BOSTON — It’s been a couple of years since she’s donned the gold and black, but Lynn native Katie Burt will be back in Boston playing professional hockey this winter after it was announced that she has signed with the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League for the 2021-22 season.
This will be Burt’s second stint with the Pride, as she was drafted No. 1 overall by Boston in 2017. After a stellar career at Boston College, she played the 2018-19 season with the Pride and played in 16 games — putting up a save percentage of .920 and a goals against average of 2.26 to earn NWHL all-star honors.
But following that rookie year, Burt was one of 200 NWHL players who announced that they would not return to the league. The players, who came from both the NWHL and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, released a joint statement announcing their intent to not participate in any North American professional league for the 2019-20 season — citing their dissatisfaction in the operations of both leagues in that neither provided health insurance or a livable salary.
Burt then joined the New England chapter of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, an organization formed by some of the sport’s top players committed to finding a path to a livable wage. She has played there for the past two seasons.
The Pride have continued to play well in the time since Burt left, becoming the first NWHL team to ever win two Isobel Cup championships when they took home the coveted trophy in 2021. Now, with Burt back on the roster, Boston has possibly the deepest goaltender rotation in the entire league.
Burt made the most of her four-year career with Boston College as well. She holds the NCAA career wins record (121), logged three 30-win seasons and backed the Eagles to four Hockey East regular season titles. During her senior season (2017-2018), Burt was a Hockey East Second-Team All-Star honoree and twice was named Hockey East Goaltender of the Month. She was also named Boston College’s Female Eagle of the Year.
The Boston Pride are set to begin the 2021-22 season on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Warrior Ice Arena.
