The 2024 Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears announced that the club has signed defenseman Brad Hunt to an American Hockey League contract for the 2024-25 season. The announcement was made by Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer.
Hunt, 35, led the AHL's Colorado Eagles in scoring with 49 points (16g, 33a) in 70 games last season while serving as team captain. The Ridge Meadows, British Columbia native was selected to the 2023-24 AHL First All-Star Team. He ranked second in the league in scoring for defenders, and tied for the league lead among goals by a blue liner and was selected as the Eagles' IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year for his work in the local community. He recorded 18 power play points, including five goals on the man-advantage.
The 5'9", 176-pound veteran split time in 2022-23 with the Eagles and the National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche. With the Eagles, he compiled 21 points (7g, 14a) in just 24 games. In his accomplished AHL career, Hunt played in the AHL All-Star Classic in 2013, 2015, and 2016. He was also named to the All-Star Classic in 2017 and 2023, but he was unavailable for those events.
Hunt played for Hershey head coach Todd Nelson as a member of the Oklahoma City Barons from 2013-15. In the 2013-14 campaign, Hunt had 50 points and was named to the AHL First All-Star Team. The following year, he scored 51 points and earned AHL Second All-Star Team honors. He's recorded 279 points (90g, 199a) in 381 career AHL games with Chicago, Oklahoma City, Bakersfield, and Colorado. A total of 38 of his goals have come on the power play. He's also posted 19 points (6g, 13a) in 23 career Calder Cup Playoff games.
The Bemidji State product has played parts of 10 seasons in the NHL, including when he logged personal bests for the Minnesota Wild in the 2019-20 season, scoring 19 points (8g, 11a) in 59 games. He's skated in 288 career NHL games for Edmonton, St. Louis, Nashville, Vegas, Minnesota, Vancouver, and Colorado, scoring 86 points (26g, 60a).
Hunt represented Canada in the 2023 IIHF World Championship, recording three assists in 10 games and winning a gold medal for his country.
The Hershey Bears are back-to-back Calder Cup Champions! The club will start its title defense as they open the 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 12 versus the Cleveland Monsters at GIANT Center. Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now and more information is available at HersheyBears.com.
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