Knoxville Ice Bears

Former Ice Bear Joins Boston Bruins Organization

date: 09/15/2011

 

Former Ice Bear Joins Boston Bruins Organization

For immediate release. For more information please contact Dave Feather
at (865) 525-7825 / (865) 254-7825 or at
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

 

Knoxville, TN –Former Knoxville Ice Bears’ youth hockey camp instructor Cole Burkhalter has accepted a position with the Boston Bruins. Burkhalter, a Knoxville-native, will take over as the Bruins’ Assistant Director of Hockey Operations.

After serving as an instructor at Ice Bears’ youth camps from 2006-09, Burkhalter became the first-ever recipient of the Brendan Burke internship. The USA Hockey internship was established in the memory Brendan Burke. Brendan was the son of Brian Burke, the general manager of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey Team, and was killed in a car accident in 2010. Among his many responsibilities with U.S.A. Hockey, Burkhalter was the team leader of the Under-20 U.S.A. World Junior team.

In 2003 Burkhalter was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The 17-year-old was given just a 60 percent chance of surviving. After beating cancer, his focus shifted from playing to coaching. In addition to working in the Ice Bears’ youth camps, he’s spent time as a hockey operations intern at Canisius College, as an instructor with the Knoxville Amateur Hockey Association and as a coach of the Nichols School Prep hockey team.

Burkhalter will become the fifth person from the Ice Bears to go on to work in the NHL.

Burkhalter earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2008.

The Knoxville Ice Bears kick off the season on Friday, October 21^st at 7:30 pm at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.  The evening will feature a tribute to the launch of the 10^th Anniversary Season. 

 

Season Tickets are on sale for as low as $49.00 per month.  For information please call the Knoxville Ice Bears office at (865) 525-7825 for more information.

###

 

Back