Ever since Trevor Kuntar was a kid, he’s had an ultra competitive nature.
Back then, the Williamsville, N.Y., native’s driven personality stood out when he engaged in intense mini-hockey stick battles with his younger brother, Cameron.
“A couple of them ended in tears,” Kuntar chuckled. “I always tried to beat him.”
To Trevor’s delight and Cameron’s dismay, the older sibling usually emerged victorious.
“My mom (Faye) always got mad at me,” Kuntar remembered.
Fast forward a decade and the fire within Kuntar remains scorching hot. Except instead of crushing Cameron, an ’03 who now plays for the Buffalo Regals, the 17-year-old is torching opponents as a left wing with the United States Hockey League’s Youngstown Phantoms. In 59 games this season, the 6-0, 184-pounder is tied for fourth on his team in scoring with 36 points (19-17—36).
This comes after a rookie campaign in which he recorded just four points (2-2—4) in 43 contests.
“Last season was a huge learning experience for me,” Kuntar said. “I had to adjust from playing a lot in AAA (with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres) to not playing a lot, and I had to learn how to be mature and mentally tough. I had to understand that there are guys who are bigger and stronger than me, and there are guys who are better, too. I also had to understand my role and what I needed to do, and always stay positive in those situations.”
Kuntar gained the knowledge he needed to thrive in the USHL by observing the older guys who had success.
“I saw how they treated their bodies and how they worked off the ice,” he explained. “They were very mature, and I noticed that they had a confidence to them and never let themselves get down. They were always up and stayed positive and never really had negative moments.”
Kuntar took those lessons and applied them this season.
“Positivity breeds positivity, so I always try to be positive and not get down on myself,” he said. “I just keep playing and go shift by shift, game by game, and keep working as hard as I can every day to get better on and off the ice.”
It’s away from the rink where Kuntar really had to make tremendous strides a year ago since it was his first time living away from home.
“You mature as you get older,” he said. “I learned how to interact with older guys and interact with people the right way. I always try to have a positive impact on people.”
Fortunately for Kuntar, there’s one aspect of life in Ohio that didn’t require a long period of adaptation: the school-hockey balance.
“School is very flexible,” said Kuntar, who attends Ursuline High School in downtown Youngstown and lists history and science as his favorite subjects. “The teachers are flexible, and the work, honestly, isn’t too bad. We come home after practice and get our homework done. On the weekends we usually do our homework on Sundays. If we have long bus trips, we’ll do it in the hotel or on the bus.”
Speaking of trips, when the Phantoms play at home on weekends, Kuntar usually has a pair of special guests in the stands who make the three-hour trek from their residence in Upstate New York: his parents.
He’s appreciative of everything they’ve done for him throughout his life.
When it comes to his mom, he praises her never-wavering support.
“If I have a down game, she’s there for me,” Kuntar stated. “If I play well, she’s there for me. She always picks me up.”
And regardless of whether Kuntar has a good or not-so-good game, he has his dad, Les, to thank since he’s the person responsible for introducing him to hockey.
Les is a former goaltender who played four seasons at St. Lawrence University before enjoying a six-year professional career mostly spent in the minors. In 1993-94, though, he reached the National Hockey League when he appeared in six matches with the Montreal Canadiens.
Eight years after his final game, Les brought his oldest son ice skating for the first time when the little guy was four years old. From that moment on, Trevor took off and began his ascent up the sport’s ranks, suiting up for the Amherst Knights, Regals and Jr. Sabres before advancing to Youngstown.
Trevor particularly recalls his competitive spirit being on full display during his time with the Jr. Sabres.
“My coaches, Jake Brozyna and Ryan Zimmerman, really brought my competitiveness out and inspired me to want to do my best and work as hard as I could,” he said.
All the while, he continued to receive a hockey education from his dad. These crash courses included amusing stories from his playing days as well as enduring words of wisdom.
Kuntar’s favorite tale is about an evening when his father’s team pulled pranks on the rookies during a dinner, or more specifically, dessert.
“The rookies thought they were getting ice cream,” Kuntar recounted. “But instead of ice cream, it was butter with chocolate on it. I thought that was pretty funny. And then the rookies had to pay.”
On a more serious note, Les provided him with scholarly tips that focused on both the mental and physical sides of the sport.
“If I had a bad game, he always said to have a short memory because there’s a new game coming up,” Kuntar revealed. “On the ice, he taught me skills about protecting the puck. He played with some really good hockey players and learned from them, and he passed that on to me.”
Les’ passing of knowledge left its mark on Kuntar, and the left-handed shooter considers puck protect to be his best asset and the component of his game which has improved the most since he entered the USHL.
“I protect the puck really well,” he asserted, “and I can make plays out of the corners and off of the walls.”
The good news for Phantoms fans is they’ll be able to cheer Kuntar on again next season when he returns for his third USHL campaign. His plan after that includes a return back east, where he intends on playing for the Harvard Crimson.
“I really like the coaches. (Head coach) Ted Donato and (assistant coach) Rob Rassey really believed in me and pursued me pretty hard,” Kuntar said. “I couldn’t deny going there. I love the city of Boston. I love the campus. It’s a really good atmosphere and a really good fit for me.”
But before going to New England, Kuntar knows he has business to finish in Youngstown, and that’s to maximize his performance while also doing his part to help the Phantoms capture a Clark Cup championship or two.
“I want to work as hard as I can, get better every day and be the best that I can be,” Kuntar concluded. “And I want to win.”
No surprise there.
