Hunter Holmes playing in university hockey championship

When the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s hockey championships take place this Saturday in Windsor, a key element in the Lancers’ chance to win at home will be Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Hunter Holmes. 

The 23-year-old graduate of St. Davids Public School and A.N. Myer Secondary School is in his second year with the Lancers, who will face the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres Patriotes at 7:30 p.m. for the title. 

Having previously spent a season and a half playing with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Quebec Ramparts, Holmes is quite aware of the style of play the Patriotes will bring to the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex. He’ll face some of his former teammates this weekend.

“They play a very different style of hockey than us,” Holmes says on the phone from the Windsor apartment he shares with his girlfriend, Emma. “They’re small, they’re fast, they’re younger. They’re a run-and-gun skill team, and we’re much bigger and older. But they’re coming to our rink, where we know all the bounces.”

The Lancers finished second in the OUA regular season after losing their final two games 6-2 to the Lakehead Thunderwolves and 5-3 to Western. They knocked off the Brock Badgers in two straight in the quarter-finals, then won two out of three against the first place Thunderwolves, having to play the final two games in Thunder Bay. 

“They’re 18 hours away, you have to fly to play them,” Holmes says. “That makes it tough. And there’s not a lot else to do in Thunder Bay, so they pack their rink. They had more than 3,500 people for both games. They treat it like it’s a big deal. It’s a big event, it’s hard to win there.”

The human kinetics major’s stint with the Lancers follows a successful junior hockey career, with three and a half years playing for the Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds and then his stint with the Ramparts. In 190 games with Flint, Holmes had 29 goals and 64 points, while he added another 13 goals and 31 points in 60 games playing out of Quebec City. 

“There were things I liked better about Flint, and things I liked better about Quebec,” he says. “The tradition in Quebec City is honestly second to none in the entire CHL (Canadian Hockey League). The fans love the Ramparts, they have a brand new NHL-ready arena. They pack in 8,000 people minimum a night. It was first class, an unbelievable experience.”

With the Ramparts, Holmes was coached by Montreal Canadiens legend Patrick Roy. 

“That was pretty cool,” Holmes says. “He was a really good guy. When it was game time, he was intense. Once the puck dropped his alter-ego came out. We were a pretty good team, so we didn’t see that side of him too much. I enjoyed playing for him, and he seemed to like me.”

Like many former OHL and QMJHL players who follow that experience playing university hockey, Holmes had to adjust last year in his first season with Windsor. 

“It’s a lot different than junior,” he agrees. “In some cases you’re playing with guys who are six years older than you. There’s an adjustment period. Guys are bigger and stronger in this league. They play a different style of hockey.”

Many say the OUA is one of the best-kept secrets in hockey. Many former OHL players who don’t get noticed by pro teams end up playing university hockey.

“If you’re not going pro, this is where you go,” says Holmes. “There’s great talent coming out of the OHL, and there’s guys who play Tier II, who hope to go to the NCAA (U.S. College) but that doesn’t work, so they find their way here. The teams are just packed with really good players. There’s plenty of guys who come out of this league who go on to play pro hockey.” 

Holmes suffered a dislocated shoulder last year, leaving him on the sidelines for much of the season. The Lancers finished first in the regular season but lost in the first round of the playoffs. 

“This year, I just felt a bit more confident in my game,” he adds. “When you’re playing with a great team, and great players, and you’re winning, it’s easy to produce and get points.”

Holmes is carrying a full schedule of five courses. With the travel being a member of the varsity hockey team requires, that sometimes makes that challenging. But he’s good at buckling down and getting his work done when his professors don’t offer him deadline extensions. 

He chose the University of Windsor partly because of its strong Human Kinetics program, and partly because Emma, a Michigan native, was completing a Masters degree there. 

He is intent on finishing his degree and perhaps applying to teacher’s college following that. But the oldest son of Chuck and Maryellen Holmes hasn’t ruled out a pro career in the future. 

“I’ve definitely always had the mindset that I want to get my degree before I do that,” Homes insists. “I have one more year and then, who knows? You have to do all the leg work yourself, it’s difficult. But if the opportunity presents itself, that would definitely be something I would consider.”

In December, Holmes’ younger brother Owen caught on with the nearby Leamington Flyers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, for whom he has scored 21 points in 20 games. 

“I went to watch him play once, but we both play Fridays and Saturdays so it’s hard,” Holmes tells The Local. “But he’s coming Saturday with my mom to watch the finals. I’ve seen him a handful of times, and I hadn’t seen him play in such a long time. It’s cool to have him so close, only 30 minutes away.” 

Cole, the youngest of the three boys, is playing hockey in NOTL this year. He is on the Wolves Under-18 travel team, heading into the playoffs. 

After the OUA championship game the Lancers will be flying out to Prince Edward Island for the U-Sports Canadian championships. The top two teams in each division get a berth in that tournament, but winning this weekend would give them a higher seeding there. 

Because Windsor competes in a different division than the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, Saturday’s championship will be the first time the two teams have met all year. 

“I think we have a pretty good chance,” Holmes says. “I think we have the best goalie in the league, so that should help. I think if we play our game, be physical and smart, and take our chances when we get them, we should do well. If we counter their run-and-gun style with good defence, you never know what will happen.”