As his skates glide across the ice, he is unable to stop smiling. Dragging his stick behind him, he races past his teammates to the red line. He feels at home.

To sophomore Gordie Burnett stepping onto the ice brings an adrenaline rush he gets nowhere else.

“It’s just different from everything else,” Burnett said.

He started playing ice hockey at age 3 and has been playing for more than 13 years. He is currently playing outside of school for the Stockton Colts, a peewee hockey club, where he spends two days a week at Oak Park Ice Arena practicing after school for at least two hours. His season ,October through March, consist of six months. During this time period he spends most of his weekends playing games, where he goes as far as the Bay Area.

Hockey has always been a huge part of his life, for him and his family.

“My dad is really into hockey,” he said.
His father’s love for the sport is so strong that he even named Burnett and his brother after famous hockey players. Burnett is named after Gordie Howe, one of the greatest hockey players of all time. His brother, Cam, who plays goalie for the Colts on a younger team, is named after Cam Neely, a more recent star.

Because his brother plays hockey as well, Gordie always has someone around him to encourage and challenge him. As a forward he is also able to receive one-on-one time with a goalie whenever he needs.

“We practice against each other and it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

On the ice, there is quite a difference in size between Burnett and his teammates. Even with his small size he sets himself apart from the other forwards with his speed. This doesn’t stop him from occasionally getting checked (a hockey term used to describe hitting another player into the wall).

Being a forward, one his favorite professional players is Joe Thornton, a forward for the San Jose Sharks. Because of there similar positions, Thornton inspires him to be a team player instead of taking the shots on his own.

Although hockey is a passion of Burnett’s now, he doesn’t see himself developing a career out of it.

“I might play in college,” he said. “But I want to major in architecture.”
Despite his anticipated major Burnett’s passion for the sport is strong. And even though he doesn’t see himself playing in the future, hockey will always be part of his life