The Minnesota Wild have inked a pair of draft picks, signing Daemon Hunt and Ryan O’Rourke to three-year entry-level contracts. The deals are for the 2021-22 season, but both young players will see those contracts slide unless they manage to crack the Minnesota roster.
Both of the young players got their first taste of professional hockey this season, suiting up for the Iowa Wild of the AHL. O’Rourke has spent the whole season there as the OHL never resumed, recording seven points in 28 games. The 18-year-old defenseman was selected 39th overall in 2020 after a strong pair of seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and will likely return to the Soo for the 2021-22 season.
Hunt meanwhile had a taste with Iowa before returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors for the shortened WHL campaign but is now back in the AHL on an amateur tryout. The 18-year-old defenseman had 18 points in 23 games for Moose Jaw this year, showing some nice offensive growth. Hunt was selected 65th overall, Minnesota’s fourth pick of the 2020 draft.
With Marco Rossi’s career still somewhat uncertain thanks to medical complications, Hunt and O’Rourke could become even more important pieces of Minnesota’s 2020 draft class. Both will likely return to the CHL next season to continue their development, but now have NHL deals to celebrate.