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When Jarrett Burton tells people he’s from Sault Ste. Marie, he might have to clarify which one.
Sault Ste. Marie in Canada is Burton’s hometown, not the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which is located directly across the St. Marys River.
Like most Canadian cities, Sault Ste. Marie has produced some of hockey’s biggest names. Burton said the city takes pride in its hockey heroes and the city’s passion for the sport is just as strong as larger cities in Canada, such as Toronto.
Burton spent his childhood years in Sault Ste. Marie watching his hockey heroes and future teammates. A current Penguin played junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds several years ago, and Burton grew up watching him play in the local rink.
Player: Jarrett Burton
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Type: Urban
Population: 75,141 (2011)
Distance from Wilkes-Barre: 842 miles
We hear a lot about Toronto and Ottawa, but what’s it like growing up in a different part of Ontario? “It’s a lot different. The city has about 80,000 – not a huge city like Toronto. Hockey is still very passionate there, a lot of big names came from there. A great place to grow up and I really enjoyed.”
You grew up watching Dustin Jeffrey play junior hockey in Sault Ste. Marie. What’s it like to be his teammate now? “It’s been great. We had a quick conversation about it. I used to watch the Greyhounds play all the time. Dustin was their star player and it was cool to watch him, see what he’s done in his career and now call him a teammate.”
With another Sault Ste. Marie located right across the river in Michigan, was there a rivalry between the two towns? “Michigan’s Sault Ste. Marie is a little bit smaller. When I was growing up I played in a bantam hockey league that played against a hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan side. There was a little bit of a rivalry there, but not a big one.”
Did you ever get mail to your house intended for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan? “No. I recently moved to the outskirts of the Sault so there hasn’t been any confusion with mail.”
What did you do for fun in Sault Ste. Marie? “Growing up in Canada you’re always playing hockey of some sort – ice hockey in winter on the ponds or street hockey. I also played baseball, lacrosse and soccer. Very into sports. It was the lifestyle I had growing up.”
A lot of famous hockey players – Ron Francis, Phil and Tony Esposito and Marty Turco to name a few, are from Sault Ste. Marie. Does the city take pride in that? “They back up every player. One of the outdoor rinks we grew up playing in was called Esposito Park – after the Esposito brothers. We take pride in the guys that come out of the Sault and they take a lot of pride in being from there. It’s a great hockey community.”
Are there any similarities between Sault Ste. Marie and Wilkes-Barre? “The people around town. Everyone seems very friendly and that’s the type of community Sault Ste. Marie is – very tight-knit. There’s differences between being in Canada and the U.S., but I see a similarity in the people.”
Would you like to move back to Sault Ste. Marie one day? “I’ll end up in the Sault when I’m older. I haven’t planned much for that right now. I still have a ways to go. But it’s definitely a great spot.”