‘It seemed like a great fit’: Forward Sam Morton has been a perfect fit for the Wranglers
Sam Morton grew up in California and from a very early age, hockey was a big part of his life.
Morton says it was a family thing.
“My dad built a roller rink a couple of blocks away from my house,” the 24-year-old said.
“So my brother, dad and I would be out there every day and just kind of fell in love with it there and ten started playing ice at like six years old.”
“Everyday I’d get home from school and I’d ask my dad if we could shoot pucks or go play roller hockey. I got competitive with my older brother and that’s good for development you know competing with your older brother.”
Signed with the Flames
After finished his college career at Minnesota State U-Mankato in March, the 24-year-old forward signed a free agent contract with the Flames.
Minnesota St. forward Sam Morton (6) skates against the Bowling Green during an NCAA hockey game on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Bowling Green, Ohio. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)
He agreed to a one year, two-way deal for the 2024-2025 season and he agreed to joins the AHL’s Wranglers for the rest of the season on a tryout agreement.
Morton believes it was a good choice.
“They had some opportunity available and it seemed like a great fit,” he said.
“The style that we play here in Calgary is similar to the style they played in Mankato so game wise it felt like a good fit. The city is awesome, the fans are unbelievable and there’s just not much going wrong here in Calgary.”
Pleasant surprise
In 13 regular season games with the Wranglers down the stretch, Morton scored five goals and added two assists.
In two playoff games, he had a goal to help the Wranglers get past the Tucson Roadrunners in the opening round.
Wrangler head coach Trent Cull says Morton has been a pleasant surprise.
“He’s adjusted really well,” said Cull.
“He’s a smart hockey players and we heard good things about him coming out of college. I think he’s a Hobey Baker finalist (top 10) so obviously he was a good player in college. For us the timing was great too.
"We were short bodies," Cull added, "and he came in and took advantage of the numbers and found himself a home.”
Top six forward
With the Wranglers, Morton is playing top six minutes. He’s centering a line with Adam Klapka and William Stromgren who says Morton has been a great fit.
“It’s great,” said the rookie forward.
“He makes plays and he’s a quick guy so the game goes on with good speed and good play so yeah, I just like him.”
Setting up the second round
The Wranglers will go up against the top-ranked team in the AHL's Pacific Division, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, in the second round of the playoffs.
Morton is looking forward to a great series and hopefully pulling off another upset.
“Do or die hockey is the best,” Morton said.
“When you have a chance to send a team home and you also have that kind of fear behind you of going home it means a lot more," he said. "The sacrifice increases, the intensity increases and that just makes it more fun.”
The Wranglers open up the second round against Coachella Valley starting on Friday night.
Puck drop is a little after 7:00 pm.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.