Apparently Surrey’s Luka Burzan has something to prove this hockey season.
The Brandon Wheat Kings forward was on Monday named the Western Hockey League’s On the Run Player of the Week after tallying six points in his team’s 8-4 win over Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday night (Sept. 29).
Burzan “put forth an incredible performance in his lone game of the week,” league officials said in a release, noting his five goals in the contest. Not surprisingly, he was named the game’s first star.
The six-foot-one sniper is off to a fast start with the Wheaties, after not being selected in last spring’s NHL Entry Draft.
Burzan was ranked 58th by the International Scouting Service (ISS) heading into the draft, and NHL Central Skating had him pegged 91st among North American skaters.
• RELATED: Not picked in NHL Entry Draft, Surrey’s Burzan keen to prove pro teams wrong.
What a night for Luka Burzan! 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 and 🍏 tonight for a 6⃣ point game! Wow! pic.twitter.com/QmuUV5b9yb
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) September 30, 2018
During an all-rookies tournament in early September, he played some games for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators before returning to the Dub.
Earlier in his hockey career, Burzan was selected in the first round, sixth overall, by Moose Jaw Warriors at the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft.
This year, through three games, Burzan has eight points (6G-2A), including two power-play goals and one game-winning goal as the Wheat Kings are 3-0-0-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.
To date, Burzan has appeared in 142 career WHL regular season games with the Warriors and Wheat Kings, recording 75 points (35G-40A).
Next up for Burzan and the Wheat Kings is a road trip to Moose Jaw for a game this Friday night (Oct. 5).
Luka Burzan's big night boosted the @bdnwheatkings to victory. #WHLOpeningWeek
— The WHL (@TheWHL) September 30, 2018
WHL TONIGHT 📰 | https://t.co/WLUazZmXrr pic.twitter.com/gSmtCVySaR