In the 2025-26 season, freshman forwards Bronson and Tanner Hunt each earned a spot on the Liberty University Men’s Division I Hockey roster, but what makes their story so special is that this set of twins has played hockey by each other’s side since they were 7 years old.
“My parents put me in a little house league back in my hometown and I fell in love with it,” Bronson said. “Me and my brother kept showing up and it was our favorite thing to do.”
The brothers said their parents played a key role in their development in the sport. The sacrifices and devotion had a major influence on them.
“My parents were a huge part in my hockey career. I would (not) be anywhere without them that I am now,” Bronson said. “Whether it was driving me after school to practice or picking me up, they made a lot of sacrifices for me and my siblings, and I can’t say enough about them.”
While they’ve played together for most of their lives, they spent a brief period competing in different countries during their junior hockey years. Bronson played for the Trail Smoke Eaters in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and Tanner played for the St. Cloud Norsemen in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
“It was different,” Bronson said. “We’ve never really been separate before for that long of a period, so that was definitely interesting. I think it was really good for the both of us to branch off individually and do our own things, but I think it’s funny how God works and brings us right back together in a cool spot like Liberty.”
The time playing separately in junior hockey was a unique experience for the twins and helped prepare them to play at Liberty.
“It teaches you a lot,” Bronson said. “You grow a lot of good habits, and it’s really fast and a good pace. The level that both me and my brother played at were really good levels.”
Playing together has benefited both brothers, allowing them to sharpen each other’s skills on the ice and improve their game as they navigate collegiate level hockey.
“We work really well together, and I think that’s what makes us so good,” Bronson said. “We can read off each other a lot and make some good plays. We both enjoy doing the same things on the ice, whether it’s mucking it up in the corner or making some sweet, skilled plays, we both have the same mindset, and I think that’s why we work well together. There’s no one I’d rather play with on the ice.”
The atmosphere and the competitiveness of the hockey program at Liberty played a major part in the decision to come to Lynchburg.
“We came on our tour and just fell in love with the place,” Bronson said. “It was really hard to say no, and so we just wanted to come in and make the most of it and bring a national championship to this program who completely deserves it and do the best we can.”
Another thing that contributed to the Hunt brothers choosing to play hockey at Liberty is the student culture and the energy that comes with playing at the LaHaye Ice Center.
“I think the student life is a big aspect of why people make the decision to come here,” Bronson said. “You have such a good group of people supporting you every night. You have 3,000 or more fans coming to support you, so that’s also a big reason why we chose to come here.”
The transition from the junior level into the collegiate system is also something Bronson said they’re still adapting to and that they hope to help contribute quickly to success at Liberty.
“Coming here and using those skills to transition to the club level and make a big impact I think is really important for the both of us,” Bronson said. “We’re still trying to find our game. Things are different everywhere you go, of course.”
The two have a long career ahead of them as Flames and look forward to learning and growing on and off the ice.
Gibson is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.