Luke Kunin

Born on December 4, 1997, in Chesterfield, Missouri, Luke Kunin was selected 15th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. His early path to professional hockey included overcoming a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis in the sixth grade. Kunin attended Whitfield School before joining the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, where he completed high school in three years. He then played two seasons at the University of Wisconsin, where he became the second sophomore captain in school history, leading the Badgers with 22 goals and 38 points in 35 games during the 2016-17 season, earning him a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team.

Kunin transitioned to his professional career by signing with the Minnesota Wild on March 23, 2017. He scored his first NHL goal on October 26, 2017, against the New York Islanders, which was notably the first shorthanded goal in Wild history. His tenure with the Wild included becoming a regular player in the 2019-20 season, achieving NHL career highs in goals, assists, and total points. After three seasons with the Wild, he was traded to the Nashville Predators in October 2020 and later to the San Jose Sharks in July 2022, where he signed a two-year contract. With the Sharks, Kunin reached double-digit goals for the fourth time in his NHL career, recording 11 goals and 7 assists in 77 games during the 2023-24 season, and played his 300th NHL game on November 20.

Demonstrating his commitment beyond the ice, Kunin established the Luke Kunin T1D Fund in 2021 to support children living with Type 1 Diabetes and contribute to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). He was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the San Jose Sharks in both 2023 and 2024, an award recognizing leadership qualities on and off the ice and humanitarian contributions. Kunin continued his career progression with trades to the Columbus Blue Jackets in March 2025 and subsequently signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers in August 2025.