That day came Thursday morning.
The National Hockey League squad announced they have signed Hunt, 18, to a three-year entry-level contract starting with the 2021-22 season.
Hunt was the third-round pick, 59th overall for the Wild in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but observers of all stripes felt he was one of the year’s big steals -- Hunt was projected to go in the first round throughout his draft-year season, but a serious cut to his right forearm caused him to miss a significant amount of time and his stock fell as a result.
The Brandon, Man. product rewarded the Wild’s confidence in him with an impressive showing in the East Division Hub, putting up eight goals and 18 points in 23 games for the Warriors. That left him tied for second among WHL defenceman in goals and tied for sixth in defenceman scoring.
Hunt reported to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League immediately after the Warriors’ season ended, where he had played three games prior to the WHL season.
The signing doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve seen the last of Hunt in a Warriors uniform -- the NHL deal with the Canadian Hockey League still sees players under 20 having to crack their National Hockey League roster or return to junior.
Terms of Hunt’s contract weren’t announced, but entry-level deals start at the NHL minimum of $700,000 per season should the player land in the league and rise as high as $925,000.
The Wild also announced the signing of fellow defenceman Ryan O’Rourke, with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds captain having played all season in Iowa after the OHL was unable to start their season.
