Nolan Burke aiming to play full-time with Sarnia Sting next season

It’s been Nolan Burke’s dream since he was a little boy to play in the OHL and now he’s one step closer.

The Peterborough native signed with the Sarnia Sting earlier this week. He’ll continue to play his first year of junior with the OJHL’s Pickering Panthers but expects to see some games with the Sting this season before joining them full-time next season.

“It was a great feeling when I got the call from my agent and (Sting GM) Nick Sinclair telling me they wanted to sign me and try to get me into a game as soon as possible,” said Burke, via phone from Pickering where he is billeting this season while playing for the Panthers.

He has one goal in eight games with Pickering.

“My mom and dad were really excited for me. It was a no-brainer to sign that contract. It’s where I wanted to play.”

Burke, 15, was the Sting’s fourth round pick (79th overall) in the 2018 OHL draft. The sixfoot-one 185-pound forward led the Peterborough Minor Midget AAA Petes in scoring with 22 goals and 25 assists last season.

Burke is the second of 10 players off that Minor Midget AAA Petes team to sign an OHL contract. Goalie Will Cranley, a second-round draft pick, is playing for the Ottawa 67’s this season.

Growing up in an OHL city, he said it’s where he aspired to play.

“Seeing all the players who have gone through the Petes organization and other players I’ve followed go through the league who had really good success and moved onto other things,” he said.

“A lot of good hockey players have come through the OHL and I want to follow in their footsteps.”

The Sting have been near the top of the OHL standings the past two years and he likes the direction they are headed.

“They’ve been great to me ever since I was drafted. They’ve told me how excited they are to have me and all the camps have been so positive. It’s a great organization and a great group of guys to be around, a great facility and dressing room. It’s a dream organization to play for,” he said.

Burke went to camp hoping to crack the team for this season.

“I was pretty disappointed at first but Nick reassured me they thought I had a really good camp and was going to be a big part of their future,” Burke said.

“They wanted me to go to Pickering and play every game and play a lot and develop my skills playing against bigger, older, physical guys kind of like in the O. They wanted me to improve my game so when I make the jump I’m already at that speed.”