Position: D (Shoots Left)
Birthdate: Dec 28, 1980 (33 years old)
Birthplace: Hamilton, Ontario
Height: 6’2” Weight: 210 lbs
Jersey Number: #22
1997/1998-1999/2000 – Hamilton Kilty B’s – OPJHL
Mike “Burger” Burgoyne got his hockey playing career started off as a 16 year old in the same league as many other Blast players, he first played in the OPJHL which was Junior A hockey. He played for a team called the Hamilton Kilty B’s (now known as the Hamilton Red Wings). He played 29 games in his rookie season and scored 1 goal and added 4 helps for 5 points. One of his teammates was current Blast defenseman Dave Russell, who was 17 years old at the time.
In his sophomore season, Burgoyne got more ice time and he capitalized on it. He finished with a personal Junior hockey best 18 goals and added 27 assists for 45 points in only 47 games, as he became one of the team and league’s best offensively minded defensemen. He finished third in team scoring.
After a very solid second season, Burgoyne came back as an 18 year old for his final season of Junior hockey. He played in 30 games and added 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points.
He closed out the Junior days of his hockey career with 106 games played, scoring 29 goals, and assisting on 45 others for a total of 74 points. He also received 83 PIM over the three seasons in the OPJHL.
2002/2003-2003/2004 – Brantford Blast – OHA Sr A
After two seasons off from competitive hockey following his junior career, Burgoyne decided to come and play for the Blast in OHA Sr A as a 21 year old. The blue liner finished 5th in team scoring in their inaugural season with 9 goals and 15 assists in 30 games for 24 points.
In the 2003/2004 season Burgoyne came back to play his sophomore season with the Blast, who were now coached by Paris native and former NHLer Jay Wells. Burgoyne finished 1st among Blast defensemen and 6th overall in points with 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points in only 27 games, showing he could be a real offensive threat once again.
2003/2004-2004/2005 – Quad City Mallards/Motor City Mechanics/Rockford IceHogs – UHL
After a very strong season with the Blast, Burgoyne decided to briefly go play professional hockey following the Blast season. He signed with the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League (UHL), and suited up in his first two pro hockey games, going pointless and collecting 6 minutes in penalties.
In 2004, Burgoyne was brought back by the Mallards. He played in 17 games, failing to receive a point, and added 28 PIM.
Burgoyne was then traded mid-season to the Motor City Mechanics, and this is where he started to show he could be effective in professional hockey. He played in 30 games for the Mechanics and scored 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points. Despite only playing in 30 games, Burgoyne was still 5th in Mechanics defensemen scoring. This team was very rich in NHL talent, due to the lockout that year. It included a 42 year old Chris Chelios, Darien Hatcher, Sean Avery, and Bryan Smolinski.
Despite showing some offensive flair, Burgoyne was again on the move before the trade deadline, as he was traded to the Rockford IceHogs, where he would play the final 4 games of the season, failing to receive a point.
2005/2006 – Motor City Mechanics – UHL
After being traded away from the Mechanics the previous season, Burgoyne signed back with the Detroit based team the following season in 2005. He played on a team featuring former Blast player and brother of The Great One, Brent Gretzky, and current Blast teammate Greg Bullock. He finished 2nd in defensemen scoring on the Mechanics behind current Real McCoy’s defenseman Matt Smith, and 7th overall with 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points in 76 games, adding 76 PIM.
He closed out the UHL portion of his career to move on to play in the CHL the following year. He finished with 129 games played, scoring 19 goals and adding 33 assists for 52 points and 117 PIM.
2006/2007-2007/2008 – Oklahoma City Blazers – CHL
It was during his time in the CHL that Burgoyne really broke out offensively in professional hockey. In his first season in the Central Hockey League (CHL) with the now defunct Oklahoma City Blazers, Burgoyne had career highs in goals, assists and points, finishing with 21 goals, 40 assists and 61 points in only 64 games. He added 76 PIM. He also added 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) in a long playoff run of 14 games that post-season.
When the 2007/2008 season came around he was back with the Blazers and continued his offensive pace, scoring 17 goals and 38 assists for 55 points, and adding a career high 88 PIM.
2008/2009 – Belfast Giants – EIHL
Burgoyne (right) celebrates with a teammate after scoring a big goal for the Giants
In 2008, Burgoyne made the trek overseas to Ireland where he signed with the Belfast Giants of the British Elite Ice Hockey League. It’s the same team that Theo Fleury had played for only 3 seasons prior. He fit in right away, on route to being the offensive leader for Giants defensemen and finishing 8th overall in team scoring with 10 goals and 30 assists for 40 points in 55 games. He went pointless in 2 playoff games that spring.
2009/2010 – Victoria Salmon Kings – ECHL/ Missouri Mavericks – CHL
Following one season abroad in Ireland, Burgoyne headed back to North America the following season in 2009. He started off the year in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) with the Victoria Salmon Kings in which would be the highest level of pro he had played. He only played 6 games, scoring 1 goal and added 3 assists for 4 points before heading back down to the CHL.
After a brief spot in the ECHL, he headed back to the CHL with the Missouri Mavericks, where he played with current Dundas Real McCoy’s C Jordan Foreman. Burgoyne finished 5th in team scoring that season despite only playing 41 games. He scored 10 goals and added 22 assists for 32 points.
This concluded the CHL portion of Mike’s career, as he finished with 169 games played, scoring 48 goals and adding 100 assists for 148 points, and 199 PIM.
2010/2011 – The Hague HYS – Netherlands
Burgoyne battles for the puck with the Dutch team The Hague HYS in 2011
Burgoyne once again headed overseas in 2011 to play in the Netherlands based league for The Hague HYS. He was a very effective player on the team, scoring 12 goals and 33 assists for 45 points in only 38 games, adding 77 PIM. He helped the team win the National Dutch Championship that spring and retired from professional hockey to come back home to Ontario.
2011/2012 – Present – Brantford Blast – ACH
After retiring from professional hockey, Burgoyne came back to the place he started his career after Junior hockey, as he signed a player card with the Brantford Blast, who were now in a league called Allan Cup Hockey (ACH). He scored 7 goals and added 12 assists in 19 games in his first year back with the Blast, as he won the ACH League’s Best Defensemen Award.
In 2012/2013, Burgoyne became a player/coach for the Blast, a role he still carries today. He finished with 29 points (7 goals, 22 assists) in 22 games, on route to his second consecutive ACH Top Defensemen Award. He added 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 9 games in the Blast’s playoff run which ended in a Robertson Cup Championship.
That brings us to the current season, where Burgoyne has 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) in 16 games so far and has propelled himself into 1st all time in all major categories with Blast defensemen. He also ranks 6th overall in games played with 114, 5th overall with points with 126, 8th overall for goals with 37, 5th overall with assists with 89 and 6th overall in penalty minutes with 142.