While not announced as a done deal quite yet, things are trending in the right direction for LA’s top defensive prospect, Henry Brzustewicz. Originally selected in the first round just over a year ago at the NHL Entry Draft, the young defenseman is likely to start this season with AHL Ontario.
“It’s not totally official quite yet,” he told Mayor’s Manor. “Still have to go through all of camp and stuff; still focusing on making the team and doing everything that I can to showcase myself.”
After three successful campaigns with OHL London, including back-to-back championships, Brzustewicz ended his summer by rejoining the Knights for training camp in late August. It wasn’t an indication of anything to come, simply more about his commitment to getting back into a competitive environment as quickly as possible. It was all designed to make sure he was fully ready for mid-September.
Brzustewicz has eyes on becoming the first Kings prospect to take advantage of the new rule that allows 19-year-old prospects to join the AHL in advance of the usual 20-year-old or four junior seasons hurdle. This allowance was put in place only for first-round picks, thus he meets all criteria. The question is, does the organization feel he’s ready?
All signs point to yes.
Late last season, he signed his entry level contract and snuck his way into 10 games with the Reign — the last five regular season contests, and then five more in the playoffs.
Making the jump up a level at that time of the season is always a challenge. However, Brzustewicz certainly seemed capable. He then built upon that with strong showings at July’s Development Camp and then was arguably LA’s best rearguard at the Rookie Faceoff earlier this month.
In addition to showcasing his skills at both ends of the rink, Brzustewicz was also involved in some of the physicality against the Sharks after the score got out of hand.
“That’s just part of my game, it’s part of my DNA, honestly,” he said. “Going down 7-1 isn’t fun, so you just have to show some pride. Seeing a lot of fights and scrums at the end of that game, I think it’s honestly good. It shows that the guys care. Then, obviously, we bounced back really well.”
Another key aspect to that portion of camp was who was behind the bench. Even though the jersey said ‘Kings,’ it was Reign coach Andrew Lord leading the team through rookie camp, aka the three games played in San Jose. Thus, that could very well have served as an audition for what’s to come this year for Brzustewicz.
“He’s a great coach,” said the young blueliner. “He led the Reign to the best season in their history in [his] first year, so I’m trying to learn from him and just taking everything in. I’m excited to play for him in the future.”
There’s also the matter of his best friend and former teammate, Jared Woolley. Not only did they play together in London, but they’re now living together in LA and hoping to not only be paired up off the ice, but on it as well.
“They could be,” Lord said, with the tone of a man who isn’t about to tip his hand this early in the process. “We’ll see. I’m a big fan of both those guys. Brew obviously finished the year with us, which was great. And Woolley’s had one of the best junior careers of all time, from a winning standpoint, right? Both are a little bit different type of defenseman. And if they both end up in Ontario — which remains to be seen, there’s a lot of different factors at play there — then we’ll have some tough decisions on our hands. But we definitely know they could be good together too.”
Beggars can’t be choosers, as the old saying goes. And even though ‘where’ he’s playing this season is far more important than ‘with whom’ to Brzustewicz, he obviously has a preference if anybody is asking.
“It’s nice to play with [Woolley] and we have some good chemistry,” stated the Michigan native. “But maybe they just want to see what we can do with other guys too, so it’s not always a bad thing to play with other guys.”
Looking around the ice at training camp has also perhaps been a little foreshadowing of LA’s future, where one day perhaps Brzustewicz can have a career as impactful as the team’s newest captain.
“It’s pretty cool to see Doughty get the C, he definitely deserves it,” said one first-round pick of another first rounder. “He’s been here for how many seasons — 19? He’s done a really good job, and he’s won two Stanley Cups, so I think he’s fully deserving of it. Hopefully I can do some stuff that he does out there. I think we’re both right-handers, play both sides well, play with an edge.”
He also admitted that he has a long way to go to let all of that fully materialize. After all, Brzustewicz still needs to solidify his role in Ontario. That’s step one. Along the way — whether it’s been Lord, Doughty, or even coach Peter Laviolette — he’s just trying to absorb and apply as much as he can.
“From learning [Laviolette’s] system stuff at the rookie tournament, to getting back here and listening to him in the opening meeting, and in the video and stuff we were doing, it’s pretty cool,” remarked Brzustewicz. “He’s a pretty decorated head coach. Anytime you get to be around those kinds of people, you just try and take it all in and learn from them.”
Learning. A little more every day, that’s the plan.
Lead photo by Megan Sanders
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