Kaylee Hunter

Kaylee Marie Hunter (born January 22, 2008) is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a forward for AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League. She has been regarded as one of Canada's most promising young talents.

A youth product of Calgary Blizzard SC and Whitecaps FC Girls Elite, Hunter won league titles with both clubs before signing a professional contract with AFC Toronto in January 2025 ahead of the Northern Super League's inaugural season. She scored the first goal in franchise history and went on to finish the season as the league's second-top scorer, earning NSL Rookie of the Year and Team of the Season honours, while helping the club win the inaugural Supporters' Shield and reach the NSL Championship final.

Hunter represented Canada at the 2024 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship and the 2025 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, winning the latter, before earning her first call-up to the senior national team in October 2025. She made her senior international debut at the 2026 SheBelieves Cup in March 2026.

Early life Hunter was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She began playing youth soccer at age four with Calgary West SC. Growing up with three older brothers, she has said she followed them into the sport, and that her mother would ask at the end of each season whether she wanted to continue playing, to which her answer "was always yes." She has described coming from a smaller soccer hub outside Ontario, Quebec or British Columbia as making her path to the professional game unusual, calling it "what makes my story unique."

AFC Toronto 2025

In January 2025, she signed a professional contract with AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League. In an interview with DARBY, she described AFC Toronto's project as one built around youth and long-term development, saying that the club's "bright future is already here" and highlighting the role of community support in the team's growth. After beginning the season as a substitute, she said she focused on "trusting in my timing," crediting head coach Marko Milanović with the final say on selection, before earning a regular starting role. Reflecting on the goal, she said the achievement "didn't really hit me at all until after the game," calling it "something super, super special" as her first professional goal. On 11 July, 2025, she scored another brace in a 3–0 victory over Ottawa Rapid FC. Discussing her approach in front of goal during this stretch, she said that "sometimes you need to score the messy one" rather than waiting for a perfect chance, an approach she pointed to when describing a long-range goal scored against Montreal Roses FC after noticing goalkeeper Anna Karpenko positioned off her line following a pass from teammate Esther Okoronkwo, which she later named her favourite goal of the season. , finishing her debut professional season with 14 goals, second behind Ottawa’s Delaney Baie Pridham, and emerging as one of the league’s breakout attacking talents.

Hunter scored in the first-ever NSL semifinal as Toronto won 2–0 in the first leg against Montreal Roses FC on 1 November, 2025. In the final, she scored the opening goal against the Vancouver Rise to give AFC Toronto the lead, but they would go on to lose the inaugural championship 2–1. Subsequently, Hunter was named as the NSL Rookie of the Year for the 2025 season as well as being named to the league's Team of the Season.

2026 On 17 December, 2025, AFC Toronto announced a contract extension for Hunter through 2027 with a club option for 2028. Ahead of the season, she stated a personal goal of scoring 20 or more goals, while also balancing her club campaign against a growing role with Canada's youth and senior national teams.

On 31 May, 2026, Hunter scored in the 48th minute as part of a 4–0 victory over Calgary Wild FC. On 5 July, she scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Halifax Tides FC, her third goal of the season. On 23 July, she recorded an assist and a goal in a 2–0 win over Montreal Roses FC, setting up a goal for Lauren Rowe before converting a free kick of her own after a Montreal player was sent off. On 28 July, she converted a penalty kick to lead AFC Toronto to a 1–0 win over Calgary Wild FC. Four days later, on August 1, she scored a brace against Calgary Wild FC in a 6–0 win at McMahon Stadium. On 23 August, she converted a penalty for her eighth goal of the campaign in a 2–0 win over Halifax Tides FC.

Hunter scored the opening goal in AFC Toronto’s 2–1 victory over Ottawa Rapid FC on 30 August, scoring from a free kick in the 73rd minute. The goal was her ninth of the campaign and moved her into second place in the Golden Boot race. The result also gave AFC Toronto its first win at BMO Field, following six previous winless matches.

International career

In August 2023, Hunter was called up to the Canada U17 for the first time for CONCACAF qualifying matches. She was subsequently named to the roster for the 2024 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship, where she scored a hat trick in the third place match on 11 February 2024, in a 4–1 victory over Haiti U17.

In March 2024, Hunter was called up to a camp with the Canada U20. She scored in a 3–1 friendly loss to the United States U20 on 7 April, 2024. On 21 February 2025, she scored five goals in a 22–0 victory over Dominica at the 2025 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship qualification tournament. The Canadians went on to win the championship, the country's first since 2008.

After AFC Toronto refused to release Hunter to participate in the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in October of 2025, she was instead called up to the Canada senior team for the first time, for a pair of friendlies. Hunter has said her long-term ambition is to play professionally in Europe and for Canada's senior national team, in addition to competing at the World Cup and Olympics.

On 20 August 2026, Hunter was named by Canada under-20 head coach Cindy Tye to the squad for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland.

Personal life Hunter has cited Canadian forward Christine Sinclair as her primary soccer idol growing up, saying Sinclair "inspired generations" of players in the women's game, while also naming Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar as players she admired on the men's side.

2024

15!!13!!4!!5!!0!!0!!5!!0!!2!!2!!26!!20 AFC Toronto 2025 Northern Super League

36!!27!!7!!7!!0!!0!!5!!0!!2!!2!!50!!36

Honours Canada CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship: 2025

AFC Toronto Northern Super League Supporters' Shield: 2025

Individual Northern Super League Rookie of the Year: 2025 Northern Super League Team of the Season: 2025