TORONTO -- It seems like a lifetime ago for Vince Dunn. In some ways, it was.
In reality, it was more than four years ago, on July 13, 2019, that the defenseman rode in a convertible, the Stanley Cup perched behind him, along Kent Street in downtown Lindsay, Ontario, the town of 20,000 northeast of Toronto where he grew up, waving at fans and soaking in the moment. He’d helped the St. Louis Blues win hockey’s Holy Grail the previous month, and now he was being treated like the champion he was.
He started the day eating Cheerios out of the Cup. Then he brought it to the local hospital to brighten the day of Lawny Woodcock, a longtime hockey fan who was battling colon cancer. From there, there was a parade downtown, then a photo and autograph session at the Lindsay Recreational Complex, where a display honoring his accomplishment resides to this day.
Whenever he visits there, it reminds him of that past chapter in his life, a very memorable one. But he’s turned the page now, and has embarked on a new one, a fresh journey with the Seattle Kraken that he’s very happy on.
“The St. Louis Blues let me live my dream,” the 27-year-old said. “My dream started in St. Louis.
“But I knew I had more to give. Coming to Seattle, I was pretty excited. Kind of start at the bottom again and work my way back to the top.”
He’s done exactly that, as a national television audience will have the chance to see firsthand when his Kraken (8-12-6) host the New Jersey Devils (12-10-1) on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN).
Hockey players can have more than one dream, and Dunn is the perfect example of that.
Yes, the Blues gave him the chance to play in the NHL. Yes, he won the Cup with them. He’ll be forever grateful for that.
But deep inside, he knew he had more to give. All he needed was a chance. In the Blues’ Cup season, he was part of a strong defenseman corps led by Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester and Colton Parayko. Minutes were hard to come by, which he understood.
That didn’t mean he didn’t want more himself. Far from it.
His break came during the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft for the Kraken on July 21, 2021. On that day, at Gas Works Park in Seattle, he heard his name called by iconic linebacker Bobby Wagner of the NFL Seahawks after the Blues had left him exposed, choosing to protect Parayko, Justin Faulk and Torey Krug instead.
Dunn felt like he was reborn in Seattle, and it’s shown. In 180 games with the Kraken, he has 120 points (25 goals, 95 assists), is a staple on the top pair with Adam Larsson and is the quarterback on the No. 1 power-play unit.
Through it all, he’s approaching a place in his career he always thought he could reach.
“I’m not surprised by any means,” Dunn said. “I just needed to get my shot at it. I was in a very deep organization in St. Louis and was kind of held back in a lot of moments.
“… Just every day and every year I’ve understood I’ve had another level to bring. Just the opportunity I’ve received here and how great the organization has been to me, there’s no reason I can’t keep excelling, try to improve my game.”
In striving to improve, Dunn said he’s developed a great relationship and line of communication with assistant Jay Leach.
“I think coaching has been great for me here,” Dunn said. “Me and ‘Leachy’ have gotten along really well. He’s done a great job understanding my personality and understanding me on the ice. I’ve just been able to go into every game and just play, and not think too much about it or what I have to do out there.”
Dunn was rewarded for his play with a four-year, $29.4 million contract ($7.35 million average annual value) he signed July 21 as a restricted free agent. He hasn’t missed a beat since, scoring 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 26 games this season.
“I understand my role,” he said. “I just try to execute that every single night.
“I’m really comfortable with the positions I’ve been put in here. I’ve been given a lot of opportunity and I just try to take advantage of that and grab it whenever I can.”
