Hunt's fresh start comes in a familiar spot

DENVER --The Wild went nearly two decades without a single former Bemidji State Beaver in its lineup. Now it could have two in the span of just a few months.
Matt Read broke that trend with a five-game stint with Minnesota back in October, but it's possible a second former Beaver could join the mix as soon as Wednesday after the Wild acquired defenseman Brad Hunt in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights late Monday evening.
After the Wild defeated the Golden Knights, Hunt was on his way home, a couple of blocks from his house, when his phone rang. On the other end was Vegas General Manager George McPhee.

"As soon as you know that it's the GM, it's obviously something going on," Hunt said.

Once he found out he was headed to Minnesota, he immediately called his wife, Katie, a Grand Rapids native who Hunt met his freshman year at BSU.
"When I got the call, it's kind of like, 'Oh, I didn't really know what was going to happen,'" Hunt said. "And then I soon as I found out, I called her and she was super happy, called her parents and they're super excited as well."
Katie is six months pregnant with the couple's first child, a boy, who is due April 7, which added to the family's joy.
"Hopefully our son's born in Minnesota, so she's really excited about that too," Hunt said.
One of the first members of the Wild organization Hunt heard from was Read. The two chatted via FaceTime shortly after word of the deal got out.
Hunt and Read played three seasons together at BSU, helping the Beavers to the Frozen Four in 2009, and in the years since have formed a close friendship.
"He's a great kid and I have a lot of respect for him and we've created quite a bond over the last couple years," Hunt said. "Being from Bemidji, where not a lot of guys have gone pro. I think a lot of people back in Bemidji are proud of us too. It's a pretty cool thing."
Hunt's trade to the Wild offers the 5-foot-9, 187-pound blueliner a fresh start. Buried on the Vegas depth chart, Hunt is expected to get an immediate opportunity to play with the Wild.
With Matt Dumba out, the Wild have struggled to create much offense from the blue line beyond Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Jonas Brodin has 12 points, but Nick Seeler, Greg Pateryn and Nate Prosser have combined for just five points with 110 games played between them.
Hunt had seven points in 13 games with Vegas this season and has 34 points in 91 career NHL games.
In fairness to Seeler, Pateryn and Prosser, offense isn't really their forte, so adding Hunt made sense. His addition gives Boudreau options, especially from a power-play perspective.
"He's a really good offensive player," Boudreau said. "I just got off the phone with former Wild assistant coach] John Anderson, who had him in Chicago. Other than that, he's a great person, he can really move the puck as a smaller type D. He's got a really hard shot on the power play."
Hunt didn't practice with the Wild in Denver on Tuesday, but is likely to play against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, Minnesota's final game before the All-Star break.
"Our power play hasn't exactly been going at a 30-percent clip," Boudreau said. "So probably get a good morning skate out of him and I'm sure he's been skating every day. It's not like he's been off with Vegas."
Hunt knows that could be a challenge, but after waiting patiently for his chance in Vegas, he's excited just to get an opportunity somewhere to show what he can do.
The fact that it's in Minnesota is even better.
"It's a new beginning, and you kind of learn from the things in the past and the things that made me the player that I am and the people that I met that it helped me get through the way and it's super exciting," Hunt said. "I'm really happy that I'm here."
**Related:**
- [Wild acquires defenseman Hunt from Golden Knights