Examine individual changes

'{{Short description|American ice hockey player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Hunter Brzustewicz | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|11|24}} | birth_place = [[Washington, MI]], U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lb = 190 | position = [[Defenceman|Defense]] | shoots = Right | league = [[National Hockey League|NHL]] | team = [[Calgary Flames]] | prospect_team = [[Calgary Wranglers]] | prospect_league = [[American Hockey League|AHL]] | ntl_team = | draft = 75th overall | draft_year = 2023 | draft_team = [[Vancouver Canucks]] | career_start = 2024 }} '''Hunter Brzustewicz''' (born November 29, 2004) is an American professional [[ice hockey]] [[Defenceman|defenseman]] for the [[Calgary Wranglers]] of the [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) as a prospect to the [[Calgary Flames]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Raptis |first1=Mike |title=Canucks prospects: Everyone but Willander playing for keeps now |url=https://vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-prospects-everyone-but-willander-playing-for-keeps-now/wcm/bf789d02-4afc-44f9-9f52-09a37e5bb98c |publisher=The Vancouver Sun |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> He was selected in the third round by the [[Vancouver Canucks]] in the [[2023 NHL Entry Draft]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wheeler |first1=Scott |title=Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz, once viewed as a 'special' talent, is back |work=The New York Times |url=https://theathletic.com/4697153/2023/08/03/canucks-prospect-hunter-brzustewicz/ |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> ==Playing career== As 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wagner |first1=Daniel |title=Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz leads the OHL in scoring |date=October 19, 2023 |url=https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/canucks-hockey/canucks-prospect-hunter-brzustewicz-leads-the-ohl-in-scoring-7709100 |publisher=Vancouver Is Awesome |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Josh |title=Leader of the pack: Kitchener Rangers d-man Hunter Brzustewicz in rare territory atop OHL scoring race |date=October 31, 2023 |url=https://www.therecord.com/sports/hockey/rangers/leader-of-the-pack-kitchener-rangers-d-man-hunter-brzustewicz-in-rare-territory-atop-ohl/article_1882247e-e2ba-5db8-bec6-bf702e1442ca.html |publisher=The Record |access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref> Brzustewicz committed to play for the [[University of Michigan]] at the age of 13, but de-committed when the Rangers showed interest.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Raptis |first1=Mike |title=Canucks prospects: Willander working out well at BU; Brzustewicz goes brrr |url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/canucks-prospects-willander-working-out-well-at-bu-brzustewicz-goes-brrr/ar-AA1kcEUn |publisher=The Province |access-date=4 December 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Raptis |first1=Mike |title=Canucks prospects: Brzustewicz plays provider, Kudryavtsev on the mark |url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-prospects-brzustewicz-plays-provider-kudryavtsev-on-the-mark |publisher=National Post |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Raptis |first1=Mike |title=Canucks prospects: Brzustewicz shoots for the stars, Willander comes up aces |url=https://vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-prospects-brzustewicz-shoots-for-the-stars-willander-comes-up-aces |publisher=The Vancouver Sun |access-date=4 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Welsford |first1=Kyle |title=Hunter Brzustewicz: The Canucks' Rising Defensive Dynamo |date=December 2023 |url=https://thecanuckway.com/2023/12/01/vancouver-canucks-hunter-brzustewicz-defensive-dynamo-ryan-ellis-brandt-clarke/ |publisher=The Canuck Way |access-date=4 December 2023}}</ref> Brzustewicz became the first OHL defenceman to lead the league in scoring at the halfway point of a season since [[Bryan Fogarty]] in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fullerton |first1=Owen |title= Canucks prospect making history: Confirmed steal for the team's scouts |url=https://www.canucksdaily.com/vancouver-canucks/LATEST-Canucks-prospect-making-history-Confirmed-steal-for-the-team-scouts |publisher=Canucks Daily |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnston |first1=Patrick |title=Canucks pick up Elias Lindholm in trade from Calgary Flames |url=https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-trade-andrei-kuzmenko-elias-lindholm |publisher=The Province |access-date=1 February 2024}}</ref> He was later signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flames on March 14, 2024.<ref>{{citeweb| url = https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-sign-hunter-brzustewicz | title = Flames sign Hunter Brzustewicz | publisher = [[Calgary Flames]] | date = March 14, 2024 | accessdate = March 14, 2024}}</ref> ==Career statistics== ===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|[[Regular season]] ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|[[Playoffs]] |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! [[Season (sports)|Season]] ! Team ! League ! GP !! [[Goal (ice hockey)|G]] !! [[Assist (ice hockey)|A]] !! [[Point (ice hockey)|Pts]] !! [[Penalty (ice hockey)|PIM]] ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- | [[2021–22 USHL season|2021–22]] | [[USA Hockey National Team Development Program|U.S. National Development Team]] | [[United States Hockey League|USHL]] | 25 || 0 || 9 || 9 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | [[2022–23 OHL season|2022–23]] | [[Kitchener Rangers]] | [[Ontario Hockey League|OHL]] | 68 || 6 || 51 || 57 || 12 | 9 || 0 || 4 || 4 || 0 |- | [[2023–24 OHL season|2023–24]] | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 67 || 13 || 79 || 92 || 24 | 10 || 1 || 8 || 9 || 12 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" |OHL totals ! 135 !! 19 !! 130 !! 149 !! 36 ! 19 !! 1 !! 12 !! 13 !! 12 |} ===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- | [[2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup|2021]] | [[United States men's national under-18 ice hockey team|United States]] | [[Hlinka Gretzky Cup|HG18]] | 5th | 4 || 0 || 3 || 3 || 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | [[2022 IIHF World U18 Championships|2022]] | United States | [[IIHF World U18 Championship|U18]] | {{silver2}} | 5 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 2 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4" |Junior totals ! 9 !! 0 !! 5 !! 5 !! 2 |} ==Awards and honors== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! |- ! colspan="3"|[[Ontario Hockey League|OHL]] |- | Second All-Star Team | [[2023–24 OHL season|2024]] | |} == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{icehockeystats|elite=526088|hockeydb=247713}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Brzustewicz, Hunter}} [[Category:2004 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Calgary Wranglers players]] [[Category:Kitchener Rangers players]] [[Category:Ice hockey players from Michigan]] [[Category:Vancouver Canucks draft picks]] [[Category:USA Hockey National Team Development Program players]]'