The NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau released their first ‘players to watch’ list of the season on Monday, and the 17-year-old Brandon product was among four Western Hockey League players currently projected to go in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
The 6-foot-0, 198-pound rearguard put together a stellar rookie campaign with the Warriors in 2018-19 and was rewarded for his efforts with an appearance with Team Canada in both the World U-18 hockey championship last winter the Hlinka Gretzky U-18 championship this summer.
The CSB has rated Hunt an ‘A’ prospect, meaning if all things stay the same, he should be among the first 31 players chosen next June.
Three of the four ‘A’ rated WHL players are defencemen, including Kaiden Guhle from the Prince Albert Raiders and Braden Schneider from the Brandon Wheat Kings. Right winger Justin Sourdif of the Vancouver Giants also tops the list.
Hunt could have some company at the Draft as the newest member of the Warriors, defenceman David Homola, is also listed by the CSB.
Homola, a native of the Czech Republic who was acquired by the Warriors late last week, was lauded by Warriors general manager Alan Millar as having a stellar showing at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament. The NHL thought so as well, ranking him as a ‘C’ level candidate and projecting him to go in the fourth-fifth-sixth round range.
Hunt, Homola and the Warriors are back in action Wednesday night when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings. Game time is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
