Hunter is blending a dose of grit into Team Canada’s chemistry
Coach’s history as NHL grinder not lost on teenagers
KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The young men vying for a spot on Canada’s junior hockey team know their coach’s storied legacy.
They know Tim Hunter spent 15 seasons playing in the National Hockey League as an enforcer in Calgary, Quebec, Vancouver and San Jose. They know he won a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989, an entire decade before any of them were born.
And they know Hunter’s now sharing his experience with young players, working to shape the next generation of hockey greats.
“We all know his history and what he did for the game. So it’s really nice to have him behind the bench. He gives great advice for young players, just how to develop and feel comfortable out there,” said forward Antoine Morand, an Anaheim Ducks draft choice.
The 57-year-old Calgarian was named head coach of the team last month after being an assistant coach with the squads that took home silver from the 2017 world junior hockey championship and gold from the 2018 tournament. This week, the new role has him in Kamloops, B.C., where Canada is taking part in the world junior hockey showcase.
“Any time you’re involved with Hockey Canada, it’s a real honour and a real thrill,” Hunter said of the promotion.
“I want to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance to be in a medal game in January, and play and compete and show the pride of the country in the way we play.”
Hunter said moving into the head coach role will mean being more of an “eye in the sky,” letting other coaches and staff do their jobs.
Hunter has been coaching since he wrapped up a playing career that saw him put up
138 points and 3,146 penalty minutes in 815 NHL games. He spent 15 years as an assistant in the league. For the past four years, he’s been leading the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors.
Defenceman Jett Woo, who plays for Hunter in Moose Jaw, has taken lessons from his coach’s time in the NHL.
“He was a pretty gritty player, a hard-working player, and I think those are the things I’ve been able to pick up playing for him — hard work and compete level,” Woo said.
He added off the ice, the coach is a fun guy to talk to and is always ready to crack a joke.
Hunter said developing tight bonds is key to getting players to perform on the ice.
“You can’t have a successful organization or high-level performance team without knowing everyone on the team and their challenges or their wants and needs,” he said.