Jeff Hunt
| Jeff Hunt | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 17, 1964 Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | One of five owners of the Ottawa 67's and Ottawa Redblacks franchises |
Jeff Hunt is a Canadian businessman who is an owner of the Ottawa Redblacks football club of the Canadian Football League and the Ottawa 67's hockey club of the Ontario Hockey League. He started a carpet-cleaning firm called Canway. His firm was in the Profit Magazine 100 seven times in the 1990s.
Jeff was born April 17, 1964 in Stephenville, Newfoundland. His parents are Alexander (deceased) and Dorothy Hunt. He is the eldest of two other siblings, Alex and Sheryl Hunt. Throughout his childhood, Hunt moved around Newfoundland every couple of years due to his father being in the RCMP. He attended Memorial University of Newfoundland for one year before relocating to Ottawa, Ontario at the age of 20 with his family. Here, Jeff commenced his carpet cleaning business.
Hunt began production of his carpet cleaning business, which he called Canway, in 1984. In the span of 13 years the business grew to over 250 locations in Canada and the US. Through this business he met his wife, Carol Hunt. They had two children, Kelsey and Jay Hunt. In 1997 Hunt sold his business, and the following year he bought the Ottawa 67s.
In 1998, he purchased the Ottawa 67's and has seen his attendance quintuple. When Hunt purchased the 67's, the team's previous owner had been spending just $25,000 a year on marketing costs. Hunt would spend that amount every week once he became its new owner. His goal with the 67's was to provide an NHL-calibre experience, from the game and the music to the concessions and promotions. His goal was to create a fan experience that appeals to the whole family and connect the team with the community.
One of the highlights of his ownership was in 1999, when he led the team's bid to host the 1999 Memorial Cup tournament. Despite the fact that in 1997 the tournament had been hosted across the river in Hull, Quebec, he was able to convince the Canadian Hockey League to host the event in the city of Ottawa and guarantee his team a berth in the tournament. The 67's did not disappoint, as every game of the series was sold out at the 10,550 seat Ottawa Civic Centre. The 67's would go on to win the Memorial Cup.
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