Judd Brackett Expected To Leave Wild
The Minnesota Wild could lose a core piece of their scouting room before the NHL Draft. Director of Amateur Scouting Judd Brackett is expected to leave the club for an elevated position somewhere else per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Brackett was granted permission to speak with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding an assistant general manager position per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Brackett has built a strong reputation across USA Hockey – one honed since his move to the Minnesota Wild in 2020. He holds a strong voice in the Wild’s draft and prospect development conversations and played a role in the team’s connection to promising draft picks like Zeev Buium, Charlie Stramel, and Adam Benak.
Before his time with the Wild, Brackett spent seven seasons as an amateur scout and five seasons as Director of Amateur Scouting with the Vancouver Canucks. He was, again, a strong voice in the rooms that drafted Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko. Brackett was also a strong advocate for the 2019 U.S. National Team Development Program that produced Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, and Trevor Zegras – though none found a home in Vancouver.
His accolades with USA Hockey extend beyond recognizing strong, NTDP talent. He was a scout for Team USA’s 2024, 2025, and 2026 World Junior Championship rosters. The Americans won Gold in two of those tournaments but fell to Finland in the quarterfinals this year. He also won a QMJHL championship in 2008 and two USHL Clark Cups in 2009 and 2014.
A step up in the hierarchy seems well-timed on the other side of Brackett’s sixth year with the Wild. While Toronto represents the most direct connection currently, it would be no surprise to see Brackett return to the Canucks organization amid their biggest front-office shakeup in recent years. Whether it’s a move to Canada, or a shift to a team-in-need like the Nashville Predators, Brackett’s talents as a draft mind will seemingly be put to the test this Summer. His insight could be the final push needed to encourage Toronto to draft perennial star Gavin McKenna, or begin honing in coverage of a loaded 2027 draft class.