Country music blaring on the sound system.
And a brand-new Wrangler on the ice.
Defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz has already had a busy spring, but he’s more than happy to extend it at WinSport with the Wranglers’ black aces.
“I listen to anything, but that was the mood we were in,” he joked after stepping off the ice.
Calgary plays the opening verse of its AHL playoff campaign Wednesday night in Tucson - a best-of-three affair that will be played entirely in the Grand Canyon State; Brzustewicz, meantime, is one of a handful of Wranglers rookies keeping fit and in form back home.
Originally selected by Vancouver in the 2023 NHL Draft, Brzustewicz's NHL rights were transferred to the Flames in January as part of the trade that brought Andrei Kuzmenko to Calgary.
Brzustewicz was signed to an amateur try-out after his Kitchener Rangers were knocked out of the OHL playoffs last week. Two days into his first professional stint in the Flames organization, he's happy to be getting his feet wet out West, even if the mountain air is a bit thinner out here.
“It’s great, everyone’s so welcoming,” he said. “But it’s been weird to change to the altitude. I’m just super-excited to start with (the Wranglers), everyone’s been super-welcoming.”
If Brzustewicz has his way, he’ll have to get used to the altitude pretty quickly, though.
He’s eligible to play professional hockey full-time next fall, be it with the Flames or Wranglers, and after signing his entry-level contract with the club back in March, the 19-year-old is taking this opportunity to get acclimated.
His game comes with plenty of pop - Brzustewicz’s 79 assists were the most in the OHL this past season - but in watching him strut his stuff Tuesday, the Michigan native’s competitive spirit jumps off the playing surface, as does his willingness to mix things up physically either in front of the net, or in the corners.
Whether this spring’s experience in Calgary results in a pro debut remains to be seen, but the smooth-skating defenceman is determined to put his best foot forward.
“I’m just looking at it to come work hard, that’s all I’m going to do is do my best,” he said. “If they end up calling me up, that’s their choice, I’m just going to keep doing my thing.”
