Friday, March 2, 2012

BURROWS NAMED EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Press Release

The Ontario Junior Hockey League today announced that Ken Burrows of the Stouffville Spirit has been named the inaugural recipient of the OJHL Executive-of-the-Year Award.

Burrows has spent the majority of the past 15 years with the Spirit organization, holding numerous different roles with the club during his tenure. Currently the Spirit’s Co-Owner, Governor and General Manager, he has turned the Spirit into a perennial contender with his vision for the team. Built through a hard-working attitude and an extremely knowledgeable scouting and player recruitment process, including countless hours spent in rinks himself, Burrows has helped make the Stouffville Spirit one of the OJHL’s model franchises while working with a modest budget. He is also a big supporter of all league initiatives, making a concerted effort to participate in all OJHL functions and projects, most recently being named the Team Leader for Team North and Team West at the 2011 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge that was held in Smiths Falls, Ontario.

Last season the Spirit would finish second in the North Division and make a big jump in the playoffs, upsetting the OJHL regular season champion Newmarket Hurricanes in overtime of game seven, before ultimately falling to the event OJHL champion Wellington Dukes in the semi-final. Despite losing a large number of the club’s key components from last year’s success, Burrows’ recruiting efforts have allowed the Spirit to remain a contender once again this season. Yet, he does so while also keeping the best interest of the players in mind and runs a program that sees a significant number of commitments each season to the NCAA, CHL and CIS.

Despite playing one fewer game in the standings this season, Stouffville would actually improve upon its record, finishing the season with 73 points, one more than last year, on the strength of a 32-8-5-4 record, once again finishing second to Newmarket in the North Division. Burrow’s rebuild year-after-year has recently seen some of the OJHL’s brightest stars play in Stouffville. Last season’s list includes the CJHL’s top NHL draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Brennan Serville, as well as the OJHL’s Most Improved Player and 50 goal scorer, Matt Neal. This season’s group includes the OJHL Top Scorer and 1st Team All-Star, Christian Finch, fellow 1st Team All-Star and second leading defensive scorer, Paul Geiger, and 1st Team All-Prospect Drake Caggiula.

The 45 year-old native of Stouffville started his career with the Spirit as a scout back in 1997-98 and would also serve time as an Assistant Coach before taking over as General Manager beginning with the 2001-02 season. He would spend six seasons in that role, including a trip to the league championship series in 2006, before moving on to join the Collingwood Blues as their General Manager for one season in 2007-08. He returned to the Spirit again the next season where he continues to run one of the league’s most successful programs.

The OJHL Executive-of-the-Year Award is awarded annually to the Executive that is adjudged to have
exceeded expectations in his role with the club throughout the course of the regular season, including, but not limited to, President, Vice-President, General Manager, Assistant General Manager and Marketing Executives.


Kelly Martin of the Cobourg Cougars was named runner-up in the OJHL award balloting to Burrows.

Martin has spent the past two seasons as the Cougars Marketing Director helping create community living and game day experience programs that are among the envy of the OJHL, as well as spear-heading the 2011 OJHL Governors’ Showcase as the Event Coordinator.

The inaugural OJHL Scholastic Player-of-the-Year Award, as well as the Most Improved Player Award, recipients will be announced next week.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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