Once Logan Hunter finished his final season of high school hockey in the spring with Pine Creek, he had a choice to make regarding next season.

After weighing all his options, the Colorado Springs native decided to head to Montana to play junior hockey with the NA3HL’s Butte Irish.

“I had multiple opportunities that had potential, but then my (Front Range Rangers spring hockey) coach Josh Cronk connected me with Coach (Marc) Brodeur and I really liked his approach to the game,” said Hunter. “He is a definite players coach, and I like that in a coach.  

“I have the opportunity to come in to a junior team and battle to get the No. 1 spot and play a lot of games while being able to play in a very competitive division. Hopefully, this gives me the opportunity to advance to the NAHL to continue my advancement in hockey.”

The 2023-24 season for Pine Creek was one that saw Hunter improve his skills in net and his leadership, on and off the ice.

“The team was decent, but the level of compete was not the same throughout the team,” Hunter said. “On a personal level, it was good since I was a captain on the team. I was involved with almost everything and connected with my underclassmen well. This gave me the chance to lead the team, which is rare as a goalie.”

Overall, Hunter finished with a 5-5-0 record with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage.  

It’s those numbers and intangibles that will see him advance to the next level.

“I started playing hockey at the age of five at the CC Jr. Tigers program,” said Hunter. “I actually got started because I went to a CC Tigers college game. My mom got the tickets from work and after watching that, I wanted to play hockey. I grew up in Colorado Springs, so the Tigers and Air Force were the closest to me and influenced me the most. I do love the Avs as well.”

After the Jr. Tigers, Hunter went to the Colorado Rampage. He then started to play goalie and transferred to Green Mountain Falls to work with the program’s dedicated goalie coach.  

“My parents felt it was best for my development in the position,” said Hunter.

Once he finished Squirts, Hunter went back to the Rampage and played up to his second year in Bantams. When he was a freshman in high school, Hunter played varsity with Pine Creek until graduation.  

“The coaches that have influenced me the most have been my high school coaches but mainly my (Pine Creek) head coach Ed Saxer and Josh Cronk,” Hunter said. “I also have two goalie coaches, Ryan Massa and Colin Champine, at MHH that have had a big part of my development. 

“My favorite memories were the outdoor classic game at Palmer Lake that LP put on for the last two years and this season where Pine Creek took home the win and the hardware.” 

Going forward, Hunter has his goals set high.

“The short-term goal is to have a good season at Butte and try to gain interest from coaches in the NAHL,” said Hunter. “The long-term goal is to play D-I hockey somewhere and see what happens after that. 

“School wise, I have a few interests but still up in the air what I want to do once I play my junior seasons.”

— Matt Mackinder

Photo/Justin Crosby 

(July 18, 2024)