On Saturday, Jimmy Huntington made his Barracuda debut, notching a goal and an assist in a 7-6 win over the Bakersfield Condors, his first regular-season action in nearly a year.
In the spring of 2024, the Laval, Quebec, native had a breakout postseason, recording 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 20 games with the Hershey Bears during a playoff run that saw the league’s oldest franchise capture its second consecutive Calder Cup and 13th in team history.
During the regular season, Huntington set career highs in goals (16), points (33), plus/minus (+25), power-play goals (4), shorthanded goals (1), and game-winning goals (5).
In the Calder Cup Finals against Coachella Valley, he tallied seven points (one goal, six assists) in six games, including two helpers in the series-clinching 5-4 overtime win.
“The way I see it, it’s the playoffs. When you play in the playoffs, there’s adversity, right? There’s stuff that happens there that doesn’t happen in the regular season, and you grow as a man, as a player. That’s stuff you can’t buy during the season,” said Huntington. “I think that’s when my career took off. Even the year before, when I was in Milwaukee, we lost in the conference final against Coachella.”
Coming off the best stretch of hockey in his five-year career, Huntington signed a one-year NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, 2024.
In four games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he collected four points (one goal, three assists) before his season was abruptly ended due to a knee injury, a devastating blow to a player on the ascent.
“Last year wasn’t the year I expected,” Huntington admitted. “Coming off a championship with Hershey, getting the next opportunity to go play in the NHL.”
Huntington went undrafted in 2018 but, after a 90-point season as a 20-year-old in the QMJHL with the Rimouski Océanic, he was signed to a three-year entry-level contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning in March 2019.
That was the first of multiple times the Sharks tried to court the six-foot, 201-pound forward. Coming out of junior, then-General Manager Doug Wilson and his son Doug Wilson Jr. went and saw him play. Even last year, following his playoff success with Hershey, San Jose made another attempt to sign him.
“When I was in Rimouski, the whole Sharks management, Doug Wilson and his son, came to see me, and Tampa was there too,” Huntington said. “Even last year, I almost signed here, but I decided to go with Pittsburgh. It’s a bit ironic, sometimes there are signs in life. I’m just happy to be here right now.”
His time with the Lightning wasn’t a linear path. He bounced between their AHL affiliate in Syracuse and ECHL club in Orlando. On Feb. 1, 2022, he was traded to Nashville for forward Anthony Richard.
The following season, he signed a one-year AHL contract with Milwaukee and helped the Admirals reach the Conference Finals. After that run, he joined Hershey on another one-year AHL deal. It wasn’t until the summer of 2024 that he finally earned another NHL contract.
“What NHL teams want are winners,” Huntington said. “That adds another level to your résumé, to show you were part of a team that won. Just being around that environment, that’s what organizations want. They want to win. And you see it with Washington (Hershey’s NHL affiliate) right now, they’re doing well.”
“He’s a player that has persevered,” said Barracuda General Manager Joe Will. “He’s always had the talent. When he first turned pro, it was a bit of a slow go because he couldn’t just rely on his offense, so he had to learn the other parts of the game.”
Now a member of the Sharks organization, Huntington feels right at home, with a franchise looking to return to prominence and an AHL team filled with young talent that can benefit from his experience.
“They’ve wanted me for a long time, and it just feels like home right now,” said Huntington. “After last year, playing only four games, I’m ready to roll.”
“Being around Hershey, being around a really good Calder Cup-winning team, that really pays off,” added Will.
If the Barracuda are to have the season they hope for, Huntington will play a huge role. If all goes well, the team will win plenty of games, and he could get his first shot in the NHL.
