Hunter Haight

June 2023 – Haight had a very successful 2022-23 season where he not only produced the most points of his OHL career for the Saginaw Spirit but also signed his ELC with the Minnesota Wild. Haight went over point-per-game, posting 51 points in 42 regular season games and adding eight points in 11 playoff games since joining the Saginaw Spirit after getting traded from the Barrie Colts. This new team unlocked some offensive potential, but Haight will need to continue to develop his decision making in the offensive zone if he wants to make the NHL. He is at least two or three years away from being a middle-six energy forward. Nathan Leblanc

January 2023 – Haight is a recent 2022 NHL draft pick by the Minnesota Wild in the 2nd round, who is having an up-and-down season in the OHL. The 18-year-old center suffered a poor start to the season for the Barrie Colts putting up only three goals and six assists in 20 games, along with a very poor minus-14. This had been a decline compared to his rookie season in the OHL during the 2021-22 season. However, Haight has since been traded to the Saginaw Spirit where he has exploded offensively. On the Spirit, Haight has put up seven goals and 12 assists for a total of 19 points in only 12 games. He has also been performing better on the defensive side of the puck by putting up a plus-7. Haight continues to be a strong prospect in the Wild organization, and his increased confidence since changing teams is a great sign for his future progression to one-day be a contributor at the NHL level. Nathan Leblanc

July 2022 – The Minnesota Wild have selected Haight in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, 47th overall. Nick Richard

December 2021 – Haight has gotten off to a solid, if unspectacular, start in his first OHL season. He doesn’t rank near the top of the scoring race among OHL draft-eligibles but has been a positive play driver while averaging almost 17 minutes per game, including time on both of Barrie’s special teams units.

Haight is a two-way forward with good skating ability and some intriguing offensive instincts. He can carry the puck in transition but also understands how to utilize his teammates in order to create lanes or space off the rush. When presented with time and space in the offensive zone, particularly on the powerplay, Haight shows good vision and can complete crisp passes through tight windows in coverage. He is an active handler who does well to change angles to create better passing options as well. Haight isn’t a pure sniper but he has a good release that should only improve as he adds strength to his slight frame in the coming years. Off the puck, he displays a strong work rate and doesn’t let his small stature deter him from playing in the dirty areas where he is surprisingly effective in protecting the puck off his hip. He engages down low to provide held to his defencemen when necessary and displays an awareness of his defensive responsibilities from shift to shift. He may not be the most imaginative or creative offensive player, and he isn’t likely to win any scoring titles, but Haight’s versatility and well-rounded game give him potential as a top-nine forward at the NHL level. Nick Richard