CCHA Player of the Year Sam Morton signs one-year deal with Calgary Flames

The contract for the former Minnesota State captain will begin in 2024-25, and until then, he'll play for the AHL's Calgary Wranglers on an ATO for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

By Trent Singer

CALGARY, Alberta — Sam Morton’s dreams of playing professional hockey have come to life.

Days removed from completing his college career at Minnesota State, the star forward signed a one-year, two-way contract Monday with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.

Morton’s contract will begin with the 2024-25 season. Until then, he will join the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) on an ATO for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.

Morton’s collegiate career officially concluded Saturday in a 4-3 loss at Michigan Tech in the semifinals of the Mason Cup Playoffs.

“It’s unbelievable,” Morton said. “Since you start playing hockey, this is what you dream of, to have a chance to sign an NHL contract.

“What I do with it, that’s coming next, and I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and provide as much as I can for the organization.”

During his time at Minnesota State, Morton played in 102 games, tallying 76 points (44 goals, 32 assists) and 292 shots. He had 17 career goals on the power play, along with six game-winning goals. Prior to arriving at MSU in 2020-21, Morton logged 32 games at Union College.

A native of Lafayette, Colorado, Morton was named CCHA Player of the Year in 2023-24. He was a first team All-CCHA selection and was the league’s Forward of the Year after amassing 35 points, including a league-leading 24 goals.

“I think it’s a lot of credit to my teammates,” Morton said. “I felt like I got a lot of shooting opportunities, and that’s because I was playing with special players. They were creating space for me, but I’m happy with a lot of the chances and the outcomes on an individual perspective.”

In 2023-24, the Mavericks’ senior captain ranked first in the conference in shots (151), face-off wins (433) and power-play goals (nine) and was second in the league in goals per game (0.65). Morton was also sixth in the CCHA in face-off winning percentage (.555) and eighth in plus/minus (plus-9).

Morton bounced back from an ACL injury last season and began MSU’s conference schedule with a five-game point streak, during which he amassed six goals and four assists. Then, in January, Morton added a six-game point streak (four goals, two assists).

"Morty is deserving of the opportunity to take the next step of his career," Mavericks coach Luke Strand said in a statement. “We couldn't be more excited for this moment. He is a true pro as a human and as a player.

“Calgary just made their organization better.”

In the first round of the Mason Cup Playoffs, Morton tallied two goals and one assist to lead the Mavs to a series sweep of visiting Northern Michigan. He finished the season with five multi-goal games and played in all 37 games for MSU, which finished its 2023-24 season with an 18-15-4 record.

In 2022-23, Morton was named a Krampade All-American Scholar, and the year before, he was an all-tournament recipient at the Frozen Four in Boston, where he scored Minnesota State’s lone goal in the national championship game against Denver. In the semifinals, Morton provided an assist on David Silye’s goal, helping the Mavericks claim a 4-1 victory over Minnesota.

Morton was an alternate captain for Minnesota State in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He remains a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the top play in Division I college hockey.

In the classroom, Morton earned his undergraduate degree in psychology and is working toward a master’s in industrial/organizational psychology.

“This is the best place on earth, I swear,” Morton said about his time at MSU. “Best decision of my life coming here. It’s a lot of pride putting that jersey on. It means something more than you. You’re a part of a big group, a big community that’s super supportive. It’s just such an honor to have this program in my background.”