Gunnarwolfe Fontaine has taken the United States Hockey League by storm.
The 18-year-old Chicago Steel forward was tied for eighth in the circuit in rookie scoring this season with 37 points (18-19-37) in 53 games. He also has one of the most attention-grabbing given names in hockey.
“There’s not a huge story behind it,” the East Greenwich, R.I., native revealed. “My mom (Deb Tancrell) originally just wanted to call me Wolfe; she thought it would be a cool name. Somehow it became Gunnarwolfe. It helps me stick out as a player.”
His name is a hit among fans of the movie “D2: The Mighty Ducks” since it’s a combination of Team Iceland’s head coach, Wolf Stansson, and ace player, Gunnar Stahl.
Fontaine wasn’t aware of this fact until a fan tweeted it, but he sure enjoyed it.
“It was really funny when I saw that,” he chuckled.
Fortunately for Steel fans, they’ve heard his name on a consistent basis this season when goals are announced. One game that stands above the rest was the matchup vs. the Youngstown Phantoms on Jan. 11 when, as part of a four-point night, he recorded the only Steel hat trick this season. The momentous occasion was capped by his overtime tally, which pushed Chicago’s home winning streak to seven contests.
“That was easily one of my best games this year,” Fontaine said. “It was a great feeling, especially the third goal coming in overtime. That was the cherry on top.”
And because of his nose for the net, the club is poised to make some noise in the Clark Cup playoffs.
Listed as 5-feet-8, 165 pounds, Fontaine has thrived despite his short stature by using his speed and smarts to gain an advantage against bigger opponents. He also feels he’s stronger than his measurements indicate.
“I’m a smaller guy, but I still have some weight to me,” he said. “I believe I’m pretty strong for my size.”
His toughest challenge as a first-year USHLer was playing against those larger and more experienced players. It didn’t take him long to overcome that obstacle, though.
“I was second-guessing myself going into a corner with a 20-year-old who’s a foot taller than me,” Fontaine recalled. “I didn’t want to lose the battle; I wanted to make the right play. When you’re new to a team, especially in the USHL where after a couple mistakes you could see yourself either scratched or just not playing, you always want to make sure you’re winning those battles, so I had that going through my mind. But I got more comfortable, and being smarter and faster than they are makes it easier.”
Speaking of his intellect, Fontaine feels one of his most improved skills this season has been the way he thinks the game, especially in the defensive zone.
Said the left-handed shooter: “Our coaches — (head coach) Greg Moore, (associate head coach) Brock Sheahan, (assistant coach) Mike Garman — have been great, and with the help of (player development consultants) Darryl Belfry and Adam Nicholas, they’ve helped me think everything so much better. Defensively, Greg has made a strong point of that with me because I’m a very offensive player, but my defensive game was lacking. My defensive game has grown tremendously this year — my tenacity on the puck in the ‘D’ zone, making sure I don’t lose my guy and making sure I know where everyone is in the ‘D’ zone.”
Fontaine also credits the coaching staff, as well as his teammates, for helping him make a seamless transition to junior hockey.
“Everything put together has made me feel comfortable,” he said. “My teammates have shown me the way, and the coaches have put me in good spots and shown me what I need to improve, which really helps.”
One particular player who’s aided him is 19-year-old Neil Shea (Marshfield, Mass.). The two of them were linemates — along with Steel teammate Sam Colangelo (Stoneham, Mass.) — last season at Lawrence Academy.
“Neil’s an older guy who’s been doing really well, too,” Fontaine said. “He keeps me cool. If I’m getting mad he pulls me aside and calms me down.”
Last year, Fontaine, Shea and Colangelo helped Lawrence capture the Piatelli/Simmons small-school championship.
“Winning that, especially in overtime, was an amazing feeling,” reminisced Fontaine, who scored two goals in the title game, including the championship-clinching marker in the extra session. “I hadn’t won a championship with my team like that, ever.”
The glorious run also provided Fontaine with valuable knowledge about how to handle himself in high-pressure matches, which is going to occur on the regular once the playoffs commence.
“I learned in high-pressure games that you have to stick to your game and not try to do too much,” he explained. “I’ve been carrying that over here with the Steel. Doing too much might not be best because you could be out of position and then the puck could go in your own net. Just keep your cool and make sure you’re doing your job, and know that your teammates are going to do the same thing.”
Fontaine has been able to excel in those types of games — and all kinds of contests, for that matter — because of the lessons he’s learned from his coaches throughout his budding career.
For example, Lawrence coach Robbie Barker (Concord, N.H.) taught him that the team always comes first. “It doesn’t matter how well you’re doing, as long as the team is doing well,” Fontaine said. “He also stressed brotherhood. He wanted our team to be connected, and we were. He was great and really helped me a lot during the year.”
Another bench boss who left an eternal mark on him is former National Hockey League right wing and Hingham, Mass., native Tony Amonte, his youth coach with the South Shore Kings.
“He was one of the best coaches I’ve ever had with the way he coaches the game and the way he interacts with the players,” Fontaine said of the fiery Amonte. “He can really light a fire under your butt and make you want to run through a wall. It’s amazing.”
Equally amazing is the athletic talent that runs in Gunnarwolfe’s family.
His grandfather Norman Tancrell played baseball at Providence College and nearly made it to Major League Baseball.
“He had a chance to sign with the Cleveland Indians, but he chose to go to the Navy,” Fontaine said.
His mom played softball at Slippery Rock University.
“My mom playing softball really pushed me to work hard because she told me all her stories about how she took ground balls from her dad and worked to get to where she wanted to go,” Fontaine said. “She taught me work ethic, and to have fun while doing it, of course.”
In the hockey world, his oldest sister, Alex Tancrell-Fontaine, 26, played four years at Union College as a defenseman. His other sister, Skylar Fontaine, 20, is in her sophomore season at Northeastern University and is also a blueliner.
He’s developed a sibling rivalry with Skylar.
“We always butt heads because my mom compares us,” Fontaine chuckled. “She’ll say, ‘Your sister scored a goal today. Are you going to score?’ We compare each other and try to beat each other.”
Alex, who’s now a coach of the girls varsity ice hockey team at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass., gives her brother and sister tips and does her best to keep them levelheaded. She’s also the person responsible for introducing them to hockey, and her work ethic, like her mom’s, has left an imprint in Gunnarwolfe’s mind.
“Watching Alex grow up, she wasn’t very good, but she shot over 100 pucks a day in the summer and worked to get to college,” he said. “It was unreal watching her do everything and then having her goal come true. Work ethic was one of the biggest things I saw with her, and making sure you’re doing what you need to do to get where you want to go.”
Before Fontaine moves on to his next place, he’s committed to suiting up for the Steel again next season. And during the summer, after what he hopes is a Clark Cup championship run, he intends on continuing to follow in his family’s footsteps by working at his peak level to elevate his game.
“I’m going to focus on getting stronger in the weight room, so when I go into a corner with a kid who’s bigger than me, I can push him around, too,” Fontaine asserted. “I’m not going to just take the blows. I’m also going to work on being faster and being a better all-around player in the ‘D’ zone and with putting up more points.”
It’s safe to say the Gunnarwolfe storm is far from over.
