Maple Ridge’s Brad Hunt is off to a great start to this NHL campaign, and is leading the Minnesota Wild in scoring so far.
Hunt ripped a one-timer past Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith on Tuesday night, and it send Twitter abuzz as Oilers fans lamented the backbreaking 3-0 goal by a guy who had spent three years in their organization.
What a shot. May have glanced off of Darnell Nurse. pic.twitter.com/8PqYkYkIn1
— Hockey Wilderness (@hockeywildernes) October 23, 2019
Through nine games Hunt now has four goals and two assists to pace the wild in scoring. A smallish defenceman at 5’9”, Hunt’s heads-up offence and wicked one-timer has him playing a role on the power play, and he is playing a regular shift in the third defensive pairing with the Wild.
Hunt’s four goals is tied for second most among all NHL defencemen. Five is his season high.
He also had a great defensive play to preserve the Wild’s 3-0 shutout of the Oilers, as he thwarted a wraparound attempt into what would have been an empty net.
“He’s been great,” coach Bruce Boudreau told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “For a guy you picked up and were going to use as an extra, he’s done a great job on the power play, and he’s done a really good job on the right side.”
Hunt is a former Ridge Meadows Flame player who went on to the Burnaby Express of the BCHL, then had an impressive NCAA career at Bemidji State.
He has now played 129 NHL games, with 14 goals and 45 points.
@NeilCorbett18
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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