Luke Kunin
| Luke Kunin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Kunin during his time with the Minnesota Wild on January 12, 2019 | |||
| Born |
December 4, 1997 Chesterfield, Missouri | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 197 lb (89 kg; 14 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Free agent Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators San Jose Sharks Columbus Blue Jackets Florida Panthers | ||
| National team |
 United States | ||
| NHL draft |
15th overall, 2016 Minnesota Wild | ||
| Playing career | 2017–present | ||
Luke Kunin (born December 4, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey center. He is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played for the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Career
[change | change source]Before playing in the NHL, Kunin played two seasons with the U.S. National Development Team of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and two years with the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference (B1G). He was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, All-Big Ten Second Team, Big Ten All-Tournament Team, and was also named a AHCA West Second-Team All-American.[1][2][3]
He was drafted 15th overall by the Minnesota Wild of the 2016 NHL entry draft.[4] On March 23, 2017, Kunin signed a three-year, $4.275 million entry-level contract to join the Wild.[5] He was sent down to play for their AHL-affiliate Iowa Wild.
On October 14, 2017, Minnesota called him up and Kunin made his NHL debut in a 5–4 overtime loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets.[6] On October 21, he recorded his first two NHL point after assisting on goals from Ryan Suter and Daniel Winnik in a 4–2 win against the Calgary Flames.[7] On October 26, Kunin scored his first NHL goal short-handed against Thomas Greiss in a 6–4 win against the New York Islanders.[8]
On October 7, 2020, the Wild traded Kunin along with a 2020 third-round draft pick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Nick Bonino, a 2020 second-round draft pick, and a 2020 fourth-round draft pick.[9] On January 6, 2021, Kunin signed a two-year, $4.6 million contract to stay with the Predators.[10]
On July 8, 2022, the Predators traded Kunin to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for John Leonard and a 2023 third-round draft pick.[11] On July 18, 2022, Kunin signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract to stay with the Sharks.[12] On June 30, 2024, Kunin signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract to stay with the Sharks.[13]
On March 7, 2025, the Sharks traded Kunin to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick.[14] He played 12 regular season games for the Jackets.
On August 22, 2025, Kunin signed a one-year, $775,000 contract to join the Florida Panthers.[15]
Personal life
[change | change source]Kunin is Jewish and lives with type 1 diabetes.[16][17] He is married to former professional hockey player Sophia Kunin.[18]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Badgers men's hockey: Luke Kunin named to All-Big Ten freshman team". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Badgers men's hockey: Luke Kunin leaves Wisconsin after 2 seasons to sign with NHL's Wild". Wisconsin State Journal. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "2017 All-American Teams". American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Minnesota selects Kunin with first round pick". Iowa Wild. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Wild Signs Luke Kunin". Minnesota Wild. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "NHL debut fast forwarded for Wild first-round pick Luke Kunin". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Wild-Flames Saturday recap". The Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on October 1, 2026. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Shorthanded goals help Wild win against Islanders". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Predators Acquire Luke Kunin, 2020 No. 101 Overall Pick from Minnesota". Nashville Predators. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Predators Sign Luke Kunin to Two-Year, $4.6 Million Contract". Nashville Predators. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Predators Acquire Luke Kunin, 2020 No. 101 Overall Pick from Minnesota". San Jose Sharks. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Sharks Sign Forward Luke Kunin". San Jose Sharks. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Sharks re-sign forward Luke Kunin". San Jose Sharks. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Blue Jackets acquire center Luke Kunin from San Jose". Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Florida Panthers Agree to Terms with Forward Luke Kunin on a One-Year Contract". Florida Panthers. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "The NHL has a historically good set of Jewish hockey players right now". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Playing with diabetes, Luke Kunin has kept on skating all the way to the NHL". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Chasing a hockey dream together: How Luke and Sophia Kunin make the first NHL–PWHL marriage work". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or ESPN.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database