Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Daemon Hunt was not one of those players.
No, the only question for the Brandon native was when and where his name would be called. As the 25th-ranked North American prospect according to NHL Central Scouting, it was only a matter of time.
And when the Minnesota Wild finally called his name -- in the third round, 65th overall -- the most promising Warriors defenceman since Morgan Reilly skated at Mosaic Place took the next step in his career.
“It was really exciting for me and my family, I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the Minnesota Wild,” Hunt said Wednesday afternoon shortly after chatting with NHL.com about his selection. “It’s a state that loves hockey, hockey is meant to be played there. So I’m really happy right now, draft day got a bit stressful but it worked out and I’m happy it did, and I’m glad I’m part of the Wild.”
If it was a normal year, Hunt would have likely been in the stands at Bell Centre in Montreal this past June and picked up a Wild jersey shortly after hearing his name called. Instead, it was a much more subdued celebration at home as COVID-19 delayed the proceedings and kept everything virtual.
“There was a livestream of reactions, then once Minnesota made the pick it was excitement and all the emotion and hugs,” Hunt said. “So right in the moment and hearing your name and seeing your name on TV is pretty surreal. I’m just really thrilled right now.”
It didn’t take long after becoming a member of an NHL team for Hunt’s phone to blow up with everything from congratulatory texts to interview requests from all over Manitoba and beyond.
“It’s been pretty busy, but honestly, I love it,” Hunt said with a laugh. “You only get drafted once and I’m really trying to enjoy the process.”
Had everything gone according to plan, Hunt would have likely been a first round pick, and possibly even close to the top 10. But a nasty cut to his right forearm limited Hunt to only 28 games last season, and his draft stock took a hit because of it.
"It was really exciting for me and my family, I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the Minnesota Wild. It’s a state that loves hockey, hockey is meant to be played there. So I’m really happy right now, draft day got a bit stressful but it worked out and I’m happy it did, and I’m glad I’m part of the Wild."
Daemon Hunt
Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary feels there’s little question Hunt could be the steal of the draft.
“Certainly has the chance to be,” O’Leary said. “Nobody was surprised he was taken and just hearing people talk about him, he certainly could have been a higher pick. It doesn’t matter where you were taken, and even players we’ve drafted, it doesn’t matter to a coach if you were drafted high or drafted low, it’s ‘can you play’ and ‘can you compete’ and Daemon can do both those things. I think Minnesota is going to be really happy.”
For his part, Hunt carries much the same attitude, especially landing with the NHL franchise closest to home after the Winnipeg Jets.
“I think going higher would have not necessarily been more ideal, everyone wants to go higher, but I think with the year I had it worked out pretty well and turned out great where I ended up.” Hunt said. “It’s really nice that it’s pretty close to home and Minneapolis is relatively close compared to some teams. So we’re really happy, it’s unbelievable.”
Hunt was selected by the Warriors in the first round, 15th overall, in the 2017 WHL Draft. O’Leary has watched him progress in the WHL throughout his career and has seen a young kid with a world of potential develop into a top-flight defenceman.
“It’s been fun to watch him grow,” O’Leary said. “We certainly saw what he was capable of when he was a young player and you can see the confidence, even last year in the limited time he had to play. He’s really confident in what his body can do, and he’s a lot stronger not just with the puck, but his competitiveness without the puck.
“He’s a hard guy to play against because he plays so hard, whether that’s defending in his own end or driving the play the other way. He’s found some confidence there and coming back to us this year as an 18-year-old, we’re looking forward to his leadership.”
Hunt is looking forward to having that opportunity -- and dealing with the pressure that comes with it.
“Yeah, there’s always going to be pressure, but it makes me grow and makes me better on the ice and a better teammate as well,” Hunt said. “So the pressure is good, especially in a situation like this when you’re expected to perform… I’m just really excited to step up and be a leader even more than last year. We’re a young team and I’ve been in Moose Jaw a couple of years now, so I think it’s my time to show what I can do.”
