KUNTAR ‘SUPER HONORED’ TO FOLLOW IN FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS
Second generation Amerk excited for fresh start in Rochester
Jul 31, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
For the first time in 28 years, the name Kuntar will be stitched across the back of a Rochester Americans jersey. In July, the team announced the signing of free agent forward Trevor Kuntar to a one-year AHL contract entering the 2025-26 season.
Kuntar, 24, will now wear the same jersey his father, Les, wore during the 1996-97 season, becoming the seventh father-son duo in Amerks franchise history.
“I'm super honored to be a part of this organization,” said Kuntar. “Especially having my dad play there. He was my role model growing up, so it's just super special. It's definitely a full circle moment for him.”
Les was a goaltender for the Amerks following the team’s Calder Cup victory in 1996. Under then-head coach John Tortorella, Les appeared in 21 games for an Amerks squad that would go on to capture the Empire State Division title. He posted a 6-9-3 record alongside goaltending partners in Steve Shields and Frederic Deschenes.
Stopping pucks was Les’s job. Trevor’s younger brother, Cameron, is also a goaltender, currently at the collegiate level at Chatham University. But when Trevor saw the puck, he chose to shoot it, not stop it.
“I am not (a goalie) because I was put in the net when I was like five years old and I started trying to play out and skate the other way and that was that. I was playing out dressed in goalie equipment.”
So why did Cameron decide to be a goaltender like his dad?
“I think he's a goalie because I threw him in the net,” laughed the senior Kuntar.
The two brothers grew up playing with KeyBank Center in the shadows of their home. Being from Buffalo, Trevor grew up a diehard Sabres fan.
“Those years when I was a kid watching guys like (Ryan) Miller, (Danny) Briere, (Jason) Pominville were some of the best years. It was cool being able to go to games and watch those guys and idolize them.”
Even though Kuntar idolized the Sabres from yesteryear, no player was ever held in as high regard as his father. Les played six seasons professionally, but all of them came before Trevor was born.
“I just think as I got a little bit older, especially like going into elementary school when I looked up to the Sabres and my dad would tell me that he played and he was at this level. It was like an ‘oh, wow’ moment. This is pretty cool. Especially from a really young age. Just to have him as a role model has been so helpful for me and he’s definitely someone I lean on in all these situations that I've been through.”
Les was among 10 different teams during his journeyman career, but Rochester is just the second team the second-generation Kuntar finds himself on at the pro level. After being drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2020, Trevor spent the past two seasons with Providence. A 20-point (10+10) rookie campaign was followed by a sophomore slump, as Kuntar posted three goals and 12 points in 16 fewer games than the season prior.
“My stats last year don’t show it, but I know I can produce and put the work in to be able to do it.”
By the end of his second season, Kuntar could easily be labeled as a depth forward. In Rochester under head coach Michael Leone, those were often the players that thrived the most last season. The Graham Slaggert’s and Brendan Warren’s of the world posted career highs and saw an increase in minutes and opportunities.
“Just seeing that with those guys that were able to show their versatility and be given that opportunity I think is awesome. It’s something I'm really looking forward to. It's just going to be really fun to get that opportunity and show people what I can do, because I just feel like I haven't really had much of an opportunity to show what I'm fully capable of at this level.”
Kuntar’s prove-it situations in the past have worked out. He was given an increased role with USHL-Youngstown in 2019-20 when given a letter. The result: a top-10 finish in league scoring with a 53-point (28+25) showing.
His first year at Boston College saw Kuntar amass 10 points. Two years later, he was third in team scoring with 13 goals and 29 points.
The Buffalo native has the ability to score but fits the Leone/Amerks mold of being gritty, having already logged 189 penalty minutes over his first two professional seasons.
“You're getting a guy who teams love to have on their team, but also the guy that guys hate to play against. I’m a good two-way power forward who can produce and play hard and get under the other team’s skin. I'm pretty excited to just keep growing into that role and kind of owning it.”
It was his third year in Youngstown that saw Kuntar’s best junior season. His third year at Boston College was an NCAA-best for the centerman. His first year in Rochester will be his third in pro hockey.
Trevor, sharing the same name as his father and former Amerk, Les, will look to hope third time’s the charm yet again.
