Gil Burford

Gilbert Burford was an American-born Canadian retired ice hockey Right Wing who played for Michigan in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
==Career==
Burford was born in Detroit but grew up just south in Windsor, Ontario. After World War II Burford made a name for himself in the local league (the nascent IHL) helping his team reach back-to-back finals in 1946 and '47. He began attending Michigan in the fall of 1947 and, after a year on the freshman team, joined the varsity squad. Burford swiftly became one of the team's top scorers, notching 56 points in his sophomore season, finishing just 4 points behind senior captain Gordon MacMillan for the team lead. Burford exploded in his second season, scoring 40 goals and earning 69 points, both new team records. Michigan reached the tournament for the third consecutive season in 1950 but they were stymied in the national semifinal for the second straight year. Burford took his frustration out on Boston College in the consolation game with a 5-goal effort.
Burford was named team captain for the 1950–51 season and the Wolverines were, once again, a major force in college hockey. Burford raised his point total to 71 but finished second behind fellow senior Neil Celley. Michigan received the top western seed in the tournament and this time they did not let the opportunity slip through their fingers. Burford recorded two assists in both tournament games and while he only scored one goal, it turned out to be the game-winner in the championship match. Burford was named as both an AHCA First Team All-American and to the NCAA First All-Tournament Team.
When Burford ended his college career he was the all-time NCAA leader in both goals (103) and points (196). His goal total stood for only one year while he was passed on the scoring list by John Mayasich in 1954. Burford's 40-goal season in 1950 is still tied for the fourth-best total in Michigan history as of 2020 (despite many players playing in nearly twice the number of games).
Burford was inducted into the Michigan Dekers Club Hall of Fame in 1970
==Statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1944–45 	Windsor Gotfredsons 	WinCHL 		12 	23 	14 	37 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1945–46 	Detroit Auto Club 	IHL 		2 	1 	2 	3 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1945–46 	Detroit Bright's Goodyears	IHL 		4 	3 	4 	7 	0 		2 	4 	1 	5 	0
1946–47 	Detroit Bright's Goodyears	IHL 		25 	17 	17 	34 	12 		5 	3 	2 	5 	4
1947–48 	Detroit Bright's Goodyears	IHL 		29 	16 	15 	31 	4 		2 	3 	0 	3 	4
1948–49 	Michigan 	NCAA 		— 	26 	30 	56 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1949–50 	Michigan 	NCAA 		27 	40 	29 	69 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1950–51 	Michigan 	NCAA 		— 	37 	34 	71 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1951–52 	Detroit Hettche 	IHL 		14 	3 	9 	12 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NCAA totals	NCAA totals 	NCAA totals		— 	103 	93 	196 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
IHL totals 	IHL totals 	IHL totals 		74 	40 	47 	87 	22 		9 	10 	3 	13 	8
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
AHCA First Team All-American 	1950–51	
NCAA All-Tournament Second Team 	1951 	
Michigan Dekers Athletic Hall of Fame	1970 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Living people
Category:American ice hockey right wingers
Category:Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Category:Ice hockey people from Michigan
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey players
Category:NCAA men's ice hockey national champions