Hunt grateful for chance to impress NHL’s Hurricanes
Dryden Hunt has often heard that the NHL draft isn’t the be-all end-all, but it was still something he had to experience for himself.
The Regina Pats forward admits he got caught up in the preamble of the 2014 draft, which contributed to his disappointment when his name wasn’t called.
Looking back on it now, Hunt can confirm that the buildup to the draft was more hype than substance.
“It wouldn’t have been as tough if it wasn’t for all those rankings,” said Hunt, who was rated 144th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. “The rankings that come out before the draft, you see your name on some of them and you get your hopes up. I was that kid sitting there on the computer, refreshing (the results on draft day), texting back and forth with my agent. Eventually, I didn’t see my name. It was tough but I got the call the morning after so it was nice.”
The call Hunt received was from the Carolina Hurricanes, who wanted him to attend their summer development camp. Hunt gratefully accepted the invitation and made the trip to Raleigh, N.C., where he performed well enough to earn a followup call offering him a spot in Carolina’s rookie training camp.
Hunt received offers from other clubs over the summer but he and his agent decided Carolina was “the best fit.” The 19-year-old winger will accompany a group of Hurricanes hopefuls to the annual NHL Prospects Tournament, an eight-team event which runs Friday to Tuesday in Traverse City, Mich.
“I’m just going to go in with an open mind,” said Hunt, who departed on Wednesday. “I’m obviously nervous because there are a lot of great players down there. I’m just going to try to play my game, do what I do best, and then see if they like how I did.
“It doesn’t hurt to do something to stand out, like score a goal, (make a) big hit, fight. I’m not going to say I’m going to fight but it’s never bad to get your name out there. We’ll see when I get down there but whatever I can do to help the team win.”
This will be Hunt’s first NHL camp, but he’s not going in completely blind after attending the team’s summer camp.
“It was a good experience to get down there, get my feet wet, meet the coaching staff and everything like that,” noted Hunt, who is tentatively scheduled to return to Regina before the WHL season opener on Sept. 19. “(The Hurricanes) said that could be subject to change. It all depends how I do. My goal is to stay as long as I can. That’s anybody’s goal. It should be fun.”
Hunt is coming off a breakout season with the Pats, recording 21 goals and 40 points in 62 games, followed by a team-high four goals and one assist in four playoff contests.
It was quite a comeback after playing just two games the previous season due to a pair of concussions.
Hunt’s injury history likely contributed to his draft fate, but he’s putting all that behind him and looks forward to an even bigger season in 2014-15 — for himself and the Pats.
“I’m excited,” he added. “We’re going to be a young team but I’ve seen a lot of the young guys play and they’re pretty skilled, smart hockey players. I’m excited to see what they can bring to the team. I’m looking forward to seeing what (the veterans) can bring to the team and take it to another level from last year. It should be a great fit for everybody.”