Bruce Campbell has a passion for the game of hockey that began at a young age. In 1972 at the age of 13, Bruce was a member of the Whitney Pier Legionaires who went on to win the Nova Scotia Pee Wee Championships. This began a long career filled with both team and individual accomplishments.

In 1977 while playing for the Breton Bears in the High School Hockey League, Bruce was the scoring champion, league MVP and was also named Male Athlete of the Year at BEC. In 1978 he set a record in the Cape Breton Junior Hockey League that still stands today, scoring 88 goals, and adding 60 assists for 148 points overall.

He carried over these impressive stats when he made the jump to the Prince Edward Island Junior “A” Hockey League. Whie playing with the North River North Stars in 1979 Bruce scored 76 goals, another record that still stands today. This accomplishment earned him the Chapstick Award as the Most Outstanding Junior Hockey player in all of Canada.

From 1981-1985, Bruce played 4 seasons in the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League winning 2 league scoring championshits and finishing 2nd overall in scoring in his other 2 seasons. During this time he also spent time in the pros as he attended NHL training camps on two occasions with the Quebec Nordiques and once with the Winnipeg Jets.

In 1986 Bruce made his way back to Nova Scotia with Pictou County in the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League where he led the league in scoring and was recognized for this by being named the league MVP. He spent the next 4 years serving as captain of the UCCB Capers Men's Hockey Team and in his last year with the Capers he was named the team’s MVP for his accomplishments on the ice.

From 1992-1997 Bruce ped parts of 5 seasons with the Cape Breton Oilers of the American Hockey League. Also, in 1997 he and his father, Mike Campbell, were honored at the Johnson Atlantic Junior “B” Hockey Championships for their success in the game of hockey by having their numbers retired.

At the age of 40 Bruce was a member of the Truro Bearcats Senior Hockey team and he played a pivotal role in helping his team capture the Allan Cup - the Canadian Senior Hockey League Championship.

Bruce also contributed to the game of hockey as a coach. He won the Provincial and Maritime Intermediate Championship as coach of the Cape Breton Alpines in 1997 and was awarded for the accomplishment by being named Nova Scotia's Amateur Coach of the Year. He coached the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1999 to 2000. And over the past 11 years he has coached numerous teams at the Pee Wee, Bantam and Atom levels.

In 2010 Bruce was inducted into the Cape Breton Sports Hall of Fame for all he has accomplished in the game of hockey as both a player and a coach.

Today, Bruce still plays hockey several times a week in a Gentleman's League and keeps active everyday with running and weight training. Bruce credits his father Mike for having a strong influence over him and he hopes to follow in his Dads footsteps who at the age of 86 still laces up the skates 3 times a week.

The Coal Bowl Board of Directors are pleased to honour Bruce Campbell as a 2012 Tournament Division Chairperson.

Growing up in New Waterford, sports played a big role in the life of Bill Bums. He was a multi-sport athlete excelling in both basketball and baseball through out his elementary and high school years.

As a member of St. Agnes High School and in his senior year, The Breton Eduction Centre Boy's Basketball teams, Bill was a starting guard. His talent on the court led him to play 4 years with Dalhousie Tigers, his last 2 years as co-captain, and one year as co-captain with the UCCB Capers. During his time with the Capers Bill was named team MVP, was a CCAA Conference All-Star, named the UCCB Male Athlete of the Year and helped his team win the Nova Scotia Small Conference Championship.

After University, Bill accepted a teaching position in Riverview Rural High School in Coxheath. In 1981 he was named Head Coach of the Boy's Varsity Basketball Team and after 18 years of coaching, Bill's Riverview Redmen were a dominant force in the Cape Breton High School Basketball League. They won 12 Cape Breton Division 1 Titles and 2 Coal Bowl Championships; the first ever for a Cape Breton Team. During his time at Riverview Bill had the pleasure of being able to coach both of his sons, David and Adam.

Bill's impressive resume as coach of the Redmen did not go unnoticed and in the summer of 1998, he accepted a 3 year contract as head coach of the UCCB Capers Men's Basketball team. In 2009, Bill was recognized for his contributions to the game of basketball in Cape Breton when he received the Red Bob MacDonald Award.

Bill has also had an impressive career as both a baseball player and a golfer. In 1973 he was a member of the Nova Scotia Canada Games team and in 1976 he won the Nova Scotia championship with the Sydney Steel Kings. In 1977 he was a member of the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball Championships. He played with the Sydney Sooners from 1977-1981 in the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League and was named Team MVP in 1977. As a golfer Bill shares the course record at Lingan Golf Club with an amazing round of 63. He was the Cape Breton Open Champion in 1984, the Lingan Senior Club Champion in 2002, 2003 and 2011, The Lingan Club Champion in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2011, the Bell Bay Invitational Champion and the Nova Scotia 4 Ball Champion in 2010, and a memberof the NSGA Senior Provincial Team at the Canadian Senior Men's Championship in 2011.

Bill has had an amazing career as an athlete and a coach in Cape Breton. Today he is retired from coaching, but you will still find him hanging around the basketball courts passing on knowledge of the game as a referee for both the junior and senior high school basketball leagues. Family has always been important to Bill and his wife Margaret Ann, so it is very fitting, as we honour him, his nephew Alex is playing in his third Coal Bowl as a member of the BEC Bears and that his niece Abbey is representing his division in the Coal Bowl Pageant and playing in her third Cowl Bowl as a member of the girl's team.

Coal Bowl is very pleased to honour Bill Burns as a Division Chairperson for the 2012 Coal Bowl Classic.