A shocker in the local hockey world today as Battalion star forward Luke Burghardt announced his retirement.
On an Instagram post he wrote:"Not the way I wanted to end my OHL career, but just wanted to take the time to say thank you to the North Bay Battalion organization for everything they have done for me. To everyone from the coaches to the trainers and everyone in the organization thank you. To all the fans thank you for supporting us was a hell of a ride!"
Burghardt, a forward who came over in a multiplayer trade with Guelph last summer involving former first-round pick Zach Poirier, had 28 goals and 43 assists for 73 points last season.
He was expected to hold one of the overage spots on the Battalion roster this season.
It's believed Burghardt suffers from severe back problems.
Burghardt was named 181 in the final rankings issued in mid-April by the National Hockey League’s central scouting department in advance of the draft.
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