Mark Hunter (ice hockey)
Stanley Cup champion with Calgary Flames in 1989.
Mark William Hunter (born November 12, 1962) is a Canadian ice hockey executive, coach, and former player who currently serves as owner and general manager of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He won the Stanley Cup in 1989 as a member of the Calgary Flames. Hunter was born in Petrolia, Ontario, and grew up in nearby Oil Springs, Ontario. He is one of three brothers—along with Dave and Dale—who played in the NHL.
Hunter began his junior career with the Brantford Alexanders in 1979–80, scoring 34 goals and 89 points in 66 games as a rookie, adding 171 penalty minutes. He added two goals and 10 points in 11 playoff games. The following season, he recorded 39 goals and 79 points in 53 games, leading the team with 157 penalty minutes, and had three goals and six points in six postseason contests. The Montreal Canadiens selected him seventh overall in the 1981 NHL entry draft.
Hunter joined the Canadiens as an 18-year-old in 1981–82, notching 18 goals and 29 points in 71 games with 143 penalty minutes. He went scoreless in five playoff games as Montreal lost to the Quebec Nordiques. In 1982–83, he played only 31 games due to a season-ending knee injury suffered on December 26 against Quebec, finishing with eight goals and 16 points. The next season, injuries limited him to 22 games, but he returned for the playoffs, scoring two goals and three points in 14 games as Montreal fell to the New York Islanders in the Wales Conference finals. Healthy in 1984–85, he played 72 games, scoring 21 goals and 33 points with 123 penalty minutes, and added three assists in 11 playoff games before the Canadiens lost to the Nordiques in the Adams Division finals.
On June 15, 1985, Montreal traded Hunter, Mike Dark, and several draft picks to the St. Louis Blues for a package of draft picks. With St. Louis in 1985–86, Hunter broke out offensively, leading the team with 44 goals and finishing second in scoring with 74 points. He played in the 1986 NHL All-Star Game but did not score. In the playoffs, he recorded seven goals and 14 points in 19 games as the Blues reached the Campbell Conference finals, losing in seven games to the Calgary Flames. The following season, he scored 36 goals and 69 points in 74 games, adding three assists in five playoff games as St. Louis lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1962-11-12
- Birth Place
- Petrolia, Ontario, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 0
- Weight Lb
- 205
- Position
- Right wing
- Shoots
- Right
- Played For
- Montreal Canadiens / St. Louis Blues / Calgary Flames / Hartford Whalers / Washington Capitals
- Draft
- 7th overall
- Draft Year
- 1981
- Draft Team
- Montreal Canadiens
- Career End
- 1993
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Hunter began his junior hockey career with the Brantford Alexanders in 1979–80, finishing fifth in team scoring with 34 goals and 89 points in 66 games. He was selected in the first round, seventh overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1981 NHL entry draft. Hunter made the NHL as an 18-year-old with the Canadiens in 1981–82, recording 18 goals and 29 points in 71 games. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 1985, where he broke out offensively with a team-high 44 goals and 74 points in 1985–86, earning a spot in the 1986 NHL All-Star Game. On September 6, 1988, St. Louis traded Hunter, Doug Gilmour, Steve Bozek and Mike Dark to the Calgary Flames. In his first season with Calgary, Hunter scored 22 goals and 30 points in 66 games, then helped the Flames win the 1989 Stanley Cup Final over the Montreal Canadiens, recording two goals and four points in ten playoff games.
Reader's Guide
Hunter's NHL career spanned 628 games across the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers, and Washington Capitals, totaling 213 goals and 384 points. He was known for his physical play, accumulating 1,426 penalty minutes. His most productive season came with St. Louis in 1985–86, when he scored 44 goals and was named an All-Star. After retiring as a player, Hunter moved into coaching, leading the Sarnia Sting of the OHL and later the St. John's Maple Leafs of the AHL. He became co-owner of the London Knights with his brother Dale Hunter, serving as assistant coach and general manager. In 2011–12, he took over as head coach of the Knights after Dale left for the Washington Capitals, leading the team to a 29–13–0 record and the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Knights advanced to the 2012 Memorial Cup championship game, where they lost in overtime to the Shawinigan Cataractes. Hunter spent twelve years as owner, vice-president, and general manager of the London Knights before departing his management role.
Did You Know?
- He scored a career-high 44 goals with the St. Louis Blues in the 1985–86 season.
- Hunter won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989.
- He became head coach of the London Knights in 2011 after his brother Dale left to coach the Washington Capitals.
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