As summer drags on, we look at some past Devils draft picks that never quite made it to the NHL and what happened in their hockey careers. This week, we examine defenseman Brandon Burlon.
All About Burlon
Drafted by the Devils in the 2nd round (56th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Brandon Burlon was the third highest player ever selected from the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the OPJHL after longtime NHLers Andrew Cogliano and Brendan Smith. A 6’0 defenseman, Burlon was alternate captain of the Buzzers in his draft
year and committed to the University of Michigan, where he would play three seasons including one final year with future Devils defenseman John Merrill. Burlon’s offensive numbers were never flashy, but solid, even finishing 2nd in defensive scoring for Michigan in his final collegiate season behind the aforementioned Merrill with 18 points in 38 games.
Then it was off to the Albany Devils for Burlon, who would be a mainstay of their defensive core for five full seasons between 2011-2016. Burlon’s best season would be an 8 goal, 36 point campaign in 2014-2015. It would be Burlon’s second to last season in the organization.
Burlon would never get the call. In his final season with the franchise, the playoff-missing Devils would suit up a long list of defenseman, including Eric Gelinas (35 games), David Warsofsky (10 games), Marc-Andre Gragnani (4 games), Seth Helgeson (19 games), Vojtech Mozik (7 games) and Steven Santini (1 game), while seeing regular contributions from the likes of David Schlemko (67 games) and Burlon’s former collegiate teammate John Merrill (47 games), but never Burlon.
The then 26-year-old defender would try his luck with a new organization and would be the first signing of the newly-minted Tuscan Roadrunners after the Coyotes moved their AHL affiliate from Springfield that summer. Injuries would hamper any chance with the Coyotes and 2016-17 would prove to be Burlon’s last season in North America.
Burlon would bounce around Europe first with the of the Dusseldorfer EG of the Deutche Eishockey Liga, then the Stavanger Oilers of Norway’s EHL, followed by a split season between the Hockey Allsvenskan and Austria’s EBEL before the pandemic shut down hockey. Burlon would attempt a brief comeback in 2024-25 playing 8 games for the Orangeville Blitz of the OSHL and two games for the Indy Fuel of the ECHL before ending his career.
Your Thoughts
Do you remember Brandon Burlon? Any other former prospects you would like profiled in this segment? Let us know in the comments below.
