Mark Hunter is a former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over a decade. He was born on November 12, 1962, in Petrolia, Ontario, Canada. Hunter began his hockey career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Brantford Alexanders in 1979. He played for the team for two seasons before being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.
Hunter made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in the 1981-82 season. He played in 12 games for the team before being traded to the St. Louis Blues. Hunter played for the Blues for four seasons and was known for his physical play and scoring ability. He scored a career-high 44 goals in the 1985-86 season and was named to the NHL All-Star Game.
In 1989, Hunter was traded to the Calgary Flames. He played for the Flames for three seasons and was a key player on the team that won the Stanley Cup in 1989. Hunter scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens.
After his time with the Flames, Hunter played for the Hartford Whalers and Washington Capitals before retiring in 1993. He finished his NHL career with 323 goals and 697 points in 746 games.
After retiring from playing, Hunter became a scout for the Washington Capitals. He later joined the London Knights of the OHL as the team's general manager. Under his leadership, the Knights won two OHL championships and one Memorial Cup championship.
In 2014, Hunter was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs as the team's director of player personnel. He was later promoted to assistant general manager in 2016. Hunter played a key role in the team's rebuild and was responsible for drafting several key players, including Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
In 2019, Hunter left the Maple Leafs to become the general manager of the London Knights. He also serves as the team's vice president of hockey operations.
Overall, Mark Hunter had a successful hockey career as a player and has continued to have success as a scout and executive. He is known for his physical play and scoring ability as a player and his ability to identify and develop talent as a scout and executive.
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