University of New Hampshire Athletics
Tim Burke in his UNH playing days and, center in right photo, in his role as San Jose's director of scouting.
Rooting Interests: Burke Helped Build the Sharks
6/2/2016 3:04:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey, UNH Insider
Last June 15, Chicago Black Hawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, a little over a year after playing his last game with the University of New Hampshire hockey team, excitedly took his turn skating the Stanley Cup around the rink at the United Center in Chicago.
The Black Hawks knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-0, that night to clinch the Cup, winning the championship series, four games to two.
Van Riemsdyk, an All American as a UNH sophomore, helped the Black Hawks to the title.
Wildcat hockey fans – particularly those whose roots run long and deep with the team – again have a rooting interest in the Cup finals.
Another former UNH All American defenseman – Tim Burke – has been a major piece of the building effort that has the San Jose Sharks playing in the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Burke, who played his high school hockey in Melrose, Mass., has been with the Sharks since the 1992-93 season, their second year of existence. He's been director of scouting with the team since 1996.
"He's from my hometown, a Melrose guy, and he grew up in my neighborhood and I've known him since he was a little kid," said UNH coach Dick Umile. "He's been very, very supportive of our program and he's done a tremendous job for San Jose. He's pretty influential with that organization and it's kind of neat to follow him. The NHL playoffs are the best anyway and it does make it more exciting."
Burke got to UNH a few years after Umile left and was an All American as a senior in 1977.
The protocol in the business, Gordie Clark said, is to play these things down the middle and not have a favorite in a series.
Clark, a two-time All American forward at UNH, is the director of player personnel with the New York Rangers. Two years ago, he was in Burke's spot with his team in the finals and the Rangers fell in a six-game series.
"We stay neutral in these series," Clark said. "But in this case it's a friend and a guy who's been very good in the business and an ex-teammate. I've picked my side. I'm happy Timmy got in the playoffs and I hope they win the Stanley Cup. I can't stay neutral in this one."
After dropping a 2-1 game in overtime on Wednesday night, the Sharks are down two games to none to the Penguins. The first two games were in Pittsburgh and the series resumes Saturday night in San Jose.
Clark was a senior when Burke arrived as a UNH freshman for coach Charlie Holt in the 1973-74 season.
"He was an impact player right away," Clark said. "He had size, he could skate and move the puck and had an absolute bomb from the point. You could see right away he had a real good combination. He played good defense and then joined the rush and played on the point on the power play with that bomb."
Burke scored 30 goals and had 110 assists for 140 points in 130 games in his UNH career. He holds school records for most career points and assists by a defenseman.
After playing six years of professional hockey, mostly in the American Hockey League, Burke went to Princeton as an assistant coach, moved into the New Jersey Devils organization and joined the Sharks in 1992 as director of pro scouting.
"He's been at it a long time and he has a very good reputation in the business," Clark said.
Burke and the rest of the Shark brass have largely built the team through the NHL draft, with players such as forward Joe Thornton (in 2005) and goalie Martin Jones (last summer) acquired by trade, both from the Boston Bruins.
"It's three-pronged when you're putting a team together," Clark said. "You've got draft picks, trades and free agent signings. Probably half their team was drafted by the Sharks. Timmy has always done a good job in the draft. They drafted these boys and they were patient with them. There was talk that they were going to blow it up and start over last year, but they kept it together."
Pete DeBoer came in as head coach for this year with assistants Bob Boughner and Steve Spott.
"It seems they have an old school way about them," Clark said. "They seem to press the right buttons. The team plays hard and the players seem to be having a lot of fun. That's what I mean by old school. It seems some teams don't have fun anymore in the NHL. It's all so serious. They look like they have a lot of fun."
XXX
Sharks captain Joe Pavelski and Penguins rookie forward Conor Sheary both have indirect ties to UNH.
Pavelski's brother, Scott, played for the Wildcats and was a senior in the 2012-13 season.
Sheary is another player out of Melrose and played at the University of Massachusetts. His sister, Courtney, played on the UNH women's hockey team. She was a senior defenseman for the 2010-11 Wildcats.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
The Black Hawks knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-0, that night to clinch the Cup, winning the championship series, four games to two.
Van Riemsdyk, an All American as a UNH sophomore, helped the Black Hawks to the title.
Wildcat hockey fans – particularly those whose roots run long and deep with the team – again have a rooting interest in the Cup finals.
Another former UNH All American defenseman – Tim Burke – has been a major piece of the building effort that has the San Jose Sharks playing in the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Burke, who played his high school hockey in Melrose, Mass., has been with the Sharks since the 1992-93 season, their second year of existence. He's been director of scouting with the team since 1996.
"He's from my hometown, a Melrose guy, and he grew up in my neighborhood and I've known him since he was a little kid," said UNH coach Dick Umile. "He's been very, very supportive of our program and he's done a tremendous job for San Jose. He's pretty influential with that organization and it's kind of neat to follow him. The NHL playoffs are the best anyway and it does make it more exciting."
Burke got to UNH a few years after Umile left and was an All American as a senior in 1977.
The protocol in the business, Gordie Clark said, is to play these things down the middle and not have a favorite in a series.
Clark, a two-time All American forward at UNH, is the director of player personnel with the New York Rangers. Two years ago, he was in Burke's spot with his team in the finals and the Rangers fell in a six-game series.
"We stay neutral in these series," Clark said. "But in this case it's a friend and a guy who's been very good in the business and an ex-teammate. I've picked my side. I'm happy Timmy got in the playoffs and I hope they win the Stanley Cup. I can't stay neutral in this one."
After dropping a 2-1 game in overtime on Wednesday night, the Sharks are down two games to none to the Penguins. The first two games were in Pittsburgh and the series resumes Saturday night in San Jose.
Clark was a senior when Burke arrived as a UNH freshman for coach Charlie Holt in the 1973-74 season.
"He was an impact player right away," Clark said. "He had size, he could skate and move the puck and had an absolute bomb from the point. You could see right away he had a real good combination. He played good defense and then joined the rush and played on the point on the power play with that bomb."
Burke scored 30 goals and had 110 assists for 140 points in 130 games in his UNH career. He holds school records for most career points and assists by a defenseman.
After playing six years of professional hockey, mostly in the American Hockey League, Burke went to Princeton as an assistant coach, moved into the New Jersey Devils organization and joined the Sharks in 1992 as director of pro scouting.
"He's been at it a long time and he has a very good reputation in the business," Clark said.
Burke and the rest of the Shark brass have largely built the team through the NHL draft, with players such as forward Joe Thornton (in 2005) and goalie Martin Jones (last summer) acquired by trade, both from the Boston Bruins.
"It's three-pronged when you're putting a team together," Clark said. "You've got draft picks, trades and free agent signings. Probably half their team was drafted by the Sharks. Timmy has always done a good job in the draft. They drafted these boys and they were patient with them. There was talk that they were going to blow it up and start over last year, but they kept it together."
Pete DeBoer came in as head coach for this year with assistants Bob Boughner and Steve Spott.
"It seems they have an old school way about them," Clark said. "They seem to press the right buttons. The team plays hard and the players seem to be having a lot of fun. That's what I mean by old school. It seems some teams don't have fun anymore in the NHL. It's all so serious. They look like they have a lot of fun."
XXX
Sharks captain Joe Pavelski and Penguins rookie forward Conor Sheary both have indirect ties to UNH.
Pavelski's brother, Scott, played for the Wildcats and was a senior in the 2012-13 season.
Sheary is another player out of Melrose and played at the University of Massachusetts. His sister, Courtney, played on the UNH women's hockey team. She was a senior defenseman for the 2010-11 Wildcats.
Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu
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