KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- During its annual Alumni and Friends Weekend, the Western Michigan hockey program will honor Stuart Burnie for his contributions to the program by inducting him into the Ring of Honor. The Alumni and Friends Weekend is set for July 17-18, 2026.

Born in Orillia, Ontario, Stuart Burnie joined the Western Michigan program in 1982. He would go on to become one of the best players in program history, producing 174 points on 102 goals and 72 assists. Burnie holds the program's single-game record for goals, scoring five times against Northern Michigan in 1986. Career wise, he ranks fourth in program history in goals and 11^th in points. Burnie was an All-CCHA Second Team honoree in 1985-86, adding CCHA All-Tournament Team honors later that season. He was also dominant in the classroom, earning CCHA All-Academic Honorable Mention recognition in both 1985 and 1986. Burnie's final season in Kalamazoo featured 32 wins, a CCHA Tournament Championship and the program's first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Burnie won a total of 87 games in the Brown and Gold. 

Following his college career, Burnie spent five seasons playing professional hockey. Burnie's first three seasons were with the Springfield Indians, as he played in 228 AHL games. In that time, he recorded 82 goals and 88 assists for 170 points. He finished each season with 50 or more points, highlighted by a 64-point campaign in 1988-89. Following a brief stint in Europe, Burnie returned back to the USA for one more professional season in the IHL. Splitting time between the Albany Choppers and Fort Wayne Komets, the Orillia native was able to post 49 points on 19 goals and 30 assists. He added two goals and an assist during Fort Wayne's Turner Cup playoff run.  

After his playing career, Burnie continued to garner recognition. He was a charter member of the Orillia Hockey Wall of Fame, which recognized several local pioneers for elevating the community's hockey tradition. Then, in 2018, he was named one of the city's top 10 hockey players of all-time. Burnie then cemented his legacy by earning an induction into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.