Jonathon Brodie - Recorder & Times

If you haven't noticed Derek Bureau on the Brockville Braves then it probably means you haven't been to a game at the Memorial Centre recently.

The 20-year-old is the type of player you can't take your eyes off of when he steps on the ice whether he's laying a hit, agitating a player between whistles or getting on top of an opposing netminder.

You'll either really love him or really hate the 5-foot-7 winger. He understands that scenario comes with the way he plays and he wears that like it's a badge of honour. Typically, it'll be his teammates that are crazy about him and opponents he drives crazy.

In Bureau's first game at the Memorial Centre on Jan. 13 after being acquired at the trade deadline he even got under the referee's skin a bit. He stood at the edge of the Kemptville 73s crease and wildly waved his stick to get the attention of teammates to shoot, while blocking the goalie's view. The Braves winger wasn't touching netminder Nicholas Hodgins, but Hodgins was all over him and continuously jabbed him in the back with his blocker. They both ended up getting a penalty.

In his next game at the Memorial Centre on Jan. 20, Brockville's penalty kill was taking it to the Ottawa Jr. Senators with the shining moment coming when Bureau stole the puck from a Sens defender behind their net and gave the Braves their best scoring chance of the period.

In his most recent game at the Madhouse on Magedoma on Jan. 27, Bureau could be seen bouncing off Carleton Place Canadians players like a pinball when they had the puck in the neutral zone.

"If the game is boring and no one is talking in the rink I don't like those game. I like when everyone is involved, a physical game. A game when you need those two points to improve in the season," Bureau said.

That's probably the best way to describe Bureau. He plays like everyone of those two points up for grabs in the standings in every game is the difference between earning a spot in the playoffs and not making it.

He unabashedly says, "I don't play for fun, I play to win." He smiles from ear-to-ear when he says it, though, so it looks like he's at least enjoying himself when he makes the comment.

In eight games, Bureau is still waiting to pot his first goal in the CCHL. With the way he plays it's understandable he believes his first goal will most likely be a dirty one where the puck bounces off of him when he's standing in front of the net.

"I can't wait to score a goal here in Brockville for the fans," he said.

Bureau may have endeared himself to his teammates already, dropping the gloves in his sixth game with the team after he saw captain Andrew Jarvis taking a hit he didn't like. You would have been hard-pressed to guess that it was his first fight in two years.

Maybe it should be somewhat predictable he defended his teammate so quickly since joining the team.

Bureau had two choices of where he could play - in the Eastern Hockey League with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs or in the CCHL with the Braves.

He wants to be in Brockville and the Braves wanted him long before he asked for a trade from his OJAAAHL's Valleyfield Braves team.

Braves co-owner and general manager Dustin Traylen had spotted Bureau at the Chowder Cup two years ago. After that Traylen called Valleyfield every two weeks last season to find a way to bring Bureau to Brockville, Bureau said.

He now has a lot more people from Brockville keeping a delightful eye on him than just Traylen and if you don't like him because of the way he plays, well Bureau's OK with that too.

"I'm always giving a 100 per cent on the ice, trying to step up for my teammates and trying to be a guy you don't like on the ice," Bureau said.

The Braves will host the Pembroke Lumber Kings on Friday. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.

Original Article at Recorder.ca