Charlie Burns (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick Burns (born February 14, 1936 in Detroit, Michigan
) is a retired professional ice hockey
forward
who played 749 games in the National Hockey League
. He played for the Detroit Red Wings
, Boston Bruins
, Oakland Seals
, Pittsburgh Penguins
, and Minnesota North Stars
. Burns was mainly known for being an excellent skater, playmaker and defensive player who performed checking and penalty-killing. His trademark was the heavily padded helmet that he was forced to wear after suffering a serious head injury while playing junior hockey in 1954–55.
In 1959, he was the only US-born player in the NHL. Although Burns was born in Detroit, his family moved to Toronto when he was a child. Burns chose Canadian citizenship when he turned 21 and later played for the 1958 World Champion Whitby Dunlops
.
Burns had three spells as a player-coach, twice with the San Francisco Seals (1965-66 & 1966-67) and one with the Minnesota North Stars (1969–70). He coached the Stars again in 1974-75 after his retirement. Curiously, all of these were midseason assignments. He currently coaches youth hockey for the Wonderland Wizards of Bridgeport, Connecticut
in his spare time.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) is a retired professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played 749 games in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. He played for the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Oakland Seals
California Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
, Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, and Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
. Burns was mainly known for being an excellent skater, playmaker and defensive player who performed checking and penalty-killing. His trademark was the heavily padded helmet that he was forced to wear after suffering a serious head injury while playing junior hockey in 1954–55.
In 1959, he was the only US-born player in the NHL. Although Burns was born in Detroit, his family moved to Toronto when he was a child. Burns chose Canadian citizenship when he turned 21 and later played for the 1958 World Champion Whitby Dunlops
Whitby Dunlops
The Whitby Dunlops are a team in Major League Hockey. Two previous teams have also played as the Whitby Dunlops. The first was an OHA Senior team from 1954 to 1960. The second was a junior team from 1962 to 1963....
.
Burns had three spells as a player-coach, twice with the San Francisco Seals (1965-66 & 1966-67) and one with the Minnesota North Stars (1969–70). He coached the Stars again in 1974-75 after his retirement. Curiously, all of these were midseason assignments. He currently coaches youth hockey for the Wonderland Wizards of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
in his spare time.