Men's Hockey | 4/17/2017 11:42:00 PM

MONTREAL -- George Burnett, a McGill University graduate who starred with the hockey Redmen in the early 1980s, has been appointed head coach and general manager of the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm. Burnett, who served as GM of the Flint Firebirds this past season, replaces Guelph GM Mike Kelly and coach Jarrod Skalde.

The 2017-18 season will mark the 25th campaign as a head coach for the 55-year-old native of Port Perry, Ont., who has coached 1,687 regular season games with 782 victories to his credit, along with two Memorial Cup appearances, an OHL championship and an American Hockey League title. He also led the Canadian under-18 squad to titles at the IIHF world cup in 2003 and the IIHF Ivan Hlinka memorial tournament in 2010.

A two-time OHL coach of the year who has also had stints as bench boss in the NHL and AHL, Burnett became the third-youngest head coach in NHL history when appointed to guide the Oilers, at the age of 32, in the lockout shortened 1994-95 season. He later served as an assistant coach with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim from 1998 to 2000. He coached in the AHL with the Binghamton Rangers and Cape Breton, leading the Oilers to a Calder Cup league championship in 1994.

Burnett is one of seven former McGill hockey players to coach in the NHL, along with the legendary Lester Patrick (NY Rangers), Mike Babcock (Anaheim, Detroit, Toronto), Guy Boucher (Tampa, Ottawa), Jamie Kompon (assistant coach in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Winnipeg), Martin Raymond (assistant coach in Tampa and Ottawa) and Jon Elkin (goalie coach in Calgary and Phoenix). He is among an elite list of five McGill graduates who have had coaching stints with the Canadian national junior program, along with Babcock, Boucher, Raymond and Real Paiement. Two other McGill grads -- who didn't play for the Redmen -- have also coached in the NHL, namely Doug Carpenter (New Jersey, Toronto) and Bryan Murray (Washington, Detroit, Florida, Anaheim, Ottawa).

Burnett served as head coach and GM with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2014-15 following the team after they moved from Belleville, where he spent 11 years as coach and GM with the Bulls. He also had OHL coaching stints with the Oshawa Generals (2000-2004), Guelph Storm (1997-98) and the Niagara Falls Thunder (1989-1992).

Since his first head coaching stint in 1989, Burnett owns a combined lifetime record of 782-716-99-90 in 1,687 regular season games overall in the NHL, AHL and OHL. He ranks sixth in OHL victories, posting a 636-560-51-85 record. The only other OHL coaches with more wins are Brian Kilrea (1,193), Bert Templeton (907), Dale Hunter (687), Stan Butler (672) and Larry Mavety (658).

Burnett, who graduated from McGill with a physical education degree in 1985, played at centre for the Redmen from 1982 to 1984 and tallied 45 goals with 101 assists for 146 career points with 50 penalty minutes in 84 games overall. He set a McGill single-season record (since broken) with 81 points in 38 games overall during his freshman campaign. He still owns the school's regular season assist record with 52 in 30 games during his freshman campaign. That season, he captured the Friends of McGill Hockey Trophy as the team's rookie of the year and became the first Redmen player to receive all-Canadian honours.

He was twice awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL coach of the year for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. In 1997-98, he guided the Guelph Storm to the OHL's J. Ross Robertson Cup and a berth in the Memorial Cup tournament, where he went up against former McGill teammate Mike Babcock, who was then guiding the Spokane Chiefs.

In October, 2009, Burnett was inducted into the Township of Scugog Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony in his hometown of Port Perry.


GEORGE BURNETT'S CAREER COACHING RECORD
 

SEASON	TEAM	LG	Role	GP	W	L	T	OTL	RESULT
1989-90	Oshawa	OHL	Asst.
1989-90	Niagara Falls	OHL	Head	46	19	25	2	-	Lost in round 3
1990-91	Niagara Falls	OHL	Head	66	39	18	9	-	Lost in round 3
1991-92	Niagara Falls	OHL	Head	66	39	23	4	-	Lost in round 3
1992-93	Cape Breton	AHL	Head	80	36	32	12	-	Won AHL Championship
1993-94	Cape Breton	AHL	Head	80	32	35	13	-	Lost in round 1
1994-95	Edmonton	NHL	Head	35	12	20	3	-
1995-96	Binghamton	AHL	Head	80	39	31	7	3	Lost in round 1
1996-97	Binghamton	AHL	Head	80	27	38	13	2	Lost in round 1
1997-98	Guelph	OHL	Head	66	42	17	6	1	Won OHL Championship
1998-99	Anaheim	NHL	Asst.
1999-00	Anaheim	NHL	Asst.
2000-01	Oshawa	OHL	Head	68	20	36	7	5	(missed playoffs)
2001-02	Oshawa	OHL	Head	68	23	33	7	5	Lost in round 1
2002-03	Oshawa	OHL	Head	68	34	30	2	2	Lost in round 2
2003-04	Oshawa	OHL	Head	68	30	29	8	1	Lost in round 1
2004-05	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	29	29	6	4	Lost in round 1
2005-06	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	32	28	0	8	Lost in round 1
2006-07	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	39	24	0	5	Lost in round 3
2007-08	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	48	14	0	6	Lost in Finals
2008-09	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	47	17	0	4	Lost in round 3
2009-10	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	20	40	0	8	(missed playoffs)
2010-11	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	21	43	0	4	Lost in round 1
2011-12	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	35	32	0	1	Lost in round 1
2012-13	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	44	16	0	8	Lost in round 3
2013-14	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	23	38	0	7	(missed playoffs)
2014-15	Belleville	OHL	Head	68	27	33	0	8	Lost in round 1
2015-16	Hamilton	OHL	Head	68	25	35	0	8	(missed playoffs)
	CAREER TOT.			1687	782	716	99	90

GEORGE BURNETT'S HOCKEY CAREER CAPSULE
 

SEASON	PLAYING CAREER
1979-1982	London Knights (OHL)
1982-1985	McGill University Redmen (QUAA/CIAU)
SEASON	COACHING CAREER
1985-86	Assistant Coach, Uxbridge Bruins (COJCHL)
1986-1988	Head Coach, Port Perry MoJacks (COJCHL)
1988-89	Head Coach, Seneca College Braves (OCAA)
1989-90	Assistant Coach, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
1989-1992	GM & Head Coach, Niagara Falls Thunder (OHL)
1992-1994	Head Coach, Cape Breton Oilers (AHL)
1994-95	Head Coach, Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
1995-1997	Head Coach, Binghamton Rangers (AHL)
1997-98	Head Coach, Guelph Storm (OHL)
1998-2000	Assistant Coach, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
2000-2004	GM & Head Coach, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
2004-2015	GM & Head Coach, Belleville Bulls (OHL)
2015-16	GM & Head Coach, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2016-17	GM, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
2017-18	GM & Head Coach, Guelph Storm (OHL)
SEASON	AWARDS / HONOURS
1982-83	CIAU Scoring Champion & All-Canadian & QUAA All-Star
1990-91	OHL Coach of the Year
1991-92	OHL Coach of the Year
1992-93	AHL Calder Cup Champions
1995-96	AHL South Division Champions
1997-98	OHL Champions & Memorial Cup finalists
1998	Appointed Head Coach, Team Canada U20 (later stepped down to coach in NHL)
2003	Gold medal as Head Coach, Team Canada U18, IIHF Junior World Cup
2007	OHL East Division Champions (Conference Finalists)
2008	OHL East Division Champions (Conference Finalists)
2008	CHL Memorial Cup Semi-Finalists
2009	OHL East Division Champions (Conference Finalists)
2013	OHL East Division Champions (Conference Finalists)
2010	Assistant Coach, Team Canada U18 World Championships
2010	Gold medal as Head Coach, Team Canada U18 IIHF Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
2011	Silver medal as Assistant Coach, Team Canada U20 World Junior Championships
2012	Bronze medal as Assistant Coach, Team Canada U20 World Junior Championships

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgill athletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca