Burke's father, John, was a college hockey goaltender
at Northeastern.
Key Statistics: Nine
of Burke’s 12 collegiate goals have come on the
power play. His 18 points last season ranked 10th among
Atlantic Hockey defensemen. He posted a career-high
18 assists as a sophomore, two in the Atlantic Hockey
final against Bentley and the biggest coming in overtime
of the NCAA West Regional against Minnesota. One concern
has Burke going from a plus-10 as a sophomore to a minus-14
as a junior. Among the league’s blue-liners, Burke
ranked seventh in penalties (24) and ninth in penalty
minutes (48).
What He Does: Burke does all the things
you want a defenseman to do: block plenty of shots,
get the puck out of his end and play well in one-on-one
situations. Though not as offensive-minded as former
teammate Jon Landry, Burke does bring some offensive
skills. On the power play, you can find Burke on the
wing and firing one-timers.
The Bigger Picture: Head coach Paul
Pearl liked the way Burke became the go-to man on defense
once Landry went down with injury last season. Burke’s
natural abilities as a leader made him an obvious choice
to be voted as captain this season. Pearl expects his
six-foot, 190-pound defenseman to be a 15- to 18-point
producer. Burke will continue to play vital roles on
the Crusaders’ power play and penalty kill, and
could become a legitimate pro prospect.
Holy Cross head coach Paul Pearl
on Burke: “He was a guy we hoped would
be a good player and he turned out to be an excellent
player.”
