carousel182

Claim 2

2

Happy birthday VHL!

Michael Burch Interview Michael Burch answering questions after recently being picked up by the Bern Royals How are you adjusting to life in Bern, and Switzerland? It is not too far from my home which is pretty great. This means I can go home and see my parents often which I’m sure they will love. However, English has been my primary language, and really the only language I have ever spoke in my life. It has been interesting for me adjusting to life in a country where it is not the main language. My Swiss teammates have been teaching me a bit of German, so that should make my life a bit easier. It has been a bit of a struggle to communicate so far. You have been playing major minutes for Bern so far this season, how does it feel to jump right into that Top-2 defensive role? I feel like I have been adjusting to it pretty well so far. When I joined the team, STZ told me right off the bat that I would be getting a lot of ice time, and he is certainly living up to his word in that aspect. He has also been mentoring me one on one in ways to improve my game which has really helped out my development. I have 6 points so far on the season, so it is also nice to find my scoring touch out there on the ice. This has been called a rebuilding season for Bern, does that take any negative effect on you? Obviously it is tough to go out there and lose most nights. However, we have some great guys on our team that keep things light, and make sure that things do not get too dreary in our locker room. I am also taking this as an opportunity to impress STZ, as Bern has 4 first round picks in the upcoming draft. I would love to come back to Bern when the team will actually be built for contending, so I am taking this season as a bit of a try out for the team next year. You are from England, a nation that is not too hockey crazy. What made you want to become a professional hockey player? I actually have family over in Canada, and we always took an annual visit to see them every year. My Canadian cousins were absolutely obsessed with hockey. All we used to do there was play. Their excitement definitely rubbed off onto me, as I too began to become obsessed with the game. I was also taken to a pro game over in Canada, and the experience was absolutely amazing. The energy coming from the crowd was something I had never felt before. After all of this, I begged my parents back in England to let me play. It was a bit difficult finding a place to play in Manchester, but it all worked out for me, and now I am playing in the VHLM, which is a dream come true. (491 Words)

2

Player Information Name: Michael Burch Age: 19 Height: 6’2” Weight (lbs): 194 Birthplace: Manchester, England Position: Right Defense Shoots: Right Biography Burch is a two way defender born in Manchester, England. Not a hot spot for hockey, Burch was out on the few ice rinks in Manchester while his friends were playing rugby and cricket. This continued dedication to hockey was noticed by scouts for the Bern Royals, who picked up Burch from waivers recently. He will likely be playing on their first pairing this year, gaining experience in the VHLM with dreams of being a VHL player in Burch’s mind. Pros Skating Michael Burch is an explosive skater. He has the ability to go coast to coast if he desires, which he has displayed often in his career. Once Burch gets to full stride, it is very hard to stop him, as he accelerates very quickly and is able to maintain this speed to make it the whole way down the ice. He also is able to keep up with even the fastest skaters as the league, and it is unlikely to see any opposing players blow past with Burch with their speed. Defense Burch is very effective at shutting down opposing forwards. He is very effective at reading plays, and is always in position to prevent good scoring opportunities for the opposing team to occur. This comes from his superb hockey I.Q. He thinks the game very well, and it is very unlikely that he will ever be tricked or caught off guard by opposing players. He is very good at using his stick to break up plays, either through poke checking or deflecting shots away from the net. Scoring Burch has a cannon of a slapshot for a 19 year old, consistently having the hardest shot in every league that he has played in. Opposing players dread laying down in front of a slap shot by him, as it is sure to cause a trip to the ice bath after the game. This shot gives him the ability to be a vital member of the powerplay, and a continual scoring option from the point. Leadership Burch is a class act both off and on the ice, and is one of the hardest working players in the game today. This is a great example to be set for other members of the team. Burch is captain material in the VHLM. Cons Checking Burch is not a very physical defender, and you will rarely see him making a bone crunching hit, striking fear into opposing players. He prefers to use his stick to knock the puck away from players rather than using his body. However, this is a positive in some ways as you will rarely ever see him out of position, which happens sometimes with defenders who are always going for the huge hits. Puck Handling One area that Burch struggles with is handling the puck. He sometimes has trouble receiving the puck, either fumbling the puck or completely losing it. This can prevent Burch from using one of his greatest weapons in his shot. He needs to further work on his handling skills in order to get it up to par with his scoring and skating ability. This will enable him to be a threat in both ends of the ice. Discipline Since Burch uses his stick so much to shut down opposing players, he has a tendency to take either tripping or high sticking penalties by being too eager to knock away the puck. He needs to learn to be controlled with his stick lifting and poke checking in order to prevent putting the other team on the powerplay. Final Thoughts Burch has the potential to be a force in both the offensive and defensive zones. He is a raw prospect right now, but with the GM of Bern, STZ, guiding his development, it won’t be a surprise to see Burch develop into one of the best defenders in the VHLM.

2 TPE

Michael Burch- unassigned