Hunter joined the St. Louis Blues for the 1985–86 season, where he broke out offensively, scoring a team high 44 goals and finished second on team scoring with 74 points, helping St. Louis qualify for the playoffs. Hunter appeared in the 1986 NHL All-Star Game held in Hartford, Connecticut, going pointless as the Campbell Conference lost 4–3 in overtime to the Wales Conference. In the playoffs, Hunter had seven goals and 14 points in 19 games, helping the Blues reach the Campbell Conference finals, where they lost in seven games to the Calgary Flames.