SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has claimed defenseman Daemon Hunt off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team has also recalled defenseman Matt Kiersted from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) and has released defenseman Jack Johnson from his professional tryout.
Hunt, 23 (5/15/02), has appeared in 13 games with Minnesota, registering one assist, nine shots and 19 blocked shots, after making his NHL debut at Washington (10/27/23). The 6-foot-1, 198-pound native of Brandon, Manitoba, has recorded 59 points (8-51=59), 64 penalty minutes (PIM) and 224 shots in 173 AHL games across five seasons with the Iowa Wild (2020-24) and Cleveland Monsters (2024-25). He ranked third on Iowa with 26 assists and was fifth in points (3-26=29) during the 2023-24 season. He also recorded 94 points (33-61=94) and 81 PIM in 163 Western Hockey League (WHL) games over five seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors (2017-22) and served as team captain from 2020-22.
Hunt was selected by the Wild in the third round (65th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Kiersted, 27 (4/14/98), posted 29 points (1-28=29), 40 PIM and a plus-34 rating in 64 games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) last season, leading the AHL in plus-minus rating and ranking second among Charlotte skaters in assists. The 6-foot-0, 181-pound native of Elk River, Minn., also registered eight assists, 12 PIM and a plus-8 rating in 13 games during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, helping the Checkers to an appearance in the Calder Cup Finals.
For his career, Kiersted has skated in 233 games and notched 85 points (16-69=85), 201 PIM and a plus-57 rating across four AHL seasons, all with Charlotte, and posted 12 points (1-11=12) in 30 career Calder Cup Playoff games. He has also tallied seven points (2-5=7) in 39 career games in parts of four NHL seasons (2020-25), all with the Florida Panthers. Kiersted played four seasons (2017-21) at the University of North Dakota, skating in 127 games and tallying 77 points (20-57=77) and earning All-National Collegiate Hockey Conference First Team honors as a senior in 2020-21.
Kiersted signed a two-year, two-way contract with Minnesota on July 2 and wears sweater No. 48.
