Earlier this season, assistant captain and senior forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine hit a milestone in his career — one hundred games as a Husky. Throughout his time on the Northeastern men’s hockey team, he’s made a memorable name for himself and set his legacy as a leading forward at Northeastern.
His introduction to hockey and the red and black jersey, though, started with his sister.
“My oldest sister [Alex] was kind of a guinea pig with a bunch of different sports and just fell in love with the sport of hockey, and so did my older sister Skylar, who ended up playing here,” Fontaine said. “We were put on skates at a pretty young age.”
Skylar Fontaine played in 178 games and tallied 170 career points before graduating in 2022. She racked up dozens of accolades while on the team, starting a strong legacy for the Fontaine siblings.
Having grown up in a suburban town, Fontaine did not expect to end up in a city. The East Greenwich, Rhode Island native explained that his sister raved about Northeastern, and her experience compelled him to visit.
“It seemed like the place for me,” Fontaine said. “All the coaching staff, everyone here, just seemed like a typical family away from home, so I knew that was the place for me.”
Fontaine played junior hockey for two years in Chicago with the Chicago Steel, putting up 46 goals and 54 assists, and was ranked second all-time in goals for the Steel. After that, he was ready to become a Husky.
“I was really, really scared when I first came here. I was a freshman and didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but everyone was so welcoming and nice,” Fontaine said. “It was so easy to connect with so many people.”
In his rookie season, he was awarded several Hockey East accolades including Rookie of the Week, and was ranked third in Hockey East freshman in points.
“You’re always going to get something from Gunnar, just being the guy that he is,” sophomore forward Cam Lund said. “Me and him have good chemistry out there together. He’s a really good player and smart. You know he’s going to make the right play when he has the puck.”
Fontaine’s second and third seasons included appearances in every Huskies game, tallying up 55 points over the course of two years and leading the team in assists in his sophomore year.
“He’s very intense. Sometimes it takes a little bit to get a chuckle out of him, but there is still a kid inside there, but he is a very serious, driven person,” assistant coach Jason Guerriero said. “He has goals in his head and he wants to be successful as an individual.”
This season, Fontaine earned the role of assistant captain, marking a culmination of years-long dedication and triumph.
“Growing up, I don’t think I’ve ever been a captain or been in a leadership role,” Fontaine said. “Finally being able to be named as an assistant captain is truly special because [my teammates] look up to me and it’s a really cool feeling. It shows that they trust me, and they care about me too.”
Lund emphasized Fontaine is a stellar person, on and off the ice, which makes him the ideal leader.
“A lot of guys have respect for him,” Lund said. “He plays well, and he’s a fun guy to be around. He always brings good energy and he’s a pretty happy and funny person.”
Serving as a leader for the team is something his coaches also admire, and Guerriero spoke to the characteristics that make him a strong player.
“He is one of those kids that is constantly a hard worker. He’s a lead-by-example type of kid that puts a lot of pressure on himself to be the best he can be on the ice all the time,” Guerriero said. “He cares a lot about winning as a team and his own personal performance.”
More importantly, Guerriero said, he’s serious about the game and bold — he has a fierce dedication to being successful.
“He’ll speak up when he needs to speak up, but he has more of the ‘I’m gonna go out there and prove everybody wrong’ type of mindset,” Guerriero said. “He’s constantly just trying to be the best he can to provide another element to our game.”
Off the ice, Fontaine has found his home in Boston and enjoys all it has to offer, including Boston-based movies. His teammates know that he always has plenty of recommendations for movies and music.
“Being in Boston, ‘The Town’ is obviously a great movie,” Fontaine said. “Also, ‘Good Will Hunting.’ I watch a wide variety of movies, so I watch everything.”
Having dedicated over 100 games worth of blood, sweat and tears to the Huskies, Fontaine reflected on his Husky career and the opportunities it offered him.
“Looking back, I’ve never played that many games on a team consecutively,” Fontaine said. “It’s a really special moment, especially being able to celebrate that with people I’ve been here with for so long that are like my brothers now.”
Fontaine gives everything he has to the sport, according to his teammates and coaches. His time at Northeastern has given him four years of cherishable memories and brotherly bonds that last a lifetime.
“Right now I just want to make sure I can play the best I can for my teammates and my coaches to hopefully translate later on to my future,” Fontaine said. “It’s my senior year, I’m taking it game by game and focused on having the best year I can.”
