Gilbert Burford (February 29, 1924 – July 10, 2022) was a Canadian-American ice hockey

right wing Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authori ...

who played for

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Career

Burford was born and raised in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Burford made a name for himself in the local league (the nascent IHL) helping his team reach back-to-back finals in 1946 and '47. He began attending University of Michigan on a hockey scholarship in the fall of 1947 and, after a year on the freshman team, joined the varsity squad. Burford swiftly became one of the team's top scorers, notching 56 points in his sophomore season, finishing just 4 points behind senior

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Gordon MacMillan General Sir Gordon Holmes Alexander MacMillan of MacMillan and Knap, (7 January 1897 – 21 January 1986) was a professional soldier who rose to become a general in the British Army. As a young officer during the First World War, he displayed o ...

for the team lead. Burford exploded in his second season, scoring 40 goals and earning 69 points, both new team records. Michigan reached the tournament for the third consecutive season in

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

but they were stymied in the national semifinal for the second straight year. Burford took his frustration out on

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

in the consolation game with a 5-goal effort. Burford was named team captain for the 1950–51 season and the Wolverines were, once again, a major force in college hockey. Burford raised his points total to 71 but finished second behind fellow senior

Neil Celley Neil 'The Seal' Celley (1927-2019) was a former American ice hockey coach and player who was a member of the US national team at the 1948 Winter Olympics. Career Neil Celley joined the Michigan ice hockey team after winning a state championship ...

. Michigan received the top western seed in the tournament and this time they did not let the opportunity slip through their fingers. Burford recorded two assists in both tournament games and while he only scored one goal, it turned out to be the game-winner in the championship match. Burford was named as both an AHCA First Team All-American and to the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

First All-Tournament Team. When Burford ended his college career he was the all-time NCAA leader in both goals (103) and points (196). His goal total stood for only one year while he was passed on the scoring list by

John Mayasich John Edward Mayasich (born May 22, 1933) is an American former ice hockey player of Croatian descent. He was a member of the U.S. ice hockey team that won a silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics. ...

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

. Burford's 40-goal season in 1950 is still tied for the fourth-best total in Michigan history as of 2020 (despite many players playing in nearly twice the number of games). Burford was inducted into the Michigan Dekers Club Hall of Fame in 1970. He died at his home in Redford on July 10, 2022, at the age of 98.

Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Awards and honors

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burford, Gil 1924 births 2022 deaths American ice hockey right wingers Ice hockey people from Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey players Ice hockey people from Windsor, Ontario NCAA men's ice hockey national champions AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans