Brad Hunt, an AHL All-Star defenseman, was signed by the Hershey Bears to a one-year contract, the team announced on Friday. Hunt is a vital acquisition to Hershey’s 2024–25 team as they attempt to win the Calder Cup three times in a row.
Since graduating from Bemidji State University in 2012, Hunt, 35, has participated in games for seven different NHL teams. He has played for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL for the previous two seasons. previous season, he led the team in scoring with 49 points (16g, 33a) from 70 games.
With 288 NHL games under his belt, Hunt’s most recent game count was 47 for the Colorado Avalanche in the 2022–2023 season. With the Minnesota Wild in 2019–20, he had his finest season to date with 19 points (8g, 11a) in 59 games. The Avalanche, Wild, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers are just a few of the teams he has represented.
The native of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, has long been a star in the AHL. After tying for the league lead in goals (16) by a rearguard and finishing second in scoring among all AHL defenders (49 points), Hunt was chosen for the 2023–24 AHL First All-Star Team. Since 2023, he has been selected five times for the AHL All-Star Classic.
Hunt played for Bears head coach Todd Nelson while he was with the Oklahoma City Barons from 2013 to 2015, thus he is also acquainted with Nelson. With 50 points (11g, 39a) in the 2013–14 season, Hunt was selected to the AHL First All-Star Team.
The former junior standout in the BCHL has also competed internationally for Canada, where he won a gold medal at the 2023 World Championship. During the tournament, Hunt had three assists in ten games.
Eleven defenseman from Hershey currently have AHL contracts for the upcoming campaign. Hunt is the team’s best left-handed option, along with Aaron Ness and Hardy Häman Aktell.
This is the Bears’ news release:
ALL-STAR DEFENSEMAN BRAD HUNT SIGNS AHL CONTRACT WITH BEARS
As team captain, Hershey selects an outstanding offensive defenseman who led the Colorado Eagles in points the previous season (Hershey, PA – August 2, 2024) – The American Hockey League today announced that defenseman Brad Hunt has signed a contract with the Hershey Bears, the 2024 Calder Cup winners, for the 2024–25 campaign. Bryan Helmer, vice president of hockey operations at Hershey, made the news.
As club captain last season, Hunt, 35, led the AHL’s Colorado Eagles in scoring with 49 points (16g, 33a) in 70 games. The native of Ridge Meadows, British Columbia was chosen for the AHL First All-Star Team in 2023–2024. He matched for the league lead in goals scored by a blue liner, finished second in the league in scoring for defenders, and was chosen as the Eagles’ IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year in recognition of his community service. He scored five goals while having the man-advantage, for a total of 18 power play points.
In 2022–2023 the 5’9′′, 176-pound veteran played for both the Eagles and the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. In just 24 games with the Eagles, he scored 21 points (7g, 14a). Hunt participated in the AHL All-Star Classic in 2013, 2015, and 2016 throughout his illustrious AHL career. In addition, he was selected for the All-Star Classic in 2023 and 2017, however he was unable to attend those games.
Hunt was an Oklahoma City Baron from 2013 to 2015, when he was a player for Todd Nelson, the head coach of Hershey. With 50 points in the 2013–14 season, Hunt was selected to the AHL First All-Star Team. He scored 51 points and was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team the next season. In 381 AHL games over his career, he has scored 279 points (90g, 199a) with Bakersfield, Colorado, Oklahoma City, and Chicago. He has scored 38 goals overall while on the power play. Additionally, in his 23 career Calder Cup Playoff games, he has scored 19 points (6g, 13a).
The Bemidji State graduate has participated in 10 NHL seasons in various capacities. During the 2019–20 campaign, he set personal bests for the Minnesota Wild, netting 19 points (8g, 11a) in 59 games. During his career, he skated in 288 NHL games for the following teams: Colorado, Edmonton, St. Louis, Nashville, Vegas, Minnesota, and Vancouver. He scored 86 points (26g, 60a).
Hunt won a gold medal for Canada while playing for them in the 2023 IIHF World Championship, tallying three assists in ten games.
Leave a Reply