Hunter Miska

Hunter Miska (born July 7, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League (AHL). He has formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche.

Playing career

Amateur Undrafted, Miska played junior hockey in the United States Hockey League and British Columbia Hockey League before embarking on collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota at Duluth in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

In his freshman year with the Bulldogs in the 2016–17 season, Miska posted a 27–5–5 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.20 goals against average with five shutouts. He helped lead the Bulldogs to the Frozen Four Championship game before falling 3–2 to the University of Denver. Miska was named as a finalist for the Mike Richter award, given annually to the goaltender voted to be the most outstanding in Division I NCAA hockey during the regular season.

Professional Following an impressive debut season, Miska left Duluth to turn professional in signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes on April 15, 2017. After attending his first training camp with the Coyotes, Miska was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, for the duration of the 2017–18 season.

In the 2018–19 season, Miska began the season continuing his tenure in the AHL with the Roadrunners. On November 6, 2018, Miska received his first recall to the NHL by the Coyotes, providing cover for the injured Antti Raanta. He made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in relief of Darcy Kuemper in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on November 13, 2018. On November 23, Miska was returned to the Roadrunners. Miska was used as an emergency recall for the Coyotes; however, he was shortly returned again to the AHL on November 30, 2018. Remaining with Tucson for the remainder of the season, Miska split duties between the pipes with Adin Hill, collecting just 10 wins in 25 games.

Having concluded his entry-level contract and as an impending restricted free agent, Miska was not tendered a qualifying offer to remain with the Coyotes, and was released to be a free agent on June 25, 2019. On July 12, 2019, Miska agreed to a one-year AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles, affiliate to the Colorado Avalanche. He began the 2019–20 season with the Eagles, before he was briefly assigned to ECHL affiliate, the Utah Grizzlies for 3 games. Upon his return to the AHL, with injury to fellow goaltender Antoine Bibeau, Miska remained with the Eagles posting 11 wins and tied fourth among all AHL goaltenders in save percentage through 19 games, before signing a one-year NHL contract for the remainder of the season with the Avalanche on February 10, 2020.

Having recorded his best season statistics in the AHL in his first year with the Eagles, Miska was re-signed by the Avalanche to a two-year, two-way contract extension on October 20, 2020. With an injury to fellow Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz, Miska remained on the opening night roster for the pandemic shortened season. Serving as the backup, on January 21, 2021, Miska made his first career NHL start; he made 23 saves in a 4–2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. On February 26, Miska recorded his first career NHL win in a 3–2 victory over the Coyotes. Unable to solidify his role through 5 appearances, Miska was returned to the AHL after he was relieved from the net in a 8–4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on March 16, 2021.

In the final season of his contract with the Avalanche in 2021–22, Miska was unable to replicate his earlier success with the Eagles, however collected 10 wins through 17 games and featured in 2 regular season contests with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL.

As a free agent after three seasons within the Avalanche organization, Miska agreed to sign his first European contract by committing to a one-year deal with German club, Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), on July 9, 2022.

After two successful seasons with Straubing, Miska left the DEL as a free agent and secured a one-year contract with prominent Russian club, HC Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on July 23, 2024. In the 2024–25 season, Miska made 14 appearances with Dynamo and secured 5 wins before leaving the club through the mid-point of the season. In returning to North America as a free agent, Miska was signed to an AHL for the remainder of the season with the Bridgeport Islanders, the primary affiliate to the New York Islanders, on January 12, 2025.

Miska remained a free agent into the season, belatedly returning to the professional ranks in re-joining ECHL club, Utah Grizzlies, on February 18, 2026. In stabilising the Grizzlies crease, Miska posted 7 wins through 16 appearances, before ending the season on the roster of AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, on a PTO.

Miska was signed to a one-year AHL contract to remain within the Eagles organization for the 2026–27 season on August 24, 2026.

Personal life Miska is a cousin of professional soccer player Khyah Harper.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 2009–10 North Branch High USHS 22 — — — — — — 3.85 .886 2 — — — — — 8.50 .866 2010–11 North Branch High USHS 25 — — — — — — 4.50 .895 1 — — — — — 7.00 .889 2011–12 U.S. National Development Team USHL 25 10 13 0 1,305 78 0 3.59 .854 2 0 2 119 12 0 6.06 .824 2012–13 U.S. National Development Team USHL 13 3 7 2 745 38 0 3.06 .881 — — — — — — — — 2013–14 Penticton Vees BCHL 34 19 12 2 1,988 74 2 2.23 .916 6 3 2 284 16 0 3.38 .866 2014–15 Penticton Vees BCHL 46 34 9 3 2,775 87 5 1.88 .931 21 15 6 1,365 52 2 2.29 .923 2015–16 Dubuque Fighting Saints USHL 46 32 13 1 2,761 113 1 2.46 .913 12 6 5 750 28 1 2.24 .921 2016–17 U. of Minnesota-Duluth NCHC 39 27 5 5 2,321 85 5 2.20 .920 — — — — — — — — 2017–18 Tucson Roadrunners AHL 36 22 9 0 1,941 85 1 2.63 .901 — — — — — — — — 2018–19 Tucson Roadrunners AHL 25 10 8 4 1,307 67 0 3.08 .895 — — — — — — — — 2018–19 Arizona Coyotes NHL 1 0 0 0 19 1 0 3.33 .889 — — — — — — — — 2019–20 Utah Grizzlies ECHL 3 2 1 0 186 5 0 1.62 .947 — — — — — — — — 2019–20 Colorado Eagles AHL 26 16 6 3 1,522 63 2 2.48 .924 — — — — — — — — 2020–21 Colorado Avalanche NHL 5 1 1 2 260 18 0 4.16 .838 — — — — — — — — 2020–21 Colorado Eagles AHL 9 5 4 0 537 26 0 2.91 .909 — — — — — — — — 2021–22 Colorado Eagles AHL 17 10 5 0 829 42 1 3.04 .889 — — — — — — — — 2021–22 Utah Grizzlies ECHL 2 1 1 0 120 7 0 3.51 .875 — — — — — — — — 2022–23 Straubing Tigers DEL 31 16 14 0 1793 87 0 2.91 .893 7 3 4 415 15 1 2.17 .915 2023–24 Straubing Tigers DEL 29 17 12 0 1707 70 2 2.46 .909 8 4 4 460 17 0 2.22 .907 2024–25 Dynamo Moscow KHL 14 5 5 3 813 38 1 2.81 .908 — — — — — — — — 2024–25 Bridgeport Islanders AHL 12 2 8 0 560 40 0 4.28 .861 — — — — — — — — 2025–26 Utah Grizzlies ECHL 16 7 5 3 927 46 1 2.98 .902 — — — — — — — —NHL totals 6 1 1 2 279 19 0 4.10 .842 — — — — — — — —

International Year Team Event Result GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% 2012 United States U17 4 — — — — — — 2.41 .879Junior totals 4 — — — — — — 2.41 .879

Awards and honors Award YearBCHL Best goalie duo with lowest GAA 2014, 2015 Second All-Star Team 2014 Best SVS % (.931) 2015 Best GAA (1.88) 2015 First All-Star Team 2015 Top Goaltender 2015College NCHC All-Tournament Team 2017 NCHC Second All-Star Team 2017