Brad Hunt retires after 10-year NHL career

Former NHL defenseman Brad Hunt announced on social media that he’s retiring from professional hockey.

“Hockey has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. From dreaming about playing in the NHL as a kid, to living that dream for so many years … I am incredibly grateful for every opportunity, every teammate, every coach, every organization, and every person who helped me along the way,” Hunt wrote on Instagram.

Hunt, 37, spent the 2025-26 season with Sport Vaasa in Finland’s top domestic league. He scored seven goals and added 18 assists for 25 points in 53 games.

The 5-foot-9 defender spent parts of 14 seasons between the NHL and AHL. He recorded 20 goals and 60 assists for 86 points in 288 career NHL regular-season games with the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche.

Hunt spent most of his professional career in the AHL, where in 422 career games with the Chicago Wolves, Oklahoma City Barons, Bakersfield Condors, Colorado Eagles and Hershey Bears, he scored 84 goals and added 214 assists for 298 points.

He appeared in five consecutive AHL All-Star Games between 2012-13 and 2016-17, then a sixth one in 2022-23. He posted four 40-point AHL campaigns and two 50-point seasons.

Hunt played college hockey out of Minnesota at Bemidji State University, where in four seasons, he had 24 goals and 88 assists for 112 points in 150 career NCAA games.

Before enrolling in college, he spent parts of three seasons in the BCHL with the Burnaby Express, where he scored 20 goals and added 69 assists for 89 points in 122 career regular-season games. His best season came in 2007-08, where he potted 16 goals and recorded 35 assists for 51 points in 59 games.

Internationally, he represented Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Championship in Finland, where he recorded three assists and helped Canada win a gold medal.