The Calgary Hitmen have announced that they have signed Calgary Flames prospect Alex Hurtig to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Hurtig’s development progress
A seventh-round pick last season by the Flames, Hurtig spent this past season in Sweden in Rogle BK’s system. The defenceman spent most of the year with the J20 team, putting up 11 points in 27 games, good for 13th on the team and third among blueliners.
He also got into seven games in the SHL but did not record any points while he was there. At the end of the season, he was loaned to the HockeyEttan, Sweden’s third division, where he played four regular season and nine playoff games and recorded three assists in that time.
The Hitmen drafted Hurtig last season in the CHL’s Import Draft, with the view of bringing him to North America then, but that did not pan out due to his contract in Sweden. Instead, they get the large defenceman a year later than planned, but with a full year of experience playing against players older and bigger than him, which should be a huge advantage next season.
What to expect from Hurtig
Hurtig is going to be a slow-developing prospect, but there is a good amount of promise in his game. Bringing him to North America, particularly to the Hitmen, allows the Flames to have a very good eye on their prospect and work more closely with him in his development. While it may take time, he could develop into a decent defenceman if everything breaks the right way.
