Stan
John Burnosky born in 1911 holds the Guiness Book of World Records for the most durable ice Hockey Player ever. John began playing at Kelvin Technical High School, Winnipeg, Mantioba, Canada in 1929. Burnosky still played regularly in July 2004, when he featured in the 29th Senior World Hockey Tournament held at Santa Rosa, California, USA. That is 75 years of regular Ice Hockey.
- Nicknamed “Rabbit” by his Red Wings’ farm teammates for his speed on the ice.
- Married his wife Lenoa (Lee) in 1935.
- One of his Detroit-area homes was demolished to make way for the I-94 expressway.
- He built an ice rink every winter in the backyard of his home on Balfour so he could pass on his hockey skills to his children and their friends.
From a short stint on the city league, Burnosky came to the U.S. in 1933 for a tryout with the Red Wings. His size kept him out of the majors, but he would spend 10 years on the farm team, playing at Olympia on Monday nights for $5 a game, plus traveling expenses.
Burnosky claims to have even skated with hockey greats Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuk.
Although Burnosky never made it to the official Red Wings team, he maintained a career on the ice until 2009, during which time he earned the title of “Most Durable Ice Hockey Player” in the Guinness Book of World Records,
One of his children still sgarpens skates in Clinton Township at Bruno’s Dive and Hockey Shop.
