±«ÓãÖ±²¥ grad Burnett to coach at 2012 World Junior Championship
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(PHOTO COURTESY OF EDMONTON OILERS)
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MONTREAL -- George Burnett, head coach of the Belleville Bulls and a former ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ hockey player, has been re-appointed as an assistant coach with the Canadian national men's hockey team for the 2012 world junior championship in Calgary and Edmonton.
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It marks Burnett's second consecutive year with the national junior team, which won silver last season. He is among a list of other ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ grads who have had coaching stints with that elite program, including Mike Babcock, Real Paiement and Guy Boucher.
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Burnett, a 49-year-old native of Port Perry, Ont., who is also the general manager of the Ontario Hockey League's Bulls, will work with head coach Don Hay of the WHL's Vancouver Giants, aong with assistants Ryan Huska (Kelowna, WHL) and Pascal Vincent (Montreal Juniors, QMJHL).
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Burnett skated for the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Redmen from 1982 to 1984 and was the team's first-ever All-Canadian, when he set a school record (since broken) with 81 points in 38 games overall during his freshman campaign.
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After graduating with a physical education degree, he went on to OHL coaching stints in Niagara Falls, Oshawa and Guelph. He then took over behind the bench for the American Hockey League's Cape Breton Oilers, winning the Calder Cup championship in 1994. At the age of 32, he became the third-youngest head coach in National Hockey League history when he was appointed to guide the Edmonton Oilers in the 1994-95 season.
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Burnett, who later was an assistant coach with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, also served as bench boss of the Canadian national under-18 team that won gold at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka memorial tournament.
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SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Athletics & Recreation
514-398-7012