Hunter takes aim at junior title
Ex-NHLer juggles his WHL duties with national team
Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Tim Hunter has a lot on his plate this season, but he hasn’t found it to be all-consuming.
Not yet, anyway.
Despite the added responsibility of serving as Canada’s head coach at the upcoming world junior hockey championship, Hunter insists it’s not a huge burden to juggle those duties with his regular job.
In fact, it’s hasn’t been much different to date than his experience the previous two years as an assistant with Team Canada.
“There’s not a lot more responsibility as a head coach than as an assistant coach (at this time),” Hunter said.
“It’s more when you’re with the team. I’m not doing a lot of extra work that’s taking away from my everyday job here. We’ve done a lot of work already leading up to the summer camp and leading up to the Russia series. It’s not overbearing by any means, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it.”
Hunter will don his Hockey Canada hat in two weeks when he steps behind the bench for Team WHL in the CIBC Canada Russia Series.
Following the WHL portion of the series (Nov. 5 in Kamloops and Nov. 6 in Vancouver), Hunter will head east to watch the OHL games (Nov. 8 in Sarnia and Nov. 12 in Oshawa), followed by the QMJHL contests (Nov. 13 in Sherbrooke and Nov. 15 in Drummondville).
“It’ll be our last chance (as coaches) to look at the guys that we want to come to our selection camp,” Hunter said. “(Head scout) Brad McEwen and five or six other people watch the players (during the season). We get video updates so I can watch them and then I’ll be at all the games for the Russia series. You can see all you want on video but you see a guy up-close and personal when you’re in the stands or at ice level. It’s a different ball game.”
Although the Canada Russia Series will take Hunter away from Moose Jaw for a few days, the impact on his availability for games is minimal due to a light schedule.
Hunter officially steps away from the WHL club on Dec. 10 when the coaches and players gather in B.C. for Canada’s selection camp. The tournament runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Vancouver and Victoria.
This year’s tournament returns to Canadian soil after being staged in Buffalo last year. The opportunity to play at home is always appealing, even if it comes with some additional scrutiny.
“That part of it is really exciting,” Hunter said.
“I know it was in Buffalo last year when we won but the building was full of Canadian people every game we played. We may as well have been at home.
“There’s no more pressure playing in Canada than anywhere else. We like the pressure. The players love it.
“They all dream of playing on Boxing Day for the world junior team under the bright lights.”
It’s also a welcome opportunity for Hunter, who helped guide Canada to gold last year after settling for silver the previous year. He also was the head coach of the national team that won bronze at the 2015 world under-18 championship.
“I’ve learned a lot the last three years I’ve been with Hockey Canada and the two years I’ve been with the world juniors from a great head coach in Dominique Ducharme and a great manager in Joel Bouchard,” Hunter said. “It was a great staff. We accomplished a lot and we have a real good template for what success is. But the game is changing and you have to stay ahead of changes and be an innovator. That’s what we’re trying to do a little bit as well.”
THERE’S NO MORE PRESSURE PLAYING IN CANADA THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.