Brendan Burke Lands Ellery Award
by Mark Caswell, Jr.
Jul 30, 2015 The American Hockey League announced today that Utica Comets broadcaster Brendan Burke has been selected as the recipient of the James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the 2014-15 season.The James H. Ellery Memorial Award is presented annually in recognition of outstanding media coverage of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1964-65 and honors the late Jim Ellery, who served the AHL for 17 years as league secretary and publicity director until his death in 1964.
Burke, the Comets’ vice president of operations, has become the voice of hockey in Utica and an ambassador for the team throughout the region since its return to the league in 2013. Burke’s energy and passion resonate with the Comets’ devoted fan base, and he promotes the team and the AHL through his game broadcasts as well as appearances on local and national radio and television outlets.
This past season, Burke was part of the television broadcast team for the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic, and his calls of the Comets’ run to the 2015 Calder Cup Finals were aired on both SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and TSN Radio in Vancouver.
Entering his eighth AHL season this fall, Burke also serves as a national play-by-play voice for college football on Fox Sports Net. In addition to his work in the broadcast booth, Burke’s duties with the Comets include overseeing the team’s media relations and game operations as well as coordinating all team travel.
In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 14th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2014-15.