“It’s unbelievable"

It has been a whirlwind week for Sam Morton, who inked his first NHL contract with the Flames on Monday.

Morton wrapped up his college career only a few days ago and subsequently began the process of signing with the Flames.

Putting pen to paper on his first pro contract was a dream come true for the product of Lafayette, Colorado.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Morton. “Since you start playing hockey this is what you dream of, to have a chance to sign an NHL contract.

“What I do with it, that’s coming next and I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and provide as much as I can for the organization.”

The 24-year-old posted a career-best 24 goals with Minnesota State this season, finishing with 34 points in 37 games which earned him the nod as CCHA Player of the Year.

Morton was ranked first in goals (24), shots (149), faceoff wins (754) and powerplay goals (nine) heading into his final weekend at Minnesota State, leading the Mavericks to the semifinals of the Mason Cup.

“It has been a whirlwind of emotions,” he explained. “Definitely a rollercoaster with our season ending Saturday night, and it’s bittersweet because, obviously, it’s the last college game and we wanted to win the national championship, but things happen, and we keep moving forward.”

“It’s definitely an honour to receive individual awards, but at the end of the day we wanted to win the national championship and that’s what really matters. It’s nice to have that recognition, but at the end of the day you’re always hungry for more, you want to keep developing and progressing towards the next level.”

Morton’s decision to sign with the Flames was a no-brainer as he feels his 200-foot game and prowess within the faceoff dots will be an asset here.

“Talking with the Flames, it just sounded like a really good fit in terms of my game and what they’re looking for to help their organization be successful,” said said. “It seems like a great organization, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”

Once he arrives in Calgary, Morton will join the Wranglers for the remainder of the season and will follow in the footsteps of another recent college standout who is currently making his mark in Calgary: Matt Coronato.

Morton says he can draw inspiration from the path Coronato has taken in terms of transitioning from the college ranks to the professional game.

“I remember playing against Matt in regionals when he was at Harvard,” explained Morton. “He’s a special player, fun to watch and I have a lot of respect for his game and the transition that he made, he’s done a really nice job with it.”

“As for my transition, I hope it goes well. I’m an older guy, so hopefully maturity helps a little bit. Being 24 years old and having almost five years of college hockey under my belt, will hopefully be advantageous.”