Andrew Hunt smiles and chuckles about his nickname, Optimistic Prime.

“I thought it was pretty funny,” says Hunt of the name given to him by BWC Academy Midget Prep head coach Maco Balkovec. “I just try to be a positive influence with my teammates and on the ice.”

The name is a play off the leader from Transformers. Balkovec believes that describes Hunt’s character.

“You won’t find a guy who loves life more, who loves playing hockey, loves being with the guys, is more positive than him,” says Balkovec. “He never fails in his comments to always be positive.”

In his letter recommending Hunt as the first Canadian Sport School Hockey League Humanitarian of the Year Award winner, Balkovec wrote his assistant captain is one of the most genuine people he has ever met.

“Andrew lights up a room with his warm and ebullient personality.”

While talking about the nickname, Balkovec says laughing, when he first met Hunt he wondered what’s going on with him.

“Is he really being serious. Is he really being truthful with how positive he is?”

Balkovec has seen that Hunt’s personality is infectious.

From a very young age Hunt was encouraged by his parents, especially his mom, to help where he can.

“She hates it when she thinks people are in pain or suffering,” says Hunt, 18. “She is all about giving back. It started from the beginning. In Kindergarten, you always have to share.”

There was also the lesson of including people into groups, which brought up a memory.

“I was in Kindergarten and there was a new kid and no one knew him. I just invited him over and I introduced him to everybody. Integrated him into the group. He ended up being one of my greatest friends.”

Since then Hunt has done much more and it led to him being the CSSHL Humanitarian of the Year Award winner. Hunt got his teammates involved making up gift packs of food and clothing and delivering them to the Vancouver Rescue Mission. He organized a Breast Cancer Awareness drive and created a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society with the team itself raising nearly $1,000. He also organized a fundraiser for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning awareness and involved teammates in a discussion of inclusion and ridding hockey of homophobic slurs.

Hunt says taking action to help people or bring awareness to issues is amazing and gives them perspective.

Hunt, who moved to Vancouver from the Sunshine Coast, said the Vancouver Rescue Mission hit home.

“Just because what people ask for and what they need. It’s just the bare bones,” he says. “Shampoo, underwear. Things we take for granted. Last year at Christmas time we brought food down to East Hastings, which is a rough area in Vancouver. Seeing how they are cold and it’s wet. It’s not a nice life. It really opens the eyes for sure.”

When asked what his team gained, Hunt comes back to perspective, but also developing people skills.

“This academy is more than just hockey. We’re not just going to the academy to learn hockey,” he stressed. “(We’re here) to learn how to be good humans. I think they do a great job here of teaching us how to do that.”

Hunt feels because of the caliber of talent in the CSSHL, the players are lucky and if they can all pay it forward, it creates a ripple effect. Maybe those people they helped can pay it forward.

“They see us doing it and the world becomes a better place,” he added. “It reflects back on BWC and the CSSHL as a whole.”