flames rookie potted their first NHL goal, following Matvei Gridin, Yan Kuznetsov and Sam Honzek.
For a rebuilding bunch, these are the type of milestones that lift a bench, as well as the belief that the direction things are heading is a positive one.
Symbolic of sorts was the young man who authored the Flames’ demise Sunday, Beckett Sennecke, whose overtime winner capped his first NHL hat trick.
While it dampened the post-game excitement over Brzustewicz’s goal, it should also serve as a reminder of just how impactful a top-three draft pick like Sennecke can be for an organization.
The kid who went viral after standing up and mouthing the words “Holy ----” when picked third overall at the 2024 draft in Vegas now leads all rookies with 18 goals.
Frittering away another solid first period to lose their fourth game in a row, the Flames now sit 28th in the league and are looking good for a top-5 pick.
The team has traded away its best defenceman, Rasmus Andersson, who scored for Vegas Sunday night in a 7-1 loss that saw him match his career-high of 11 goals.
Surely, with all the messages this increasingly overmatched team is sending management of late, more significant trades are in order, deleting more top talent and adding to the team’s draft capital.
Such trades are the kind that landed Calgary Brzustewicz two years ago, when the third-round pick was acquired as part of the Elias Lindholm swap.
Seen as one of the future pillars on the right side of Calgary’s blue line moving forward, it has taken a while for the Michigan native to show signs of the offensive flair he exhibited in Kitchener as a 92-point man.
Revolving in and out of the lineup with Brayden Pachal as the team’s sixth defenceman of late, the goal is for Brzustewicz to start using his offensive skills to make an impact on the second power-play unit.
Earlier in the day, coach Ryan Huska was talking about how depth defenders like “Brew” would have to start earning more than the 13 minutes of ice time he’s been getting, to try limiting the minutes Kevin Bahl and Zach Whitecloud have had to log since Andersson was dealt.
“He was trying to make a pass on that through the seam, but it's his first NHL goal,” smiled Huska.
“It's pretty cool for him. The guys are very happy for him.”
Fresh off a two-assist outing with the Wranglers Saturday, Zayne Parekh’s conditioning stint still has two games remaining before he, too, is back with the big club, vying for time on the back end.
There’s a lot riding on his continued development, and in what is shaping up as a lost season for the Flames, it could mean increased opportunities for youngsters like him and Brzustewicz to take advantage of.
After all, no one wants to see him back in the AHL, where he had 32 points in 70 games last year as a rookie pro.
“It's special,” said Klapka of the excitement surrounding his pal’s breakthrough goal.
“Hey, I played with him his first AHL game, and first NHL game, and to see him score his first goal and be on the ice with him, it's something to see.
“He's getting better every game and every day. He's an awesome kid and awesome hockey player. I can’t wait to see him in the future.”
Flames fans feel much the same way.
