Hunter Shinkaruk

Lore & Background

Shinkaruk played minor hockey for the Calgary Royals before being selected 14th overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. After missing nearly all of the 2009–10 season due to a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg, he joined the Tigers for his first junior season. He scored his first WHL goal on October 16, 2010, and improved to a career-high 49 goals and 91 points in 66 games during his second WHL season. He was named team captain for the Tigers in his draft-eligible year and was ranked the sixth-best prospect among skaters in North America.

Selected 24th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2013, Shinkaruk attended his first NHL training camp and was among the team's final cuts. Early in the 2013–14 season, he sustained a torn labrum in his hip but played through it in hopes of competing in the 2014 World Junior Championships. After being cut from Team Canada's selection camp, he underwent hip surgery on January 7, 2014, ending his season. During rehabilitation, he addressed strength concerns and gained 15 pounds before the 2014 training camp.

Shinkaruk made his NHL debut on November 16, 2015, in a 4–3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He was leading the Comets offensively with 39 points in 45 games when he was traded by the Canucks to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Markus Granlund on February 22, 2016. He scored his first NHL goal as a Flame against the Anaheim Ducks on March 30, 2016. He later played for the Montreal Canadiens organization, then signed abroad with HC Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, Dinamo Riga, and eventually the Cardiff Devils of the EIHL.

Reader's Guide

Hunter Shinkaruk's career illustrates the trajectory of a first-round pick who faced significant injury setbacks early in his professional development. His hip injury, which required surgery in January 2014, interrupted his momentum after a strong junior career with the Medicine Hat Tigers, where he posted 49 goals and 91 points in his second WHL season. Despite being a top prospect ranked sixth among North American skaters in his draft year, Shinkaruk never established a permanent NHL role, appearing in only a handful of games with Vancouver and Calgary.

His professional career was marked by flashes of offensive production in the AHL, including a 10-goal start in his first 12 games of the 2015–16 season with Utica, which earned him his NHL debut. However, the trade to Calgary for Markus Granlund in February 2016 signaled a shift in his trajectory. After brief stints with the Flames and later the Canadiens organization, Shinkaruk moved to the KHL, playing for Kunlun Red Star and Dinamo Riga, before joining the Cardiff Devils in the EIHL in July 2024. His career demonstrates how injuries and organizational depth can affect the path of a highly drafted player, and his persistence across multiple leagues reflects a continued professional career beyond the NHL.

Did You Know?

• Shinkaruk broke the tibia and fibula in his right leg as a midget, missing nearly all of the 2009–10 season.
• He scored the overtime winning goal in the bronze medal game at the 2012 IIHF World U18 Championships.
• He was named to the All-Tournament team at the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
• Shinkaruk gained 15 pounds during his rehabilitation from hip surgery before the 2014 training camp.