As a high school hockey player, Joe Hunt provided unity and camaraderie inside the locker room every game.
During his four years at Coyle and Cassidy, he was a standout hockey player, leader and teammate.
Hunt, age 49, beloved son of legendary Warriors head softball coach Russell Hunt and his wife Dianne, died unexpectedly on June 11, 2026.
Hunt, who was a 1995 graduate, was a key piece in one of the greatest moments in school history during the winter months leading up to his graduation. Now, a community pays tribute to not only a great athlete, but a special man.
The Taunton native was part of an improbable postseason run in the winter of 1994-95, which put C-C hockey on the map in Massachusetts. David Borges, an assistant coach back then, said that Hunt’s 1995 class was the driving force that brought lifelong respect to the entire school athletic program.
“The 1995 hockey team had a magical run to play in the state finals,” said Bill Tranter, who was the athletic director at Coyle and Cassidy that season. “Joey Hunt, a defenseman, was a leader and played a big role on that team along with best friend Kyle Jacques. They played in three overtime games and had a miraculous comeback vs. East Boston. Joey and Kyle were the heart and soul of the team.”
As a co-captain on the 1995 hockey team, Hunt helped lead the Warriors to their first-ever Massachusetts state finals at the old Boston Garden — an historic game that marked the final state high school championship game played in the legendary arena before it was demolished in the spring of 1998.
“I remember reading one of the Boston papers and they picked Coyle and Cassidy as the dark horse,” recalled Jacques, who led the Warriors in goals (33), assists (43) and points (76) — records that still stand today. “This kind of motivated me to play better. We were seen as some team out of the blue that season.”
Hunt’s contributions were defined by situational leadership and stabilizing the top lines during high-pressure moments — especially in a playoff, overtime thriller against East Boston.
C-C trailed East Boston, 5-2, in the Division 3 Eastern Mass. title game with three minutes remaining in its season. Jacques scored two goals and had an assist to tie the game and send into overtime. The Warriors prevailed, 6-5, in a game which Hunt scored two goals and had three assists.
“I remember in the captain’s meeting earlier in 1994-95 season with Joe Hunt and how we talked about how good we are going to be,” Jacques said. “Just sitting in the locker room that day, the whole team was on a big high during the overtime.”
The Warriors, who played in three overtime playoff games that season, went on to capture their first Eastern Massachusetts championship in school history. C-C fell just short of the ultimate crown, losing to North Middlesex. Hunt’s teammate co-captain Jon Goodreau was one of 40 players in MIAA history who netted three goals in the finals.
Following high school, Hunt completed a post-graduate year at Berkshire School, where he continued to excel in hockey. Hunt dedicated more than 25 years to H&H Machine Co./VSN, a family business founded over 80 years ago by his great-grandfather, Alton H. Hunt Sr. There he worked alongside his father, sisters and uncle.
History of Coyle and Cassidy hockey
It began as a co-ed school called St. Mary’s High School in 1911. Then an all-diocesan boys’ school was built on Summer Street in 1933, named Monsignor Coyle High School in memory of Pastor Coyle.
The girls outgrew St. Mary’s High School and moved to a brand new high school (Bishop Cassidy) off the corner of Hamilton Street in 1963. In 1971, the boys entered the school on Hamilton Street and it became officially known as Coyle and Cassidy High School.
Then there’s hockey, which came a year later. Spearheaded by former head coach Joe Quinn, who founded the ice hockey program in 1972, the Warriors got on the map quickly with his first league title in 1973.
Since 1973, the Warriors captured 23 league titles, including an Eastern Mass. championship and Division 3 finalist in 1995. They have two Division 2 South finalists under their belts as well as being the 2006 Division 2 South champion and state finalist during the “Win for Quinn” year. Over the course of over 20 years from the 90s until 2019, C-C had a record of 357-138-31. The school closed in 2020.
Services for Hunt
Calling hours for Joe Hunt will be held on Tuesday, June 23 from 4-7 p.m. in the Crapo-Hathaway Funeral Home on 350 Somerset Ave in Taunton. A mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, June 24 at 11 a.m. in the Annunciation of the Lord Church, 31 First Street. Relatives and friends are invited to attend directly to the church. Burial to follow in Saint Joseph Cemetery.
Herald News and Taunton Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @Chezsports and TikTok @ssanchezsports.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Remembering Coyle and Cassidy hockey standout Joe Hunt
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