To say Minnesota Wild prospects Daemon Hunt and Ryan O’Rourke have taken similar hockey journeys would be an understatement. The two rookie defensemen share a tremendous amount in common, yet possess their own uniqueness which makes each one a high-end prospect within the organization.
It all started in May of 2002, when they were born 24 hours apart. Hunt arrived on May 15 in Brandon, Manitoba, and O’Rourke on May 16 in Pickering, Ontario. You could say it’s a stretch, but that set the stage of what was to come. Both shared the Canadian dream of one day playing in the NHL. The two grew up to become good defensemen, each with a lefthanded shot and the ability to play a two-way game.
By age 17, they were among the best defensemen (for their age) in Canada. Hunt and O’Rourke began playing internationally for team Canada, with each earning a spot on the U-17, U-18, and U-20 teams.
“We kind of came up through the ranks together,” explained Hunt. “We’ve been on a lot of the same teams, so we’ve gotten to know each other well. He’s a great person and a great player. We are both very competitive, but I think it’s a good competitiveness. We feed off each other.”
“We’ve had probably three world junior camps together and so we’ve gotten to know each other pretty good over the years,” added O’Rourke. “We’ve built a very good relationship.”
The Minnesota Wild thought highly enough of the defenders and ensured their time together would be extended in 2020. Minnesota drafted O’Rourke in the second round (#39 overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and followed up in the third round by selecting Hunt (#65 overall).
“It’s probably going on about four years that we’ve been together,” said O’Rourke. “I think we’ve had probably two or three training camps together. We’re down here together (in Des Moines). We kind of just follow each other around.”
Even when COVID forced the shutdown of the Canadian junior system, the two found themselves gaining valuable experience with the AHL’s Iowa Wild during the 2020-21 season. At the ripe age of 18, both were cutting their teeth at the pro level. O’Rourke logged 33 games in Iowa and Hunt suited up for six. Hunt and O’Rourke returned to their junior teams in 2021-22 and have turned pro for 2022-23.
“I think coming back this year, just having that experience of what to know and what to expect,” said O’Rourke. “I think it has really helped me shift my game here and progress.”
“The time I was here and those six games I got in were…
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