Story by: Jamie Neugebauer – Media Coordinator
Three-year Rangers forward Ted Hunt has committed to play Ontario University Athletics hockey with the Queen’s University Golden Gaels for the 2016-17 season.
Hunt, 20, played in 203 Ontario Junior Hockey League contests between 2011 and 2016, scoring 52 goals and adding 82 assists for the St. Michael’s Buzzers and North York Rangers.
A native of Toronto, Hunt was picked up off waivers by the Rangers during the 2013-14 campaign from the rival Buzzers.
“It feels really good,” the well-spoken winger said.
“The overage year is pretty crazy, with all the uncertainty and pressure throughout the season, so to finally solidify (a spot for next year) that I’m happy with is a very good feeling.”
The Gaels are one of two OUA teams in Kingston, Ont., sharing the eastern Ontario city with the Royal Military College Paladins. The Canadian university game in general is considered vastly underrated, full of former professional and major junior players.
This past season was doubly special for Hunt.
“Every year that I played was a little different, but I really enjoyed this past year,” he said.
“We had a great group that made it really fun to stay at the rink. We’d come early, stay late, we had a really close team and that was a lot of fun. The second thing was that I got to play with my brother Ryan. We did everything together: eat, go to the gym, go to practice together, so I had him with me, and it was really great.”
Ted earned himself a career high in goals and points in both the regular and post-seasons, highlighted by a Game 4 hat trick vs. the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the first round.
He plans on continuing in economics at Queen’s.
Ted was part of the 2013 Buckland Cup champion Buzzers, and was taken in the ninth round of the 2011 Ontario Hockey League draft by the (then) Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.
He is an alumni of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens minor hockey system.
