Minnesota Wild Recall Forward Hunter Haight From Iowa Wild

Ryan Hartman's lower-body injury created a roster opening, and the Minnesota Wild filled it by recalling 21-year-old forward Hunter Haight from the Iowa Wild on March 17, with the team set to face the Chicago Blackhawks that evening.

General Manager Bill Guerin made the move official, pulling Haight back to the NHL level for what has become a familiar shuttle this season. Transaction logs show Haight has been recalled and reassigned three times since December, bouncing between Saint Paul and Des Moines as Minnesota's depth needs have shifted.

Haight, a native of Strathroy, Ontario, has put together a productive 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. In 43 games for Iowa, he recorded 23 points on 12 goals and 11 assists, ranking tied for second on the team in goals and third in shots on goal with 89. He also represented Iowa at the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic. His five-game stretch heading into the recall included one goal and three points, a stretch that kept him visible when Minnesota needed reinforcements.

At the NHL level, Haight has appeared in five games this season without recording a point. He made his NHL debut October 9 at St. Louis and wears No. 37. Despite the recall, The Hockey News reported that Haight was likely to serve as a healthy scratch against Chicago, with Robby Fabbri drawing into the lineup instead. Coach John Hynes confirmed the Wild would also be without their top center that night.

Haight's NHL opportunity figures to come. The numbers across two AHL seasons make the case: 57 points, 32 goals, 25 assists, and 243 shots on goal in 110 career games with Iowa. His rookie season in 2024-25 produced 34 points in 67 games, placing him tied for eighth among all AHL rookies in goals while ranking second on Iowa in shots (154) and power-play goals (six).

Before turning pro, Haight spent three OHL seasons with the Barrie Colts and Saginaw Spirit, finishing with 168 points in 193 games and winning the Memorial Cup with Saginaw in 2024. Minnesota selected him 47th overall in the 2022 draft.

Hartman's absence is the immediate context. The 31-year-old veteran had skated in 20 games for Minnesota this season, collecting seven points (four goals, three assists), before suffering his lower-body injury November 16 in Washington. His career résumé spans 669 NHL games and 311 points across 12 seasons, making his absence a meaningful one for a Wild team that entered the Chicago game at 38-18-12.

Scouts have pegged Haight as a two-way forward who does the details work but will need to add bulk and strength to stick at the NHL level. At 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, the development curve is real. The AHL production suggests the offensive instincts are already there.