PHILADELPHIA will be well-represented in the ranks of USA Hockey this upcoming season thanks to Tom Minton. Minton, who graduated from Saint Joseph's University, was named the Brendan Burke intern by USA Hockey. He is the fourth person to be selected for the internship that honors the legacy of Brendan Burke, who died in a car crash in February 2010.
"I'm thrilled, honored and humbled all at the same time to be named the Brendan Burke intern for the upcoming season for the U.S. National Team Development Program," Minton said. "I'm very proud to have the honor of continuing Brendan Burke's legacy. He was a terrific young man who had a passion for hockey, and had a bright future. I am going to continue the tradition of hard work and excellence that began with Brendan, and was carried on by the three previous interns."
Minton will be stationed in Ann Arbor, Mich., and will begin his duties in the latter part of August. He is willing to help USA Hockey in any way he can in the duration of his internship.
"I'll be doing all kinds of different work for the team," Minton said. "I'll help with scouting. I'll do some stat tracking during games. I will have a role in some video work. I'll be an extra set of hands for USA Hockey. Any role that they need me in I will be happy to fill."
The Pipersville native believes his time at Saint Joseph's University had a lot to do with him being selected for the esteemed position with the national hockey team.
"Being at Saint Joseph's was fantastic for me as a person, as a student and an athlete," Minton said. "That is where I began to lay a foundation for a career in hockey. Saint Joseph's made me a serious candidate for the internship because it allowed me to play and coach hockey at the highest level. It also provided me with a graduate-level education, which worked in my favor in the application process. I can't say enough good things about my time at Saint Joe's, and the way Saint Joe's prepared me to move into this job."
Minton was not only involved with the hockey programs at Saint Joe's during his time in Philadelphia. During graduate school at SJU, he was an assistant coach at Penn. In his second year of grad school, he served as the director of hockey operations for Neumann University. He was also an assistant coach for the American Collegiate Hockey Association team at SJU this past year.
With a distinguished background in the sport, Minton wants to continue that trend even after the Burke internship is over.
"I aspire to continue a career in hockey operations at the highest level I can," Minton said. "Both professional and college hockey are extremely competitive, and each offers the chance to win a major championship, so I will be very interested in both of those avenues."
For now, Minton is looking ahead to the internship, and is ready to make the most of it.
"The job is a tremendous opportunity," Minton added. "It gives a once-in-a-lifetime of work experience. I am enthusiastic about starting my responsibilities with the national team."