Hunter Jones (ice hockey)

Hunter Jones (born September 21, 2000) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected in the second round, 59th overall, by the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Early life
Jones was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He began playing hockey at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks of the minor hockey system. His youth team was the Mississauga Reps U15 AAA.

Junior
Jones began his major junior career with the Stouffville Spirit of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) in 2016–17. He played in 16 games for the Spirit, posting a 2.74 goals against average and .917 save percentage.

After one season with the Spirit, Jones was drafted by the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He joined the Petes in 2017–18 and played in 15 games, posting a 5.14 goals against average and .866 save percentage.

Jones struggled in his first season with the Petes, but he rebounded in 2018–19. He played in 57 games, posting a 3.31 goals against average and .902 save percentage. He was named the Petes' most improved player and was selected to play in the 2019 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

In his final season with the Petes in 2019–20, Jones was named OHL's Goaltender of the Month in October 2019, after playing to an 8-1-0-0 record with a 2.34 goals against average, .923 save percentage and one shutout over nine games.

Professional
Jones was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the second round (59th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Wild on March 26, 2020.

Jones made his American Hockey League (AHL) debut with the Iowa Wild in the 2020–21 season, playing 19 games, and posting a 3.50 goals against average and .886 save percentage.

During the Stanley Cup playoffs of the season, Wild general manager Bill Guerin announced that Jones was recalled to be the Wild's third goalie on April 17, 2023.

On July 1, 2024, Jones signed a one-year AHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens' affiliate Laval Rocket.