Brad Hunt, a veteran defenseman who spent parts of two decades in the National Hockey League, has announced his retirement, bringing to a close a career that saw him wear the jerseys of seven different NHL franchises and earn a gold medal with Canada.
NHL odyssey
The 35‑year‑old, who debuted in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche and later suited up for the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks, finished his top‑level tenure with 288 games, 20 goals and 60 assists for a total of 80 points.
AHL dominance
His impact was most pronounced in the American Hockey League, where he recorded 422 games, 84 goals and 214 assists for 298 points and was selected to the All‑Star Game six times, five of them consecutively from the 2012‑13 season through 2016‑17.
Hunt served as captain of the Colorado Eagles for two seasons, contributing 23 goals and 47 assists in 94 appearances, and his leadership helped the club remain a perennial contender.
Early in his development he shone in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Burnaby Express, posting 20 goals and 69 assists in 122 games, before excelling at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, where he amassed 112 points over 150 NCAA contests.
His final professional chapter was spent in Finland’s Liiga with Sport Vaasa, where he added seven goals and 18 assists in 53 games, capping a journey that began on the outdoor rinks of the BCHL and spanned three continents.
Legacy of perseverance
Throughout his career Hunt repeatedly proved that size need not be a barrier, combining offensive skill with defensive reliability to become one of the AHL’s most productive blue‑liners and a respected voice in the locker room.