Bill Burlington (ice hockey) explained

Bill Burlington
Birth Place:Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:165
Position:Center
Shoots:Left
Played For:Boston University
Cambridge Hornets
Durham Huskies
Career Start:1972
Career End:1980

William Burlington (born 1952) is a Canadian retired ice hockey center who was an All-American for Boston University.

Early life

Burlington was born in Owen Sound. He played junior hockey and lead the junior-B level in scoring as a member of the Owen Sound Greys during the 1970–71 season.[1] Burlington attended Boston University and, despite the NCAA having changed their rules, the Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey team had their first-year players serve on a freshman team. Burlington joined the varsity squad, but the team was upset by Pennsylvania in the first round of the conference tournament.

After the 1973 season, BU was forced to forfeit 11 games for after using an ineligible player, leading to the firing of coach Leon Abbott in the middle of Burlington's junior year. New head coach Jack Parker eventually lead the Terriers to an ECAC championship in 1974. Burlington was named an All-American for the season. In his first NCAA tournament appearance, Burlington's team fell 4–5 in the semifinal to eventual champion Minnesota and finished third in the four-team field. During Burlington's senior season, the Terriers won an ECAC championship and finishing third in the NCAA Tournament.

Career

After BU, Burlington continued his playing career and sought to win an Allan Cup. While playing senior hockey, Burlington took time off to earn his B.A. from Lakehead University in 1978 but his playing career was ended abruptly after a serious injury in 1980. Burlington was slashed on the jaw, breaking the bone in seven places.[2]

Burlington and his wife Cheryl travelled to the Northwest Territories and began pursuing careers as educators. Bill became a gym teacher at Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife and spent more than 25 years teaching at the school. While coaching both the boys and girls hockey teams, Burlington continued to playing, winning four gold medals in hockey at the Arctic Winter Games.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular Season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1970–71Owen Sound GreysCOJHL
1972–73Boston UniversityECAC Hockey2810152514
1973–74Boston UniversityECAC Hockey3115304510
1974–75Boston UniversityECAC Hockey3217314814
1976–77Barrie FlyersOHA-Sr.3011112214
1976–77Cambridge HornetsOHA-Sr.21340
1979–80Durham HuskiesCSAHL6917365348
NCAA Totals91 42 76 118 38

Awards and honors

AwardYear
All-ECAC Hockey First Team1973–74[3]
AHCA East All-American1973–74[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: Bill Burlington . March 7, 2021.
  2. News: From the Archives: Hanging up his whistle . Edge North . December 28, 2015 . March 7, 2021.
  3. News: ECAC All-Teams. College Hockey Historical Archives. May 19, 2013.
  4. News: 1973-1974 All-American Team . The American Hockey Coaches Association . 2017-06-21.