Hunt was in his Red Deer hotel room at the conclusion of a 14-day quarantine brought on by a pair of players contracting COVID-19 during the event. Not even a day into the shutdown, he had come down with a sore throat and soon found out he had tested positive for the disease that has ravaged much of the planet.
The 18-year-old Brandon product and Minnesota Wild draft pick went through the remainder of the lockdown, quickly recovering from any COVID symptoms and spending the rest of the time, well, passing time.
Then the phone rang at 3 p.m. on Dec. 7, one day before the quarantine was to end.
“I got a phone call from Scott Salmond, the head of Hockey Canada, and he just said they fought and fought with Alberta Health, but at the end of the day it was their decision, and I was gone in two hours,” Hunt said in an interview on Tuesday.
“It was a really quick turn of events. I was kind of prepared to skate the next morning and all of a sudden I’m gone two hours later. It’s disappointing, heartbreaking, actually, having the World Junior dream taken over a phone call and it was pretty emotional. But at the same time, it’s good to have a chance and I’m looking forward to next year.”
It was another blow in a tough run of events for the elite rearguard, who was playing his first elite-level hockey since the Western Hockey League season came to a premature end in early March. He had played only 28 games the previous season after suffering a severe cut to his right forearm in early December of 2019, causing him to miss the rest of the month and only return to the ice in February.
Thing is, up until his chat with Salmond, it had been a good run at the month-long World Junior team event.
“Camp was really good,” Hunt said. “Obviously it’s very high intensity hockey and very fast and skilled, but I felt I was right there with everybody else and I was definitely confident in myself making it this year. But these things are out of my control and I just look at the positives, I have another chance for next year and I’m excited for the season coming up. And at the same time I got a lot out of camp so coming into next year I’ll be that much more prepared and confident to make this team.
“It was good to see the guys, too, and it was just all-around a good time that way.”
Daemon Hunt celebrates a goal during his brief stint with the Virden Oil Capitals. Zachary Peters photoHunt entered camp on a pretty decent high -- he had suited up for the Virden Oil Capitals of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in the weeks prior and had lit things up, scoring on his first shift with the Junior A team and finishing with three goals and five points in three games despite not seeing game action over half a year.
“For me to go play Junior A was getting back to game speed,” Hunt said. “I knew going in it wasn’t going to be close to the speed of World Junior camp, but it was just getting my legs under me and getting the game back. I hadn’t played a game in eight months so I was just getting back into the groove, and I ended up playing well and putting up some good numbers while I was there and while it lasted… So I’m happy I was able to go to Virden and be part of that.”
From there, it was right into the Red Deer NJT bubble, and another whole new experience not only for himself but the entire crew of players and staff. And while strange, it wasn’t necessarily bad. In fact, quite the opposite.
“Honestly, it was really good,” Hunt said. “Being with all the guys 24-7 is a good time. They turn into your family after a couple of days and while there was a little bit of an adjustment, it was pretty great.”
Quarantine, on the other hand, was less than ideal. Hockey Canada went above and beyond to try and make things as accommodating as possible and to stave off boredom, but there’s only so much that can be done when you’re sequestered in your hotel room for two full weeks.
“Physically it was a little bit hard, working out over Zoom, but mentallly it was definitely more challenging,” Hunt explained. “Our hotel rooms didn’t open, so not getting any fresh air for 14 days was tough. For me, I’m kind of a homebody and it wasn’t too bad, but for some of the other guys, it was a challenge, but you find a way to pass the time every day. There were a lot of Zoom calls, I was playing video games, just anything to pass the time, get by every day.”
Hunt added that he had nothing but praise for Team Canada officials -- including Warriors general manager Alan Millar, a member of the Hockey Canada management team -- and their work to keep the players occupied.
“They did a great job with that, I have to give them lots of credit for keeping us busy and bringing in some guest speakers and things like that,” Hunt said. “I learned a lot and it was really good that way.”
The good news is Hunt has completely recovered from his bout with COVID-19. And his experience with Team Canada has only made him that much more excited for his next opportunity.
And as a 19-year-old defenceman with Hockey Canada’s eye on him his entire career, the opportunity will most certainly be there.
“Hockey Canada knows my style and how I like to play and I’m able to switch my role into whatever they need,” Hunt said. “I was able to build my confidence last season, it’s just going to get higher and higher and before you know it it’ll be December next year.
“So it’s been disappointing, but I’m looking forward to the fresh start with the Warriors, a new season and getting back to World Junior camp next year.”
