Burns signs with Blind River
It would appear that the Blind River Beavers are set in the net ahead of the 2022-2023 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season.
Hockey News North has confirmed that Blind River has signed 6-foot-1, 160 pound, 2006 birth year goalie Charlie Burns. Burns, who was the top goalie in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in 2021-2022 for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds, was taken by the Niagara Ice Dogs in the ninth round of the 2022 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
“We are ecstatic to get a talent like Charlie, his numbers speak for themselves, we expect big things from him this season,” Beavers general manager and coach Kyle Brick told Hockey News North.
Burns had a 1.51 goals against average during the regular season in helping to lead the Jr. Greyhounds to first place in the Great North. He then back-stopped the Soo to the Great North playoff championship with a 1.09 goals against average.
In signing with the NOJHL Beavers, Burns will join 2003 birth year holdover Gavin Disano to form the Beavers goal-tending tandem.
Disano was one of three goalies who helped Blind River to a winning record and fourth place standing in the NOJHL’s West Division and through two rounds of the playoffs during the recent 2021-2022 season. But Jeremi Delaquis was recently dealt by Blind River to the Sudbury Cubs and Patrick Boivin has been made available for trade by the Beavers.
Thus, it is Disano and Burns — who, by the way, are step brothers — in position to form a 1-2 net duo for Blind River for the 2022-2023 NOJHL season.
Disano had a regular season record of 10-8-4 with a 3.43 goals against average and .898 save percentage in 2021-2022. He then had a 1-2-0 record with a 2.34 goals against average and .923 save percentage in the playoffs as Blind River edged the Elliot Lake Red Wings in the preliminary round before being swept by the eventual champion Soo Thunderbirds in the West Division semi-finals.
(featured action photo of Charlie Burns by Bob Davies)