Vince Dunn Bio
Vince Dunn is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays as a defenceman for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in Peterborough, Ontario, and raised in nearby Lindsay, Dunn came up through the Central Ontario Wolves and the Peterborough Petes before being selected 56th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, the franchise’s first championship in 52 years, and has since become a top-pair defenceman in Seattle.
Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing around 200 pounds, the left-shooting blueliner is known for his mobility, offensive instincts, and strong play on the power play. He signed a four-year, $29.4 million contract extension with the Kraken in 2023, keeping him in Seattle through the 2026–27 season.
Early Life and Background
Vince Dunn was born on October 29, 1996, in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, to a mother named Tracy, who worked as a nurse, and an Italian father who left the family when Vince was three. Tracy later married police officer John Dunn, who adopted Vince and gave him the surname he uses today. Growing up in Lindsay, Ontario, Vince cheered for the Toronto Maple Leafs and looked up to defencemen such as Carl Gunnarsson and Alexander Steen, players he would later try to model his own game after.
The Dunn household was deeply connected to hockey. His stepbrother, Nolan Dunn, also played the game, although he has since retired. After the passing of Vince’s grandfather, who played an important role in his early development, the family set up a Canadian Tire Jumpstart memorial fund in his grandfather’s name. That same support system helped shape Vince’s approach to the sport and gave him a steady foundation as he worked his way up the competitive ladder.
Path to Hockey
Dunn began his minor hockey career with the Central Ontario Wolves and later joined his hometown club, the Peterborough Petes, at the bantam and midget levels. He was not happy playing for the Wolves, and because his coach refused to release him, he and his mother Tracy made the roughly one-hour move so that he could suit up for the Petes. While with the Petes, his play earned him an invitation to compete on the North American select team at the 2012 Lekov Cup tournament in the Czech Republic.
Those early results caught the attention of junior scouts, and Dunn was taken 109th overall by the Niagara IceDogs in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection Draft. Before moving to major junior, however, he chose to spend a year playing amateur Junior B hockey with the Thorold Blackhawks of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he recorded 28 points in 48 games. After that developmental season, he joined the IceDogs and began climbing toward the NHL.
Vince Dunn Career
Major Junior with the Niagara IceDogs (2013–2016)
Dunn made the jump to the Niagara IceDogs for the 2013–14 OHL season, and the coaching staff quickly saw what he could do. In his first 26 games, he posted 10 points and earned praise from coach and general manager Marty Williamson as an above-average player. He finished his rookie year with 33 points in 63 games, leading all first-year defencemen in OHL scoring, and was named the IceDogs Rookie of the Year.
He continued to develop in his second season, finishing with 56 points in 68 games and earning the team’s Top Defenceman of the Year Award. The following year, after another round of injuries, Dunn was again named the IceDogs Top Defenceman of the Year and helped lead Niagara to the Eastern Conference championship over the London Knights. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the second round, 56th overall, in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team on September 25, 2015.
St. Louis Blues Era (2016–2021)
To begin his professional career, Dunn was assigned to the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, for the 2016–17 season. He scored his first professional goal against the Grand Rapids Griffins on October 15, 2016, and led the Wolves’ defence in scoring with 45 points in 72 games at age 20, the youngest player on the roster.
Dunn cracked the St. Louis Blues’ opening night roster for the 2017–18 season and made his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 5–4 overtime win on October 4, 2017. He netted his first NHL goal eight days later in a loss to the Florida Panthers and settled into a third-pairing role alongside Robert Bortuzzo. In March 2018, he became the first Blues rookie since Rik Wilson to record four points in a single game, this one a 5–4 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The next season, Dunn set a new career high in points, joined Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko as the first three Blues defencemen to reach 10 goals in the same season, and helped the club reach the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. He took a puck to the face during the Western Conference finals, breaking his jaw and needing multiple surgeries, but returned for game four of the Stanley Cup Final and recorded a point in the 4–2 win over the Boston Bruins. On June 12, 2019, Dunn became a Stanley Cup champion, and the Blues lifted the franchise’s first Cup in 52 years.
Seattle Kraken Era (2021–Present)
After five seasons in the St. Louis organization, Dunn was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21, 2021, ending his run with the Blues. He signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Seattle on August 6, 2021, to avoid arbitration, joined captain Mark Giordano on the blue line, and later scored the first goal in the history of Climate Pledge Arena during a 4–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Dunn’s most productive NHL season came in 2022–23, when he set career highs with 14 goals and 64 points while playing on the Kraken’s top pairing with Adam Larsson. Seattle, in turn, made the playoffs for the first time, upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games, and fell to the Dallas Stars in the second round. On July 21, 2023, Dunn and the Kraken avoided arbitration for a second time by agreeing on a four-year, $29.4 million contract extension that runs through the 2026–27 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Dunn describes himself as a puck-moving defenceman in the mould of Ryan Ellis of the Philadelphia Flyers. He relies on quick feet, an active stick, and sharp passing to keep opposing forwards to the outside and to drive offence from the back end. He also plays a regular role on the Kraken’s second power play unit, where his shot and vision are at their most dangerous.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Dunn scored the first-ever goal at Climate Pledge Arena for the Kraken, lifted the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, and set new career highs with 14 goals and 64 points in 2022–23. He has also represented Canada at international events such as the IIHF World Championship, and he and Blues teammates won an NHL charity Fortnite tournament during the 2020 COVID-19 pause, donating the prize money to local hospitals and food banks.
Vince Dunn Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Vince Dunn was raised by his mother Tracy, a nurse, and his stepfather John Dunn, a police officer who adopted him. He has a stepbrother, Nolan Dunn, who also played hockey but has since retired from the sport. The family has been a steady presence throughout his career, and they set up a Canadian Tire Jumpstart memorial fund in honour of Vince’s grandfather, who was an important figure in his early hockey development.
Personal Life
Dunn grew up in Lindsay, Ontario, where he still has strong ties and where he chose to spend part of his Day with the Stanley Cup in 2019. He is known for his charitable work in both St. Louis and Seattle, including the $100,000 in donations he and his Blues teammates made to local causes during the 2020 pandemic pause. He maintains an active presence on social media, with verified accounts on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Dunn remains one of the central figures on the Seattle Kraken blue line, locked in through the 2026–27 season on his four-year extension. He is expected to continue in a top-pairing role alongside Adam Larsson, with the duo now established as one of the league’s more reliable shutdown pairings. The Kraken will look to build on their 2022–23 playoff breakthrough and the lessons learned from the injury-marred 2023–24 campaign that kept them out of the postseason.
Dunn’s offensive game has been a key piece of Seattle’s identity since he arrived. After back-to-back seasons of more than 40 points, including the 64-point career high in 2022–23, he is once again projected as a primary driver of the Kraken’s second power play unit. With his 14-goal ceiling in mind, the Kraken coaching staff has emphasized a more aggressive, transition-based style that fits his skating and his willingness to activate from the blue line.
The outlook for 2025 is steady rather than spectacular, with the franchise focused on consistency, defensive structure, and another return to the playoffs. Dunn’s blend of veteran poise, puck-moving ability, and a stable contract situation makes him a cornerstone of that plan. If he stays healthy and the Larsson pairing continues to thrive, the Kraken expect to be in the mix for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference when the calendar turns to spring.
