Garrett Burnett

Garrett "Rocky" Burnett (September 23, 1975 – April 11, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the National Hockey League in the 2003–04 season.

Playing career Undrafted, Burnett played primarily in the then-named East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) before signing as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 2, 1998. Used solely as an enforcer, Burnett was largely a journeyman. In Burnett's minor league career, he amassed 2,562 penalty minutes for 13 different teams. In the 1999–2000 season, in only 58 games with the Kentucky Thoroughblades of the American Hockey League (AHL), he had 506 penalty minutes.

After signing with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on July 25, 2003, Burnett made his NHL debut in the 2003–04 season. Burnett's first career NHL goal came against Brent Johnson of the Phoenix Coyotes on March 17, 2004. The enforcer played 39 games and registered 184 penalty minutes while scoring one goal and adding two assists. Burnett participated in 22 fights in his sole NHL season with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. His reputation for having a "face of stone" was solidified in his March 19, 2004, fight against San Jose's Scott Parker, who sustained a broken hand from fighting Burnett.

Burnett signed an NHL one-way contract for the 2004–05 season plus a one-year option, but due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout only played briefly as the player-assistant coach for the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League (UHL) in 2004. Burnett became a free agent and was signed by the Dallas Stars for the 2005–06 season, in which he played for Dallas' minor league affiliates the Iowa Stars and Phoenix RoadRunners.

His last game played was in the Quebec-based Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) on December 17, 2006, playing for the Summum Chiefs. The league suspended him for throwing a net at an opposing player.

Two-sport athlete Burnett also tried his hand at lacrosse, signing with the Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) in 2006, landing on their practice roster. He had not played an NLL game as of the 2006 season. During the 2006 season he played lacrosse for the New Westminster Salmonbellies of the Western Lacrosse Association Vancouver.

Victim of assault Burnett was assaulted in the early hours of December 26, 2006, inside and outside of a nightclub in North Delta, British Columbia. He was in a coma in a Vancouver hospital. In November 2011 Burnett lost his negligence lawsuit.

Death Burnett died on April 11, 2022, at the age of 46. He was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) following his death.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1994–95 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL 14 0 1 1 78 — — — — — 1994–95 Kitchener Rangers OHL 22 0 1 1 74 3 0 1 1 23 1995–96 Utica Blizzard CoHL 15 0 1 1 78 — — — — — 1995–96 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 3 0 0 0 20 — — — — — 1995–96 Tulsa Oilers CHL 6 1 0 1 94 — — — — — 1995–96 Nashville Knights ECHL 3 0 0 0 22 — — — — — 1995–96 Jacksonville Lizard Kings ECHL 8 0 1 1 38 1 0 0 0 0 1996–97 Knoxville Cherokees ECHL 50 5 11 16 321 — — — — — 1997–98 Johnstown Chiefs ECHL 34 1 1 2 331 — — — — — 1997–98 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 14 1 2 3 129 — — — — — 1998–99 Kentucky Thoroughblades AHL 31 1 0 1 186 — — — — — 1999–2000 Kentucky Thoroughblades AHL 58 3 3 6 506 4 0 0 0 31 2000–01 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 54 2 4 6 250 — — — — — 2001–02 New Haven Knights UHL 4 1 0 1 40 — — — — — 2001–02 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 32 1 0 1 175 — — — — — 2002–03 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 62 6 1 7 346 1 0 0 0 2 2003–04 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 39 1 2 3 184 — — — — — 2004–05 Danbury Trashers UHL 7 0 1 1 48 — — — — — 2005–06 Iowa Stars AHL 10 0 1 1 104 — — — — — 2005–06 Phoenix RoadRunners ECHL 29 1 2 3 74 — — — — — 2006–07 Saint-Jean Chiefs LNAH 4 0 0 0 70 — — — — — AHL totals 261 14 11 25 1696 5 0 0 0 33 NHL totals 39 1 2 3 184 — — — — —