After signing Hunter Brzustewicz to his entry-level contract (ELC) last week, the Calgary Flames have opened up this week by signing another player to an ELC. Sam Morton is the newest player to sign with the Flames and he’ll join the organization with a one-year contract with $950K.
Flames sign Sam Morton to ELC
Registering as 6’1″ and 186 lbs, the 24-year-old left-shot centre will join the Calgary Wranglers on an ATO for the rest of the 2023–24 season. His one-year, two-way contract with the Flames will commence during the 2024–25 season.
Update: Per CapFriendly, the Flames will have to resubmit Morton’s contract without the entry-level status. Expect this to be resolved in the coming days.
Morton has spent the last four seasons with Minnesota State University (Mankato), where he put up the following stat lines:
| Season | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 2021–22 | 38 | 9 | 16 | 25 |
| 2022–23 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 2023–24 | 37 | 24 | 10 | 34 |
Morton sustained a season-ending injury in 2022–23, which is why he only played in ten games. However, he bounced back tremendously with a very impressive 2023–24 season, captaining the team, and winning player of the year in the CCHA. Morton is also a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award in 2024.
Centre depth is something that is needed throughout the Flames organization, so Morton will have a good opportunity moving forward. Morton has been described as a consistent two-way centre, who always gives his maximum effort regardless of the score.
Note: The Flames like the Minnesota State University program, as previous college signing Walker Duehr came from the same program.
