George Burnett

George Burnett (born March 25, 1962) is the general manager of the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.

Burnett previously played in the OHL with the London Knights, and later became a two-time OHL Coach of the Year and won an OHL championship in his first tour of duty with the Guelph Storm.

Burnett was head coach and general manager of the Belleville Bulls for 11 seasons, and drafted all three Subban brothers into the OHL; P. K. Subban, Malcolm Subban and Jordan Subban.

Burnett briefly coached in the National Hockey League for three seasons.

Burnett began playing junior hockey with the London Knights of the OMJHL in the 1979–80 season.

In 68 games he scored 14 goals and 29 points.

Burnett saw his offensive numbers explode in the 1980–81 season, as he scored 17 goals and 76 points in 67 games to finish fourth in team scoring.

In Burnett's third season in 1981–82, he scored 26 goals and 92 points, which was the third highest point total on the Knights.

In four playoff games, Burnett scored a goal and two points.

In 203 career games with the Knights, Burnett scored 57 goals and 140 assists for 197 points.

Following his junior career, Burnett joined the McGill Redmen of the QUAA where he was recruited and coached by head coach Ken Tyler.

In the 1982–83 season he played 38 games scoring 21 goals and 81 points, capturing the Friends of McGill Hockey Trophy as the team's rookie of the year, and winning the CIAU scoring title, and being named an All-conference and All-Canadian selection.

In 43 games with McGill in 1983–84, Burnett had 22 goals and 59 points.

He appeared in three games with the Redmen in 1984–85, scoring two goals and six points.

While at McGill, Burnett was a teammate of future NHL coach Mike Babcock.

Burnett graduated from McGill University with a physical education degree in 1985.

While in his third year at McGill, Burnett volunteered to coach at Selwyn House School, a private school in the Westmount area of Montreal.

After graduating McGill, he returned home to Port Perry to be an assistant coach for the nearby Uxbridge Bruins of the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League for the 1985–86 season.

For the 1986–87 season, Burnett became head coach of his hometown Port Perry Mojacks in the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League.

Despite finishing fourth place in the 1987–88, the Mojacks won the league playoffs in only Burnett's second season.

The Mojacks made it to the Provincial Final of the Clarence Schmalz Cup, but lost to the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League's Mooretown Flags 4 games to 1.

For the 1988–89 season, Burnett became head coach of Seneca College of the OCAA.

Burnett began his OHL coaching career as an assistant coach for the Oshawa Generals in the 1989–90 OHL season, under head coach Rick Cornacchia.

Twenty games into the season, Burnett was offered the positions of head coach and general manager of the struggling Niagara Falls Thunder.

Despite the strength of the Oshawa squad, the offer was too good to pass up.

Burnett took over the Niagara Falls Thunder after they began the 1989–90 OHL season with only 4 wins and 2 ties in 20 games (4–14–2).

The Thunder initially struggled with only one win in Burnett's first 12 games as coach before turning around.

Burnett led Niagara Falls to a record of 19–25–2 during his tenure, and a record of 23–39–4 overall, to earn sixth place and the final playoff spot in the Emms Division.

The Generals would go on to win the OHL championship and the 1990 Memorial Cup with the likes of Eric Lindros.

Twenty games into the season, Niagara Falls Thunder owner Rick Gay fired head coach Bill LaForge and assistant coaches Benny Rogano, and Heavy Evason.

Rick Gay was a businessman from Oshawa, Ontario, and used his connection as a former director on the Oshawa Generals to work out a deal with owner John Humphreys to hire Burnett as head coach and general manager.

Randy Hall became an assistant coach to Burnett for the remainder of the season.

Hall left to become head coach of the Kingston Frontenacs for 1990–91, but returned to Niagara Falls for the 1991–92 season.

Niagara Falls native Chris Johnstone was Burnett's assistant coach for the 1990–91 season.

In Burnett's three seasons with Niagara Falls, he coached 178 games in the regular season and earned 97 wins.

Burnett's teams reached the third round of the playoffs each season, earning 26 postseason victories.

He was head coach of the Edmonton Oilers for part of the 1994–95 season, and was an assistant coach for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for two seasons.

Burnett coached in the American Hockey League for four seasons, winning one division title and one Calder Cup championship.

Burnett was the head coach of Canada's U18 National team which won the gold medal at the Six Nations Cup in the Czech Republic in 2001, and another gold medal at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Burnett was assistant coach for the Canada's U20 National Junior team at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships winning silver and bronze medals.