Meet Hunter Yanick
Fort Saskatchewan U15AAA (AEHL)
“5’9” 140 Pounds
2007 DOB-Forward
Tell us about your hometown, family and hobbies.
My hometown is Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. This is where I was born and raised, and I currently still reside in Fort Saskatchewan.
My family consists of my mom – Heather Yanick, my dad – Brad Yanick, my younger brother – Parker Yanick, and my two furry feline friends – Indio and Bella. I am also very lucky to have additional family support that live in Fort Sask, which are my grandparents from both my mom and my dad’s side.
A few hobbies of mine away from hockey, but are not limited to the following:
- I enjoy playing golf in the summer. My family has a yearly golf membership at the Fort Sask golf course.
- I played rep baseball in the summer, when my team won silver in provincials a few years back.
I enjoy travelling with my family. I have been fortunate to see places like Mexico, Cuba, Panama, and various parts of the U.S.A
How did you originally begin playing hockey (what age as well) and what is your favourite memory from when you were younger?
I started skating lessons at age 3 and haven’t looked back since. I do remember at one point, I had to make a decision between hockey and Ukrainian dance, which was an easy decision for me, but my mom’s thoughts may have been different back then.
My favorite hockey memory from when I was younger was when I scored 7 goals in Initiation hockey. Also being able to play an exhibition game with my novice team at Roger Place in Edmonton.
Who is your favourite NHL player and who do you model your game after? Why?
My two favorite NHL players are Connor McDavid because he is absolutely amazing and Kirby Dach because I look up to his work ethic and he is a local born Fort Sask kid. I try to model and develop my game into a two-way forward like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
What team do/did you play for? What was your favorite part from the season?
In the 2021/22 hockey season, I played for the Fort Saskatchewan U15 AAA Rangers. My most memorable moments of the 2021/22 season were playing in the Okanagan Classic in Kelowna, playing in the John Reid Memorial Tournament in St. Albert, Alberta, and hosting the Alberta Elite Hockey League U15 AAA Provincial Championships to wrap-up our season.
What are your top goals as a student athlete? Why are they your top goals?
I take great pride in my academics and have set high standards for myself to accomplish in school. I want to continue to obtain honours with distinction to finish off my high school years. Obtaining honor marks is very important to me because I know this will pave the path forward which will help my long-term goals into post-secondary schooling. I find that I have a healthy balance between my academics and athletics, which both are equally important to me.
How important is school from your perspective? Why is it that way?
As I mentioned above, school is extremely important to me as hockey is important but my academics will help set up my long term future goals.
What would it mean to you to play at the NCAA or Pro level?
To play at the NCAA or Pro level would be like winning the lottery for me. To reach that type of level in hockey, would be a major accomplishment in anyone’s life.
What separates you as a player or person? How do you continue to get better?
I find as a player I can be best described as hard working, attention to detail, dedication, and have always been advised that I am extremely coachable. I find my organization and attention to detail off the ice equally important as it complements my hockey competencies. My work ethic both on and off the ice is very important to me and am always looking for new ways to train.
What impact are you looking to have in your sports careers (community, team, success, etc.)
I want to continue to develop, turn my weaknesses to strengths, and make players around me better. Whatever team I make, I want to grow as a team and be better than when we started.
One fun fact about yourself.
A fun fact about myself is that when I played competitive baseball, I pitched two no-hitter games in one season. My mom also informed me that when I was 3 years old, I could “wink” with 1 eye.