Claimed:Kurtis Hunter

[Toast 887]

Full Name: Kurtis Hunter
Position: RW
Age: 32
Handedness: Left

Selected 12th-overall by the Saskatoon Wild in the S39 VHLM Dispersal Draft

Selected 11th-overall by the HC Davos Dynamo in the S40 VHL Entry Draft

 

S39 stats [WILD]: 71GP - 19G, 51P, 26 +/-

S40 stats to date [WILD]: 26GP - 17G, 39P, 10 +/-

 

It’s not often that you hear a 32-year-old man will be making an attempt to join the VHL, but that’s exactly the case of Kurtis Hunter. This rookie was drafted in the S40 Entry Draft by HC Davos, who are looking to build a new generation of players after several seasons atop the European Conference. While Hunter is one of the older players in the league at this level of competition, there is many reasons that this player was someone that the Dynamo were looking to draft last month.

 

Kurtis Hunter spent many seasons in the Simulation Hockey League, bouncing around from team to team until he got his hands on the Challenge Cup as a member of the Calgary Dragons in S9. His experience from a rival league to the VHL does give him an advantage compared to other VHL rookies who are much, much younger.

 

In the S39 VHLM Dispersal Draft, the Saskatoon Wild took the chance on Hunter knowing that he could help lead the team, and that is exactly what he has done. The 32-year-old is the perfect leader for the younger players and that’s why he has served as the Wild’s captain for S39 and S40. While he hasn’t been the best in terms of production on the ice, it is apparent that he is a leader in the locker room. Let’s take a look at the pros of this upcoming VHL talent:

 

GOOD IN BOTH ENDS

 

While Davos is hoping that Hunter will turn into the forward that will be able to put up a monster amount of points for them, it appears that the Dynamo prospect is the kind of player who can work well in both zones. With his 167 practice hours, Hunter has not only focused on placing his shots/passes better, but he has also focused on making sure he can get back in defensive situations and cover his opposition effectively. This makes him one of the elite talent in the VHLM and it will certainly be interesting to see if he can keep up this style of play going forward in his career, or if he will switch his focus to one side of the play.

 

LEADERSHIP

 

As mentioned before, Hunter is exactly the kind of guy that you want in your locker room. The veteran of hockey knows a lot about certain situations that younger guys may not be familiar with, so with the veteran presence around it gives them someone to approach. That’s probably the reason that Hunter has been captain since stepping into the Wild locker room and he’ll be looking to continue that trend when he makes the step up to the VHL next season, looking to prove himself as a true talent with much more competition around him.

 

EXPERIENCE

 

While many players have played junior or some sort of hockey when entering the VHL, they simply don’t compete to the experience Hunter has with the sport. Through his five seasons in the SHL, Hunter was able to get a feeling for the world of competitive hockey and then even stepped into a manager position before deciding to take a shot at the VHL. While it is a different beast here, Hunter believes that he will be able to adapt and use his experience to give him somewhat of an advantage over players in his draft class and around the league as well.

 

But of course, not everything about the veteran is a pro.

 

PHYSICALITY

 

Being 32 years old and committing to playing in a league for the next couple of seasons is a strange choice, especially when you have much stronger and faster athletes around you. While Kurtis promises that he will be able to compete with whomever, it will take some proving on the ice to make sure he gets his message across. The older player isn’t good when it comes to his strength or checking after taking years away from the game. He’s often pushed off the puck or exploited in situations so even when he has a fantastic game, his +/- is often a concern.

 

While Hunter does have to work on his physical play a bit more, the Wolverhampton native believes he has all the opportunity in the world to compete in the VHL. So far this season has been fantastic for the Wild, and if Hunter continues to give the effort that he has thus far, it’s possible he will step into the VHL with a Founder’s Cup under his résumé as well. 

[RoughHands 31]

Not often does a team have a chance to draft a player with veteran status. Interesting approach and I look forward to seeing where Hunter is selected in the draft this year. 

[Toast 887]

Really, he shouldn't even be allowed in the Entry Draft. But screw logic! Best of luck in your draft.

[HawksFan19 89]

Content: 5/5

 

Good job talking about your player's skills and not his back story. 

 

Grammar: 1/1

 

Nothing!

 

Appearance: 1/1

 

Great!

 

Over 500 words?:

 

809 words.

 

FINAL: 8/8

[James 77]

Claimed