Kings sign defenseman Henry Brzustewicz to three-year, entry-level contract

The LA Kings have signed defenseman Henry Brzustewicz to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2026-27 season. Brzustewicz has also signed a professional try out agreement with the AHL’s Ontario Reign and will begin his respective professional careers at the AHL level, joining the Reign for their playoff push.

Instant Analysis
The Kings locked up one of their top prospects just the other day in goaltender HAmpton Slukynsky and now they lock up a second, as defenseman Henry Brzustewicz has signed a three-year entry level contract with the club.

Brzustewicz was the organization’s first-round selection at the 2025 NHL Draft. The Kings were able to trade down in the first round, netting a second-round selection in the process, while still nabbing Brzustewicz at Pick 31, when he would have been their pick at their original draft position as well.

Brzustewicz is a two-way defensemen with good ability on the puck, while not sacrificing a ton defensively either. Skating in the OHL this season with the London Knights, Brzustewicz scored 19 goals from the blueline, tied for the third most in the league among all defensemen. His 54 points led all London skaters, regardless of position, building upon a strong draft year when he scored 10 goals and had 42 points.

Kings Director, Amateur Scouting Mark Yannetti on Henry Brzustewicz
He’s a powerful skater now, when you watch him move, that’s one of the things I notice about him. It’s the power in his movements and in his base. I would say that would be, for me, the most significant improvement. But overall, it’s not easy to be a draft-eligible player on a team like London. They returned almost their whole team from a Memorial Cup run last year, and they won it this year, so to be a significant and a regular part of that, it showed a lot of growth.”

Brzustewicz is a two-time OHL Champion and a one-time Memorial Cup champion, playing on a pair of stacked London teams, contributing as a big piece during the 2024-25 season, when the Knights won both tournaments. This past season, Brzustewicz hit new heights individually, as he was thrust into a larger role with trades of several veteran players during the season. His individual numbers are not all that surprising, considering his offensive abilities and his enhanced role this season. By all accounts, he’s had a really good season and it was good for him to be thrust into bigger opportunities in the OHL, becoming a leader on a team that got younger during the season. He wore a letter with the Knights this season in his Draft +1 year, a good sign of the character that the Kings have always valued in their picks.

Now, Brzustewicz will join an Ontario Reign team that is pushing for a Pacific Division championship. The Reign are a point up on the Colorado Eagles with five games remaining and a head-to-head matchup between the two sides upcoming. Brzustewicz is on an PTO through the remainder of the season, meaning he can join the Reign immediately and play AHL games the rest of the way. With Ontario guaranteed playoff games of some variety, Brzustewicz has a chance at playing in some of those games and earning valuable experience for moving forward.

From there, he’ll come to training camp with several different options in front of him. Brzustewicz would make the Kings out of camp as a 19-year-old. Unlikely, but not impossible. He could return to OHL-London, as junior players who sign their entry-level contracts can continue to play in that league. With a new rule coming with the new, NHL CBA, Brzustewicz would also be eligible to play in the AHL next season on a full-time basis as a 19-year-old. In the past, players who came through the CHL leagues were ineligible to play in the AHL at 19, but with the change in policy, the Kings could designate Brzustewicz as that player beginning next season. He’ll get a chance here to practice, likely play in some games and that will serve as an evaluation process for Brzustewicz for where he could land going forward.

All in all here, a good day for Brzustewicz and for the Kings. Exciting to have him signed and a good one to monitor moving forward, certainly.

From the team’s official release –

Selected 31st overall in the 2025 NHL Draft by the Kings, Brzustewicz, 19, recently finished his third season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he recorded 19 goals and 35 assists for a team-best 54 points (19-35=54) in 59 games. He also paced all London skaters in power-play goals (9) and shots (231), while ranking second in assists, power-play points (24) and penalty minutes (PIM; 57). Among OHL blueliners, Brzustewicz led all players in shots (231) while placing second in power-play goals, third in goals and seventh in points. He added a pair of assists (0-2=2) in five OHL playoff contests.

A native of Washington, Mich., Brzustewicz skated in 67 regular season games with the Knights in 2024-25, tallying 10 goals and 42 points (10-32=42) with a +24 rating on the campaign. His 32 helpers and 42 points both finished as the second-highest respective total by any London blueliner. The 6-2, 205-pound defenseman helped the Knights capture their second consecutive OHL Championship with five points (1-4=5) and a +9 rating in 17 playoff contests. He then notched pair of points (1-1=2) in five games to help London secure their third Memorial Cup championship in franchise history.

In 178 career OHL games played across three seasons, the right-shot blueliner has totaled 31 goals and 71 assists for 102 points (31-71=102) with a cumulative +16 rating. Brzustewicz has added 10 points (3-7=10) in 38 career OHL playoff contests.