‘He's been the rock': How Flames prospect Hunter Brzustewicz helped prepare his younger brother for 2025 NHL Draft
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Hunter cherishes his relationship with his younger brother Henry, so many automatically assume that he is hoping the Flames will select his 'best friend' in the 2025 NHL Draft.
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Not so fast.
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'People always joke about if Calgary drafts him … ' Hunter said. 'And I tell them, 'No, I don't want 'em to, so I can fight him one day.' But we'll see.'
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Henry, fresh off a Memorial Cup win with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights, insists that his brother is all talk when it comes to the possibility of a sibling scrap.
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'Well, last year we played each other in the OHL,' Henry said. 'And he didn't want to, so … '
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There will be no haymakers between the Brzustewicz boys this weekend.
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Just handshakes and hugs.
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The NHL has invited all of the top draft prospects to Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, and Henry is among those on the list.
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Some are projecting he could be selected toward the end of Friday's first round. If not, he shouldn't be waiting long when the name-calling resumes Saturday morning.
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With an age gap of just over 26 months, these two were essentially inseparable before both leaving home to chase their NHL dreams. Henry, who spent a pair of seasons at Shattuck St. Mary's prep school, credits Hunter as a 'driving force' in his own hockey career.
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'Growing up, we've always been best friends and we still are,' said Hunter, who is 20 and just finished his first pro season — cutting his teeth with the AHL's Wranglers and making such a positive impression that he was called up by the Flames to log his NHL debut in Game 82.
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'As an older brother, just kind of realizing what's happening for him in the next few months, I'm just really excited for him to experience it. We have talked about the combine or whatever and with each little thing, I ask him, 'Doesn't it make you want it even more?' And he's always like, 'Yeah, it does.'
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