News

MATTHEW HUNTER NAMED WINNER OF 2023-24 BOB BOUCHER HOCKEY ASSISTANCE FUND SCHOLARSHIP

From the MHL:

Truro, N.S. (September 3, 2024) – The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is proud to announce Matthew Hunter of the Amherst Ramblers as the winner of the Bob Boucher Hockey Assistance Fund (BBHAF) Scholarship for the 2023-24 season.

The late Mr. Boucher was a coach and executive, working at levels ranging from Nova Scotia Intermediate to the NHL over the course of his long career. He coached the St. Mary’s (SMU) Huskies for 13 years and led the team to the National Championship game in four consecutive seasons from 1970 to 1973. In total, his Huskies teams captured seven AUS championships. Mr. Boucher was inducted into the SMU Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. The scholarship was established in his name several years ago by a number of Mr. Boucher’s former players as a means to support students within the game who have displayed exceptional scholastic achievements.

Hunter is enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program at Mount Allison University with Honours in Economics. Since beginning his studies in the Fall of 2021, the 21-year-old from Amherst, N.S. had a 4.0 grade-point average for the Fall of 2023 and a cumulative GPA of 3.9. He has made the Dean’s List at Mount Allison on multiple occasions and has received numerous scholarships due to his exceptional studies. Hunter was also the recipient of the 2022-23 MHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award.

Mount Allison University Professor of Economics Craig Brett says, “More than just an outstanding student, Matthew is an exemplary mentor. In addition to his duties as teaching assistant for one of our first-year courses, he works at our Econ Help Centre, which provides one-on-one assistance to students in all our introductory courses. He is also a fixture in our Econ Zone, a work area where students collaborate, compare notes, and offer advice to each other and to more junior students.”

“Matthew has been a role model to numerous children and adults in Amherst,” says Ramblers Head Coach Phil Fife. “He attends countless community events and is always the first player on our team to volunteer his time. Whether it’s attending schools, playing and reading with children, or helping with a local hockey team, Matthew is always out in the community volunteering his time.”

The MHL and the Bob Boucher Hockey Assistance Fund congratulate Matthew Hunter on this scholarship, which will be presented at a date to be determined during the 2024-25 season.

Previous winners of the Bob Boucher Hockey Assistance Fund Scholarship:

    • 2022-23 – Zach Bishop (Fredericton Red Wings)
    • 2021-22 – Bryce Thomson (Grand Falls Rapids)
    • 2020-21 – Chris McQuaid (Summerside Western Capitals)
    • 2019-20 – Drew Toner (Grand Falls Rapids)
    • 2018-19 – Gabriel Vanier (Edmundston Blizzard)
    • 2017-18 – Luke MacMillan (Truro Bearcats)
    • 2016-17 – Sam Cameron (Woodstock Slammers)
    • 2015-16 – Thomas Stavert (Summerside Western Capitals)
    • 2014-15 – Lucas Sangster (Amherst Ramblers)