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Sam Morton had been a pro hockey player for barely 24 hours.

As he glided to the dot for a draw during his Calgary Wranglers’ debut, he was suddenly staring across at a guy who has logged more than 1,000 appearances in the NHL.

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“Taking a faceoff against Sam Gagner in my first game, that was a cool moment,” said Morton, the latest addition to the Calgary Flames’ prospect pipeline. “I mean, I’ve watched him for so many years. I think for a second, I was just kind of smiling, like, ‘This is crazy.’ But I reset myself and was thinking, ‘I really want to snap this one back.’ ”

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And?

“I snapped it back,” he proudly reported.

Morton is too busy these days to do any looking back but when he does, he’ll certainly cherish the memories of what was a wild week.

‘Whirlwind’ would be an accurate description.

“Yeah, I’ve used that word quite a few times lately,” he said with a chuckle.

Understandably so.

On Monday, after completing his collegiate career with the Minnesota State Mavericks, the 24-year-old centre inked a deal with the Flames — a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 campaign — and agreed to join the AHL’s Wranglers for the remainder of this season on a tryout agreement.

On Tuesday, in addition to successfully swiping that draw against Gagner, who is currently skating with the Bakersfield Condors, he assisted on Mitch McLain’s game-winning goal for his first pro point.

On Wednesday, Morton scored one of his own, finishing off a sweet feed from Cole Schwindt to collect another keepsake puck.

Oh yeah, the new guy was also listed among the 10 remaining contenders for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, the annual nod to the top player in the NCAA men’s hockey ranks. The field of finalists, to be trimmed to three in early April, is headlined by Macklin Celebrini — the consensus favourite to be the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft — and Cutter Gauthier.

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“I scanned over the list quickly and if you look at it, it’s first-rounder, first-rounder … ” said fellow Minnesota State alum Walker Duehr, now in his third season with the Flames. “I mean, there’s only a couple undrafted guys. So for him to be on that list as a fifth-year senior, it says a lot. There are a lot of good players in college hockey and a lot of really good ones that didn’t make the list. So for him to crack the Top 10, it’s pretty special.”

A week ago, most hockey fans in Calgary had never heard of Morton.

But as he introduced himself with an assist in his first pro game and then a lamp-lighting the following night, many were wondering if this college free-agent signing could be a future factor for a Flames team that is thin on depth at centre.

Morton wrapped his post-secondary career with 24 goals and 34 points in 37 games this winter, earning a salute as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association player of the year.

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He also wore the ‘C’ for the Mavericks. Minnesota State’s skipper, Luke Strand, describes him as “a world-class kid.”

“Morty is going to accumulate points, but he’s going to impact the game with more than that,” said Strand, who still has Calgary connections from a three-season stint with the Flames’ organization — two of those as an assistant coach with the Abbotsford Heat and another on the amateur scouting staff. “He has a backup game, which I think is a big piece of trying to be a pro. If he isn’t scoring, he’s still going to do something for the team.

“And I think what really showed at this level, and I think it bleeds into that level too, is because he has a backup game, he can find a consistency in his game. Even inside of 60 minutes, he has versatility. He’s probably going to be an impossible kid to replace here in Mankato, but at the same time, a legacy-leaving kid. You ask anyone around here, he could come to this town for the rest of his life and never have to buy a beer. He’s that kind of kid.”

Last Sunday, excited about the future but still stinging from the heartbreaking loss that ended his final campaign with the Mavericks, Morton logged on for virtual meetings with several NHL organizations that were keen to sign him. He determined that Calgary offered the best blend of “fit” and “opportunity.”

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Seven days later, with the Wranglers pit-stopping in San Diego for a showdown with the Gulls, he was already preparing for his fourth AHL outing.

“I feel like I’m learning a little bit each game, and I’m enjoying that process,” said Morton, who was born in California and moved to Colorado in his early teens. “For me, right now, I’m just trying to become more consistent. There are shifts where I feel like I can really be a difference-maker and make things happen, and then there are shifts where I look back and I probably should make some adjustments on what I’m doing out there. I think that adjustment period is going to take a bit of time. But at the same time, I feel like I do belong and I just need to keep taking steps in the right direction.”

Because this is just a first step for the Flames prospect/Wranglers pivot.

A first pro goal, a first pro assist, a first faceoff win against a grizzled veteran …

In each case, hopefully the first of many.

“I hope he gets a crack,” Strand said. “Because I think once he wears into the fabric of places, it’s going to be hard to forget him.

“I’m excited for his career to blossom. I think he’s going to go and impact a lot of people.”

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

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