Burden, Ryan thrilled to have MHL franchise

Scott Burden didn’t have to think twice when his good buddy Bruce Ryan asked him if he was interested in purchasing a hockey franchise in the Maritime Hockey League.

Burden and Ryan became friends while their sons were honing their skills in the Corner Brook minor hockey system a few years back and coached together for a number of years before Burden moved his family to Halifax in 2014.

Burden, a Corner Brook native, and Ryan, a native of Mulgrave, N.S., who lives in Corner Brook, are the new Crushers owners.

Back in November, Ryan approached Burden about his plan to look for an MHL franchise to call his own.

Ryan quickly learned the owners of the Crushers had been looking for a buyer for some time. This was a cool revelation, given Ryan’s son Brayden is a rookie on the team.

Coincidentally, while negotiations were going on with the team, Burden’s connection to the club strengthened.

His son Andrew had been dealt to the Crushers from the Edmundston Blizzard. This transaction Burden said was coincidence, but a pleasant surprise to both of them.

Ryan — who grew up a 90-minute drive away from the rink in New Glasgow so is familiar with the area — is a hockey fan and always wanted to get directly involved with the game, so he figured owning a hockey team was the best way to make it happen.

The new owners know some people are already wondering what impact will result from their sons playing for the Crushers, but both have sat down with the coach and general manager.

“We talked to them and told them to treat them the same or worse than everybody else. The only thing they can’t do is treat them better,” Burden said.