Vancouver Province article (Giants' Bruins suspended)

Giants' Burns suspended

By Steve Ewen, The Province

September 21, 2011 2:11 AM

The Vancouver Giants found out Tuesday that they won't have a right-winger for Friday's home opener, but it wasn't sniper Brendan Gallagher added to the inactive list this time.

The WHL head office suspended overage forward Michael Burns for two games after reviewing the kneeing major he picked up in the first period of Saturday's exhibition game against the Kelowna Rockets at the Ladner Leisure Centre.

Vancouver plays host to the Victoria Royals on Friday at the Pacific Coliseum to kick off the WHL year, and then goes to Vancouver Island on Saturday for the Royals' first-ever league game at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

Burns, an Edmonton native picked up last year in a swap with Edmonton Oil Kings, had 15 goals, 28 points, a plus-10 rating and 55 penalty minutes in 65 games with the Giants last season.

One of the Giants' three 20-year-old players, the 6-foot-3, 192-pound Burns is expected to play a second-or third-line role, and could play some on a line with his younger brother Nathan Burns, 18, a left-winger.

The first-line right wing spot belongs to Gallagher, 19, and he remains at the training camp of the Montreal Canadiens.

Gallagher, Montreal's fifth-round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, didn't dress for the Canadiens' preseason opener Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. The 5-foot-8, 175 pounder said via text message Tuesday that he hoped to find out after the Dallas game if he is going to play tonight against the Buffalo Sabres in Montreal.

The Habs also have an exhibition game Friday in Ottawa versus the Senators.

Gallagher's a long shot to make the team, especially with two years of junior eligibility remaining, but he is drawing raves from Canadiens brass and that prompts questions about how much preseason action they will want him to see.

The team website even had a feature story on him, in which coach Jacques Martin was quoted as saying: "You're thrilled to see one of your young prospects developing like that. In the year and a half that he's been part of this organization, he's proven that he has a lot of character and a lot of determination. He reminds me in that way of [team captain] Brian Gionta."

Gallagher led the Giants and was eighth overall in WHL scoring last season with 91 points, including 44 goals, in 66 regular-season games. He was also a plus-29 and had 108 minutes in penalties.

Montreal wraps up their pre-season Oct. 1. Gallagher is too young to play in the minors, so he returns automatically to Vancouver if he doesn't make the Habs.

Meanwhile, Vancouver defenceman David Musil, 18, was slated to play Tuesday for the Edmonton Oilers against the visiting Minnesota Wild. The Oilers made the 6-foot-4, 203-pound Musil a second-round pick this past summer. Their next exhibition game is Thursday, versus the visiting Vancouver Canucks.

The Oilers wrap exhibition on Oct. 1 at Vancouver. Like Gallagher, Musil is too young to play in the minors, so he'd rejoin the Giants if he doesn't make the big club.

Musil had 25 points, including six goals, in 62 regular-season games last season. He had an even plus-minus and 83 minutes in penalties.

sewen@gmail.com

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