(Toronto) The transition has been smooth for Ryan Hunter.

The 28-year-old from North Bay has become one of the CFL’s best offensive linemen since joining the Toronto Argonauts late last season after being released by the Chargers of the.

The six-foot-two, 315-pound athlete made his mark as a guard and helped the team win the Gray Cup.

Hunter was named a CFL All-Star on Wednesday after helping Toronto (16-2) tie the league record for most regular-season wins.

Hunter started all 18 regular season games at left guard.

The Argos will host the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern final on Saturday.

“When I got here, the team had done most of the work to figure out her identity, who she was and what she wanted to be,” Hunter said. I was lucky enough to find a role and I hope I can continue to progress at that level this year. »

Toronto selected Hunter in the first round, ninth overall, in the 2018 CFL Draft. He eventually joined the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent.

He played in three games in 2019 and was on the Chiefs’ active roster during the Chiefs’ 31-20 Super Bowl win over the 49ers.

Hunter then joined the Chargers in October 2020, remaining there until August 2022. While some NFL players might disdain the idea of ​​heading north, Hunter relished the opportunity to play closer to home .

“I was excited,” he said. Being only three hours from home, my family can come whenever they want and this year they attended all of our games in Ontario and Quebec.

“Seeing them every week has been both motivating and really enjoyable. »

The prospect of traveling to play football is nothing new to him. Hunter left North Bay to attend a high school in Buffalo before earning a scholarship to Bowling Green (2013-2017).

Hunter found that it is much harder to win a second Gray Cup in a row than to win a first.

“Once you win, everyone wants your spot,” Hunter said. We know that every team has given us their best so far this year.

“When you’re very successful, you don’t want anyone to dethrone you. We are going to do everything we can to stay at the top. »

This season, the Argos have posted impeccable results at home (9-0, with a victory in Halifax) and against Eastern clubs (10-0).

Chad Kelly, in his first full season as Toronto’s starter, has won 15 of his 16 starts. He was also named to the league all-star team.

Toronto was second overall in offensive points (29.3 per game), offensive touchdowns (56) and net yards (377.8).

The Argos also allowed 19 sacks, the lowest total in the league.