Been saying for years that if Garet Hunt played in this town, he'd become a cult hero in a hockey heartbeat.
Now we'll see if it is so.
Hunt, 28, joined the Alaska Aces on Wednesday morning – he's out on the ice for the morning skate as this is typed. The former Stockton Thunder captain, the toughest little man (say, 5-9, 190ish) you'll come across, is the quintessential player that fans of his team adore and opposing fans despise.
Hunt in seven ECHL seasons with Stockton, where current UAA coach Matt Thomas was one of his bench bosses, three times led the ECHL in fighting majors – he tied for second last season – and twice led the circuit in penalty minutes. He will literally take on anyone – he's fought guys who have eight or nine inches on him, and guys who have 40 or 50 pounds on him.
"He shows up every single night,'' Thomas said. "There's an inspiring element to the way he competes.''
Hunt qualifies as a veteran – each ECHL team is permitted four veterans, defined as skaters (goalies are exempt) who enter the season with 260 or more regular-season games played in qualifying pro leagues. The Aces had plenty of room for him on the veteran front; before Hunt's arrival, only defenseman/assistant coach Patrick Wellar qualified as a veteran.
Hunt will wear No. 24, his usual digits. Aces defenseman Landon Oslanski, Hunt's former teammate in Stockton, gave up that number and will now wear No. 27, which became available Tuesday when the Aces released winger Dylan Hood.
Hunt was available when the Stockton Heat of the AHL released him recently.
He kills penalties and has a decent track record of scoring -- he had 13 goals last season for Stockton, and he also had another 13-goal campaign for the Thunder, and a 14-goal season. He helped lead Stockton to the Kelly Cup Final in 2013, when it fell in five games to Reading.
As much as the Aces' Cowbell Crew of fans booed Hunt over the years, we imagine that sentiment will do a 180 when he debuts.
Aces fans have been through this sort of thing before. Remember, Scott Burt and Lance Galbraith, were far from beloved by Aces fans before they joined the club in 2008. The previously were Idaho Steelheads and helped eliminate the Aces from the 2007 conference finals, on the way to winning the Kelly Cup – Burt's short-handed strike in Boise, with Galbraith in the penalty box – eliminated the Aces in Game 5.
Once Burt and Galbraith arrived here, they nearly instantly became fan favorites. Both played with their hearts on their sweaters. Both would fight an opponent to protect a teammate or try to ignite a flat team.
All Burt and Galbraith did was help the Aces get to the 2009 Kelly Cup Final, where they lost in Game 7 to South Carolina (a team that included Wellar – damn, hockey is the smallest world). And Burt captained the Aces to the 2011 Kelly Cup before retiring.
Anyhow, check back at adn.com/sports later for more on Hunt's arrival.