For the English footballer, see Charlie Burns (footballer).
Charlie Burns
PositionCenter
ShootsLeft
Height5 ft
Height in11
Weight lb170
Played forDetroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins
Oakland Seals
Pittsburgh Penguins
Minnesota North Stars
Birth dateFebruary 14, 1936
Birth placeDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
Death dateNovember 5, 2021 (aged 85)
Death placeWallingford, Connecticut, U.S.
Ntl teamCanada
Career start1952
Career end1974

Charles Frederick Burns (February 14, 1936 – November 5, 2021) was an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 749 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Oakland Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Minnesota North Stars between 1958 and 1973. He later worked as the head coach of Minnesota in both 1970 and 1974–75. 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.

Playing career

In 1959, he was the only US-born player in the NHL. Burns was born in Detroit, Michigan, his family moved to Toronto, Ontario, when he was a child.[1] Burns chose Canadian citizenship when he turned 21[2] and later played for the 1958 world champion Whitby Dunlops.

Post-playing career

Burns had three spells as a player-coach, twice with the San Francisco Seals (1965–66 and 1966–67) and one with the Minnesota North Stars (1969–70). He coached the North Stars again in 1974–75 upon his active career retirement. Curiously, all of these were midseason assignments. He coached youth hockey for the Wallingford Hawks of Wallingford, Connecticut, in his spare time.[3] Burns died in Wallingford, Connecticut, on November 5, 2021, at the age of 85.[4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1952–53Toronto MarlborosOHA33571217—————
1953–54Toronto MarlborosOHA5917143145—————
1954–55Toronto MarlborosOHA30000—————
1955–56Toronto MarlborosOHA2058130—————
1956–57Whitby DunlopsOHA Sr4016254129—————
1957–58Whitby DunlopsOHA Sr3124285232—————
1958–59Detroit Red WingsNHL709112032—————
1959–60Boston BruinsNHL6210172746—————
1960–61Boston BruinsNHL6215264116—————
1960–61Kingston FrontenacsEPHL83694—————
1961–62Boston BruinsNHL7011172843—————
1962–63Boston BruinsNHL6812102213—————
1963–64San Francisco SealsWHL6833366927111342
1964–65San Francisco SealsWHL5127366319—————
1965–66San Francisco SealsWHL401035452671560
1966–67California SealsWHL712238602960009
1967–68Oakland SealsNHL739263520—————
1968–69Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL7613385122—————
1969–70Minnesota North StarsNHL50313161061012
1970–71Minnesota North StarsNHL769192813123362
1971–72Minnesota North StarsNHL771114252471122
1972–73Minnesota North StarsNHL6547111360000
1973–74New Haven NighthawksAHL64101929731013416
NHL totals749106198304252315496

Coaching record

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GWLTPctFinishGWLResult
Minnesota North Stars1969–70441022120.3643rd in West624Lost in quarter-finals
Minnesota North Stars1974–7542122820.3104th in SmytheDid not qualify
NHL totals86225014—6241 playoff appearance

References

  1. ^ Shorthanded: The Untold Story of the Seals: Hockey's Most Colorful Team (p. 47), by Brad Kurzberg, AuthorHouse (2006), ISBN 1425910289
  2. ^ "Sport: The Pappy Line". Time. March 2, 1959.
  3. ^ Kurzberg, p.48
  4. ^ Charles F. Burns

Further reading