Game On Magazine 2017 Game On Magazine - Regular Season Edition | Page 48

two 21-year-olds) but that
doesn’t faze him one bit.
Midway through January,
Burmey had 14 goals and 39
points in just 31 games and
was in the Top 10 in scoring
in the MMJHL. Along with
being a leader on and off the
ice, he also prides himself
as being “a diverse player”
in the offensive zone.
“Earlier in my career I was
looking to be a playmaker so
I always thought, ‘Pass first,’
but lately I’ve been trying to
score more goals,” he said.
“I try to always be a captain
with good vision, leadership
and a knack for the net.”
That’s a dangerous
trifecta in the MMJHL and
it’s what makes Burmey
an excellent player.
Nicolas started playing
hockey when he was five-
years-old and played out of
Southdale for the Railcats.
He moved to the Double A
Warriors when he was 15. He
wasn’t selected in the WHL
Bantam Draft so he joined
the Riels at age 17 and was
given an assistant captain’s
role in his second year with
the team. He has now been
a major player in the Riels
system for three full seasons.
A great all-around
athlete, Burmey was also an
outstanding striker playing
soccer for the very competitive
Boni-Vital Junior team.
“Eventually I had to make a
decision between soccer and
hockey,” he said. “I’m happy
with my choice and I'm really
enjoying my time with the
Riels. We have a group that is
getting better and we have a
really great group of coaches.”
Burmey said a coach that
had made a real difference
in his hockey career has
been Scott Coates who
led the Double A Warriors
when Nicolas was 15.
“He’s a guy that made a
difference and was always
committed to making
his players better,” said
Burmey who also credits his
current coach with helping
him grow as a player.
“My coach, Ryan Frykas, is
an excellent leader who likes
to roll four lines and keep all
the guys involved,” Burmey
said. “He supports me by
talking to me all the time
making sure we're on the same
page. Ryan is patient while
Jason Frykas, our other coach,
is more vocal and works hard
trying to motivate us that way.
Ryan is the voice of reason
and focuses the team well.
“The coaches and I talk
everyday to make sure we’re
on the same page and I know
that if we stick to the game
plan we will succeed.”
For Nicolas, being a
captain of one of the
younger teams in the league
is a challenge, but it’s also
something he thrives on.
“I try to show the young
guys that we have a lot of
potential as a team,” he
said. “What I want to build
is the confidence we must
have to be successful.”
Not surprisingly, the Riels
captain has high hopes for
the second half of the season.
He believes that with the
great mix of players and top
notch coaching the Riels will
eventually grab a playoff spot.
No one in the organization
doubts that Nicolas Burmey
will find a way to engineer
his playoff goal. ❍
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