Bronson Hunt joins twin brother as DI men’s hockey team’s third spring recruit

Bronson Hunt St. Cloud Norsemen — Bronson Hunt scored 36 goals and distributed 60 assists in 105 games over three seasons at Northstar Christian Academy from 2020-23 before netting 13 goals and setting up 25 others in 70 games over the past season and a half with the NAHL's St. Cloud Norsemen.

Less than a week after Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team signed forward Tanner Hunt for the spring semester, the Flames received a commitment from his twin brother Bronson Hunt, a 5-foot, 11-inch, 175-pound center also from Long Beach, N.Y.

After playing the last three years of his high school career with his brother and defenseman Shane Burns — who is also transferring to Liberty for the spring semester — at Northstar Christian Academy in Alexandria, Minn., Bronson Hunt started this season on the same NAHL St. Cloud (Minn.) Norsemen team as Tanner before rehabilitating from a shoulder injury and finishing 2025 with the BCHL's Smoke Eaters in Trail, British Columbia.

"I was in the right place at the right time, and it kind of just worked out," said Bronson Hunt, who toured Liberty with Tanner and their parents in early December. "I met a few of the guys, and they were great."

He finalized his commitment on Sunday as the Flames were on their way to Finland for their third outreach trip to the country in seven years.

"I wanted to take the opportunity to go to college and Liberty was a great place to do it," Hunt said. "I was attracted to the atmosphere and wanted to get started as soon as possible rather than later."

He chose to join the Flames rather than return to the Smoke Eaters based on the rapidly changing landscape of Junior and collegiate hockey.

"My decision to leave Juniors early was tough for some to understand," Hunt said. "I had coaches and advisors ask me why I am not riding this out for my best opportunity, but for me, Liberty is the perfect opportunity. Everything about Liberty was attractive to me — the campus, the culture, the team, the staff, and the facilities."

He said every step along his career path up to this point has prepared him for the move to the collegiate ranks with the Flames.

"It has been a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and ups and downs to get to this level," Hunt said. "For me now, it's not about some status, label, or constantly raising the bar of the level I play at. For me, personally, now it is about the experience and what I am going to get out of it as a person, and when I compared opportunities, even really high-level ones, Liberty just stuck out as the best on all levels."

While en route from British Columbia, Canada, to New York City during a long day of travel on Monday, Hunt learned that he will be thrown into the mix with the Flames more quickly than he could have anticipated. He will join his brother and new teammates Wednesday in Finland after taking a direct flight to Helsinki out of JFK late Tuesday night.

"I am super stoked to get the opportunity to go to Finland and join the Flames there," Hunt said. "It was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I look forward to playing some hockey and doing the Lord's work overseas."

He hopes to be able to join Liberty for its first exhibition game against the HPK Ice Dogs on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST in Hämeenlinna. He will definitely be on hand when the Flames challenge a collegiate-level team of FCAA All-Stars on Saturday at 11 a.m. EST in Vantaa, streamed live on pay-per-view SolidSport, and then Näädät, a team from Aalto University, Sunday at 10 a.m. EST at Metro Areena in Espoo.

Like his twin brother, Bronson Hunt hopes to make an immediate and lasting impact on the Flames' success this season and over the next few years, while benefiting from the holistic development approach Liberty Hockey is known for in training mind, body, and spirit.

Liberty has a new pair of twins in town, Bronson and Tanner Hunt.

"It will definitely be nice to be playing with Tanner and Shane again," he said. "We work together well and always have. I hope to come in and be a positive influence in the locker room and on the ice and help in any way that I can. They can rely on me up front, where I'll play whatever role the team needs me to."

He said while he and Tanner are fraternal twins — and they both started skating at age 5 in South Carolina before relocating to New York and taking up surfing off the coast of Long Island — their games are quite different.

"Tanner's a great leader, and he's very vocal on the ice," Bronson Hunt said. "I hope to lead by example. I'm definitely more of a skilled player, more of a point-getter, and I am faster. He's definitely more of an enforcer, a greater power forward."

Both brothers are Boston Bruins fans — their dad grew up in Massachusetts and played rugby and recreational hockey — and pattern their games after Brad Marchand, a long-time Bruins forward who led the Florida Panthers to their Stanley Cup title defense last season.

"We are both hard-working, passionate players with a little grit to our games," Bronson Hunt said.

Like his brother, he was positively impacted by his time in Minnesota working with FCA Hockey Director Rick Randazzo, Lead On-Ice Instructor Tim Jackman, and Strength Coach Josh Freitas, who are now based in Lynchburg, Va.

"I really found Christ when I was going to Northstar Christian Academy, and those are some of my closest mentors," Bronson Hunt said. "They've taught me a lot of what I know, and I am looking forward to being close together with them, being able to develop with them on and off the ice and in my faith as well."

At Liberty, Hunt plans to pursue his B.S. in Business Administration — Real Estate Management through the School of Business, before possibly returning to New York City, where real estate is at a premium.

"I am looking forward to that, though I would like to see where the game takes me first," he said.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer

Bronson Hunt Norsemen in front of goal — Bronson Hunt is a Swiss Army knife-type player at center, with the versatility to play in a variety of offensive roles for the Flames.

Liberty University Club Sports Athletics

Bronson Hunt joins twin brother as DI men’s hockey team’s third spring recruit

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