Retired Canadian professional ice hockey player Shawn Burr passed away yesterday, 5th August 2013. Burr, who played 11 of his 16 NHL seasons with Detroit, died at age 47, as announced by the Red Wings. Burr played in the NHL for parts of 16 seasons from 1985-2000. Burr was drafted 7th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. Burr played 878 career NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings,Tampa Bay Lightning and the San Jose Sharks, scoring 181 goals and 259 assists for 440 points. He also garnered 1,069 penalty minutes.
The Sarnia, Ontario native was elected president of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association in 2007 and was active in its efforts to raise money for children’s charities in Metro Detroit. While Burr had a lengthy battle with cancer, Dave Goetze, who heads up the Shawn Burr Foundation, told the Detroit Free Press that Burr died following a fall in his home that caused massive brain trauma. He created his foundation to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society after he was diagnosed with myelogenous leukemia two years ago. He successfully completed chemotherapy and was reportedly cancer free, however it returned the following year.
Shawn Christopher Burr (July 1, 1966 – August 5, 2013)