Staff file photo / Brian Yauger Youngstown Phantoms forward Trevor Kuntar delivers a hit during a game against Muskegon on Feb. 15, 2020.

Former Youngstown Phantoms forward Trevor Kuntar grew up watching the Buffalo Sabres teams of the mid-to-late-2000s. Players like Ryan Miller, Danny Briere, and Jason Pominville gave him some of his earliest and fondest hockey memories.

In December, Kuntar got to wear the same jersey as those players did when he played in his first career NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks.

“It’s been really special, and I’ve really been cherishing every second of it,” Kuntar said.

At the tail end of July, after the first big wave of free agency had passed, Kuntar got a call from Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. The 24-year-old forward took the deal from Rochester, and after 24 games in Rochester, earned an NHL contract with the Sabres.

One day later, Kuntar awoke from his pregame nap to find out he was getting called up to the Sabres’ roster and would soon be making his NHL debut.

“I was just really trying to soak in every second of it and just really, really enjoy it, because I didn’t know how long I was going to be there,” Kuntar said. “Just being able to experience that and get a little taste of the NHL, and just playing there and stuff. It was just, it was awesome. I really was just kind of soaking in every second of it.”

Kuntar returned to Rochester after that game, where he continues to be an offensive threat, sitting at fourth on the team in points and is the Americans’ second-leading goal-scorer.

The forward’s two seasons in Providence, the Boston Bruins’ AHL affiliate, were a challenge. His first professional season (2023-24) was his most productive, with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists). After last season, the Bruins, who drafted him in the third round in 2020, opted not to offer him a contract. But Kuntar’s time in Youngstown prepared him for tough stretches like this, and got him eager to prove himself when he got his next shot with a team.

Kuntar’s first season, 2017-18, wasn’t a fruitful one, finishing with just four points. But the Buffalo native was one of the USHL’s best forwards in his second and third seasons with the Phantoms before moving on to Boston College.

“My first year in Youngstown was really tough as a 16-year-old, and I went through a lot of adversity. But my coaches there, they helped me through it, and they had a plan for me,” Kuntar said. “I think just getting through that first year where I had four points (was important.) The next year, I had almost 40, and then the following year I was top of the league. Looking back at last year in Providence, I think that was a really hard year for me, but I’ve gotten out of a situation like that before. I always say that you have to have faith and believe in yourself, and I know that for me, personally, I feel like there’s nothing that’s going to stop me from achieving my dreams. Just being able to go through that adversity just gives you that much more confidence that there really is nothing that can stop you.”

Now, Kuntar is in the midst of his best season as a pro yet. In 34 games with the Americans, Kuntar has 19 points (11 goals, 9 assists).

Kuntar credits his linemates and coaching staff for making the transition to a new organization an easy one. His own quiet confidence handled the rest.

“I’ve had fun, a lot of success with my linemates, but I think the coaches, they believed in me. Our head coach, Mike Leone, he said he was gonna give me an opportunity and believed in me. He told me that it’s up to me to take that opportunity and run with it, and I feel like that’s all I was looking for,” Kuntar said. “I knew I had that ability, and it was just kind of, I just needed a place where I could go and showcase it. I’m so thankful that they gave me that opportunity. It’s more than that. They really helped me in different areas of my game too this year. I’ve been trusting them and also just having a lot of fun and really enjoying this opportunity.”

Kuntar knows that even if he’s made his NHL debut, there’s still more to achieve. His next goal is to become an NHL regular and establish himself as a staple in his hometown team’s lineup.

“It’s my goal to play in the NHL and to be a star in the NHL,” Kuntar said. “I want to take every day to get better. It’s a dream of mine to have a long NHL career. (Making my debut) was extra motivation, and it’s exciting and something to really work toward.”