2020 | Colorado | COED

Heritage/LPS Hockey | Eagles | COED

It is a genuine pleasure and honor for me to nominate Patrick Burke for the Hobey Baker Award. I have known Patrick for a little more than three years as a hockey player, person, and an admirable young man. As a hockey player, I have known Patrick to be dedicated and hard-working. As a person, I have known Patrick to be motivated, loyal, and trustworthy. As an admirable young man, I have always known Patrick to be a leader, positive, and praiseworthy.
I first met Patrick during his freshman year with the Littleton Public Schools (LPS) / Heritage High School hockey program. During that year I heard nothing but glowing remarks from the JV coaches, not just because of his skills as a hockey player, but also because of the character he displayed and desire to help out the other players who were not as skilled. Throughout a very successful season, Patrick took it upon himself to help out the younger players learn their positions and better their skills.
As a sophomore, Patrick moved up to the varsity team. He not only worked hard on his physical skills but has also worked very hard to learn the mental aspects of the game and the leadership which goes along with it. Over the past three years, Patrick has continued to one of the hardest-working players in the program. This year he became a determined leader and captain on a very experienced and skilled varsity hockey team. Patrick has stepped up to the challenge of being the leader and has shown to be the character builder for the team.
One of the greatest things I can say about Patrick is that he not only continued to better himself on the ice but works just as hard and holds just as high of standard off the ice. He has always shown me great respect, dedication, and discipline to his studies, learning and overall personal growth which is rarely seen in young people his age. To this day I can honestly say, I have never heard Patrick talk down to another player or degrade another teammate but instead, he is a young man who naturally uses positive reinforcement to help and better teammates.
I will close by saying I find Patrick to be very deserving of the Hobey Baker Award. Patrick is one of those rare, great young men that you run across in your coaching career who you just know is going have a positive impact on people and be a positive influence on everyone he comes in contact with.