The Hershey Bears made a big splash in free agency on Friday by signing veteran defenseman Brad Hunt to an AHL contract. The 35-year-old finished second among blue liners in points during the 2023-24 regular season. Hunt’s addition brings plenty of experience along with scoring from the blue line as Hershey targets another strong season. He joins the Bears after captaining the Colorado Eagles in 2023-24. His contract brings him to Hershey for the 2024-25 season.
Chocolate Town Bound
Hunt’s addition brings more weight to a very strong Bears lineup. In addition to over 400 games of regular season and playoff experience, Hunt has 293 total NHL games on his resume. He concluded a two-year contract with the Colorado organization in 2023-24, splitting time with the Avalanche the year prior. Prior to that, Hunt was a regular in the NHL beginning in the 2017-18 season.
It always helps to have some ties when joining a new team. Hunt previously played under Bears head coach Todd Nelson during his time with the Oklahoma City Barons from 2013-15. That experience will make the transition easier as Hunt moves to the East for the first time in his career. The 2014-15 season was a career-year for Hunt under Nelson, tallying 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) as well as eight power play goals.
Hunting For the Cup
Despite Hunt’s vast experience, he’s looking to enjoy a lengthy playoff run for the first time in his career. His longest playoff run consisted of ten games in that 2014-15 campaign under Nelson. He brings his talents to a Hershey team fresh off of two Calder Cup wins as a veteran hand in this group. Hunt was named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team as well as being selected as Colorado’s Man of the Year for his community work. Those qualities show a great person and a player, which the Bears are always looking for.
The Bears will have two of the top power play scorers in the league in the fold alongside Chase Priskie. It figures to give the team multiple options with the departure of Joe Snively in particular impacting the power play. Hunt has a grand total of 38 power play goals to his credit in his time in the AHL. Nelson will have a plethora of options to put on the ice to light the lamp this season.
The Hunt is On
Hunt’s addition further bolsters Hershey’s defensive depth. His addition gives the Bears a strong left-handed shot on the blue line. He joins Aaron Ness and Dylan McIlrath as the veterans of that group alongside Priskie, Hardy Haman Aktell, and Vincent Iorio. Jake Massie would be the next defender up followed by Dmitry Osipov, Nicky Leivermann, or Hudson Thornton. It’ll be a battle at training camp to see who sticks in the depth roles or who joins the South Carolina Stingrays.
The 2024-25 season gets underway on October 12 when the Bears raise their 13th Calder Cup banner. Hershey’s schedule gets underway with a challenge in an Eastern Conference Final rematch against the Cleveland Monsters. It’ll be a battle for Hunt and the Bears right when the puck drops.
