Rookie goalie Charlie Burns plays like veteran during Erie Otters' win against Guelph
It was Jan. 9 when the Erie Otters acquired rookie goaltender Charlie Burns from the Niagara IceDogs.
Erie made the trade with the idea the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, native, who turned 18 on Monday, would be Ben Gaudreau’s heir as its regular netminder.
The Otters or Burns didn’t know at the time such a future would arrive so soon.
Burns won his second Ontario Hockey League start in as many games for the Otters on Thursday afternoon. Five days after he helped them defeat the rival London Knights, the rookie made 23 saves en route to their 3-0 victory over the Guelph Storm at Erie Insurance Arena.
A crowd of 4,706, heavily comprised of students from area schools, watched Burns lead Erie’s first regular season shutout win at home since Nov. 3, 2019. He accomplished that as a substitute for Gaudreau, who’s been sidelined with a foot injury suffered during the team’s Jan. 21 game at Sault Ste. Marie.
“This has been a pretty crazy journey this year between Fort Erie (of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League), Niagara and now up to here,” Burns said. “But I’m super grateful to be given this opportunity to show what I can do.”
Thursday’s win left Erie 22-19-4-0 in the league’s Midwest Division. Guelph dropped to 25-18-2-1, third in the same standings.
‘Looks really calm out there’
Coach Stan Butler started Jacob Gibbons in net for Erie’s 6-5 loss at Oshawa last Friday, and then Burns a night later. The inherent pressure of his OHL debut was augmented by the fact it came against the visiting Knights before a sellout crowd.
Erie staked Burns to an early 3-0 advantage, only to watch London rally and then force overtime at 4-all. The game went to the shootout after neither team scored during the extra five-minute session.
The Otters finally won 5-4. Although Ondrej Molnar and Malcolm accounted for Erie’s goals during that format, Burns was still voted the game’s first star for stopping one-on-one shots by the Knights’ Ruslan Gazizov and Denver Barkey.
“Charlie’s made it look easy his first two starts,” Erie assistant coach Wes Wolfe said. “You can’t say enough good things when you beat London and then follow it up with a shutout. He had good movement (around the net Thursday) and a lot of rebound control.”
“He looks really calm out there and I think that’s instilling a lot of confidence in our guys.”
Burns thanked his teammates, Gaudreau included, for helping him throughout the sudden and successful start to his OHL career.
“The older guys in particular have been really good with me,” he said.
Erie never trailed after Spence scored against Guelph goalie Brayden Gillespie only 4 minutes, 28 second into Thursday’s action. The Otters’ Brett Bressette and Spencer Sova added insurance goals in the second and third periods, respectively.
Carey Terrance didn’t add to his team-leading goal total of 24, but did assist on Sova’s 13th this season.
More: Erie Otters deal for another goalie; Wednesday's game postponed
What’s next?
Wolfe has typically spoken to the media in place of Butler after Erie’s home games this season. He wouldn’t offer any status on Gaudreau’s injury or a timetable for his return.
Gaudreau, an overager whom Erie also acquired by trade last October, didn’t dress Thursday. The two-time Hockey Canada junior gold medalist was seen outside Erie’s locker room after the game.
That means Burns or Gibbons will be Erie’s goalie throughout a busy weekend. Thursday’s game was the team’s first of three at home over a five-day stretch.
The Otters travel to London on Friday and then return to EIA for Saturday’s 7 p.m. puck drop against Kitchener. They’ll also host the Barrie Colts next Monday.
That game that was postponed from Jan. 10 because of poor ice conditions.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Otters rookie goalie Charlie Burns blanks Guelph Storm
