The Calgary Flames announced today that they have reassigned forward Dryden Hunt to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. The move ends Hunt’s most recent NHL stint, a period that began on Nov. 17.
It was a bit of a curious recall for Hunt, as despite being on the NHL roster for nearly a month, he only managed to dress for two NHL games. Hunt played in Calgary’s road games against the Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, respectively, but other than that two-game stretch spent the rest of his time on the NHL roster as a healthy scratch.
While Hunt surely would rather have been in head coach Ryan Huska’s nightly lineup, he did nonetheless benefit from his most recent recall. Hunt’s two-year contract carries an $825K NHL salary compared to a $400K AHL salary. He carries a $500K guarantee this season, meaning the time spent on the NHL roster will go a long way in helping Hunt push past that guarantee in terms of total compensation by the end of the year. Hunt’s recall also carried additional, albeit marginal long-term financial benefits, as he is credited for the games in which he was a healthy scratch for the purposes of his post-career pension.
Now 30 years old, Hunt remains in the prime of what has been an admirable pro career. Hunt worked his way up from the AHL to the NHL, becoming a full-time player as the 2020s began. Hunt got into a career-high 76 NHL games for the New York Rangers in 2021-22, scoring a career-high 17 points. Hunt bounced around a bit after that season, returning to the AHL on a mostly full-time basis for 2024-25 in Calgary.
A strong year with the Wranglers (point-per-game in 49 games) helped Hunt climb the Flames’ call-up priority list, and he skated in a total of five NHL games last season, notching three assists. Now back in the AHL, Hunt will likely resume his status as one of the team’s most reliable scorers with the hope of earning another call-up as the season progresses.