Bio

Joe Lunny’s parents, long-time St. Louis residents Joe Sr. and Shirley, are originally from the hockey-loving state of Massachusetts. When they moved to St. Louis in the early 1960s due to a job transfer, they brought their passion for the sport along with them. It wasn’t long before Joe Jr. (their first born) was playing hockey himself. He started out, like so many others here in the Hall of Fame, playing youth hockey at the St. Louis Blues camp. Joe was hooked immediately and it started a lifelong love affair with the game that continues to this day.

Joe started playing for the Meramec Sharks, during their inaugural season started by the legendary Harry Bayens. Bayens imparted his knowledge and love of the game to Joe and he took off. After the Sharks were disbanded, Joe grabbed ice wherever and whenever he could, playing with Delta and the St. Louis Jr. Blues. Joe was then part of another first – the first season of Chaminade College Prep high school hockey— where he led the team to a State semi final appearance his Junior year.

However, Joe’s New England roots came calling and he transferred to Marblehead High School in Massachusetts to continue his career hoping to catch the eye of college scouts. In Marblehead, Joe was team MVP, leading scorer, Northeastern Conference All Star MVP and played in the Hockey Night in Boston AllStar tournament where he garnered interest from many colleges. Joe was honored to be recruited for The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA where he played with another St. Louis Hall of Famer, Mike Robben. Under Mike’s tutelage, Joe went on to become Holy.Cross’ All-Time Leading Scorer ( a record that still stands to this day) and a 1986 1st Team All-American recognition. Joe’s accomplishments were acknowledged with his induction into the Holy Cross Hall of Fame in 1999, only the 3rd hockey player to ever be inducted at that time.

Joe went on to a brief, but exciting, minor league career playing for Pete Mahovlich in Toledo, OH in the IHL, then for the Kalamazoo Wings of the IHL and lastly for the Virginia Lancers of the ECHL where he played for John Tortorella. He was also invited to the NY Rangers and Boston Bruins training camps in 1987 and 1988.

After Joe’s playing career ended, his love of hockey continued. He coached 8 years of high school hockey in the NY/CT area and almost 10 years of youth hockey, where he coached and mentored his daughter, Hayley (21) and son, Tyler (18). He now enjoys watching his daughter play D1 hockey for the Providence College Friars with his wife of 26 years, Christina, who, as a fellow Holy Cross Crusader, used to cheer Joe on from the stands when he played college hockey. He also got to witness his son and his high school team win their first league championship in the school’s 100 year history. Passion for hockey clearly continues to run strong in this next generation of Lunnys.