Garet Hunt: I’ve had the most amazing experience in Fife, I’d love to come back’

But ask Garet Hunt to sum up his time in Kirkcaldy and he will have nothing but praise for the town, his team-mates and the fans.

“I have had the most amazing experience in Fife,”he said. “With everything that has happened I’ve still had a great experience. I have had a great time - loved it, it’s one of the best places I have stayed.

On Tuesday, along with team-mates Ian Scheid and Ethan Hadden, and commercial chief, John Bown, he was on stage at a special evening for season ticket holders, and a night of stories and chat as well as a meet and greet. The turnout blew him away.

“The people here are so supportive - we’ve had such great support from the community, even people who aren’t part of the team back us. The people here are amazing.”

Hunt is steeped in hockey. It has taken him from Canada to Russia, China, Romania and Hungary and on to Fife where, as captain, he sits at the helm of a strong leadership group, one that has now stepped up since the departure of head coach, Jamie Russell.

He said. “We chat and bounce ideas off each other - it is a collective effort. We have a host of leaders in the room.”

Their goal is simple. Finish the season on the highest note possible, take ninth spot off Dundee Stars, and give the fans a winning finale.

“Leave things better than when we arrived” he said. The team of 2024-25, which came perilously close to imploding, posted five wins, The current roster has ten to its credit, and while the play-offs are long gone, no-one is going to be allowed to coast home.

The work ethic that sits at the heart of this team is non negotiable.

“Going through the motions, you won’t be playing here,” said Hunt.

“We know it’s a performance based job, but it is also a career, the only one many of us have known - and we’re proud to play hockey.

“The effort is there. They are battling and skating every game and working so hard. I cannot say enough about this group of players.

“Having an upbeat dressing room is important. It’s how you address the issues - if you are happy, you work hard. Control the controllable - we cannot control what happens outside the room, but we can control our work ethic.” That approach means shutting out the off-ice nonsense which has engulfed the club at times this season, and keeping everyone on the same page.

“It’s tough,” he said, “but there are ups and downs every season. I can’t praise the guys enough.

“With a full roster we were winning games, but we have battled injuries all season, right from an exhibition game when we lost a stud player in Justin Ducharme for the first half of the season. The fact we have had injuries is because guys are going full at it.

“And hockey is a physically tough, demanding sport. We have been right there in many games, but for us to win we have to play a really tight game - 2-1, or 1-0 - and that mindset takes a lot of focus across 60 minutes. A lot of focus, and that is in a very good league too.

“We don’t have the firepower to win games 7-6 or a big shoot out - we had it with Booth and Karlsson here with Josh - so we have to keep it tight to give ourselves a chance to win.”

The closing weekend double header with Stars could be fun - and tasty - with a chance to swap positions even right at the wire as the final buzzer sounds on a season that no-one could have envisaged

When he signed last summer, Hunt could not have imagined being back on the same line as Milan Lucic, 20 years after they were team-mates at Vancouver Giants in the WHL. Lucic went on ice in over 1000 NHL games and lift the Stanley Cup, and is arguably one of the biggest names ever to play in the EIHL.

“We spoke years ago about playing together again one day - so this is a fantastic experience,” said Hunt.

“Right now, Milan is the guy I’d be calling to get information and bounce ideas off. I could not be doing this now without him - to have him in the room is great. It is huge for our leadership team and organisation to have him here. His pulse on the game is unparalleled. He is a consummate professional who keeps himself in great shape.

“He works so hard, and he loves it here with his family. There is so much I can go to him to talk about hockey, life, and his experiences.”

What happens next Hunt admits is above his pay grade - to use the phrase Russell often cited as he navigated throw off-ice ownership decisions which landed on his doorstep.

His off-season schedule is already set, with ice time booked for summer - “there is no real time off, this is a 365-a- day job” - but would he return? “I’d love to come back. There is so much potential to have a great hockey club here.”