New owners of Weeks Crushers 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 owners of the Weeks Crushers of the Maritime Hockey League and will officially take over the franchise at the end of the 2019 season.

“If a guy like Bruce calls you and says, ‘ Hey, I got a business idea’ then I’m all in because he’s successful,” Burden said. “Everything he touches turns out well.”

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

Ryan didn’t have a particular franchise in mind, but quickly learned the owners of the Crushers had been looking for a buyer for some time. is 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. is transaction Burden said was pure coincidence but a pleasant surprise to both him and his business partner.

Burden left Corner Brook in 2014 with a bad taste in his mouth when it came to his experience as a coach and former president of the association.

He was tired of coaching and dealing with irate parents so he stayed away from an active role in the game, but deep down knew he would love to get back in the game if the right opportunity came along.

“What better thrill is it to build a hockey team? It’s going to be fun. Doesn’t everyone love hockey?” Burden said.

Ryan said he’s a hockey fan and always wanted to get directly involved with the game so he gured owning a hockey team was the best way to make it happen.

Officially, Burden and Ryan won’t take over the team until the end of the regular season in April but, as part of the deal to purchase the team, the current owners allowed them to work with the organization after a deal was struck.