After a long professional hockey career, a former Vancouver Canucks defenseman is officially hanging up the skates.
Former Canucks defenseman Brad Hunt announced on his personal Instagram account that he has officially retired from professional hockey.
Hunt’s retirement comes after he spent this past season with Vaasan Sport in Finland. In 53 games with Liiga club this past campaign, he posted seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points. Now, after spending his final season overseas, the former Canucks blueliner is officially moving on from professional hockey.
Looking Back on Brad Hunt’s Time With the Vancouver Canucks
Hunt played one of his 10 NHL seasons as a member of the Canucks. In 50 games with the Pacific Division club during the 2021-22 season, the 5-foot-9 defenseman posted three goals, 14 assists, 17 points, and 48 blocks. Overall, he proved to be a solid depth defenseman for the Canucks during his only season with the team. He provided them with decent offense from the point and was ultimately in their lineup more often than not.
Hunt’s time with the Canucks ended during the 2022 NHL Offseason. This is because the Maple Ridge, British Columbia native ended up signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Colorado Avalanche in free agency. After this, he made his final appearance at the NHL level during the 2022-23 season before spending his final two seasons in North America at the AHL level.
Former Canucks Defenseman Hunt Had a Solid Career as a Depth Defenseman
While Hunt was never a star at the NHL level, he was a solid defenseman who was able to play multiple seasons in the sport’s most competitive league. He was also quite the journeyman, as he played for the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Canucks, and Avalanche during his 10-year NHL career.
In 288 career NHL games split between the seven teams, he posted 26 goals, 60 assists, 86 points, 106 hits, and 189 blocks. His best season in the NHL was during the 2019-20 campaign with the Wild, as he set career highs with eight goals and 19 points in 59 games.
Overall, he ended up having himself a nice NHL career. This is especially so when noting that he went undrafted and had to work very hard to get an opportunity to play at the NHL level.
Former Canucks’ Hunt Was Excellent in the AHL
While Hunt had a solid NHL career, there is no question that he was an excellent defenseman at the AHL level. In 422 AHL games over nine seasons split between the Chicago Wolves, Oklahoma City Barons, Bakersfield Condors, Colorado Eagles, and Hershey Bears, he posted 84 goals, 214 assists, 298 points, and a plus-20 rating. With numbers like these, he was a high-impact offensive defenseman in the AHL.
Hunt also played in the AHL All-Star Game three times, was a first-team All-Star twice, and a second-team All-Star once during his time at the AHL level. His best AHL season was in 2014-15 with the Condors, as he set career highs with 19 goals and 51 points in 62 games.
Overall, the former Canucks blueliner had himself a very strong career.
Former Canucks Defenseman Retires After 10 NHL Seasons