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OHL Saginaw Spirit

Finished Mural Holds Fan Influence

October 5, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


It's hard to believe it was a blank wall on a downtown parking deck just a week ago.

But the transformation comes as no surprise to Fenton artist Kevin Burdick. He's done this hundreds of times.

And it never gets old.

"I love art," he explained.

In just six days, Burdick and fellow artist John Vasquez created a 50 by 40-foot mural that features a Spirit player slapping a puck toward the viewer and a stern-eyed eagle.

The mural reads, "Welcome to Saginaw - Home of the Spirit and 2024 Memorial Cup."

Burdick, the 38-year-old owner of Scraps Designs, said he spray painted the background black at the top to really make the wording stand out and then faded into a dark blue to highlight the ice at the bottom. Always playing with color for effect, he said he highlighted under the beak to make it look as though the ice is reflecting up.

The eagle - which he confessed is his favorite part of the project - he said he just tried to make look fierce.

Burdick (Left) along with fellow artist John Vasquez (Credit: Steven Frank)

The player on the mural isn't a specific Spirit player, and that's by design, Burdick said.

"It's meant to just represent the whole team."

Kayla Pionk, the local event manager for the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow, said they couldn't be happier with the mural.

"It's just unbelievable," said Pionk.

From the moment the concept went down on paper, she knew this was the way to go.

"We thought it would be a beautiful gift to the city to not only commemorate the 22 years of experience of the Spirit and the vision that both Mr. Goslin and Mr. Garber had, but also commemorate the Memorial Cup," she said. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We need to leave the stamp (of this) huge event that's coming into the region."

"We're excited about the mural and we're grateful to the city and county for allowing us to do it," said Craig Goslin, president and managing partner of the Saginaw Spirit. "The cool thing is the legacy it's going to leave."

Prior to Saginaw's home opener against the Sarnia Sting on September 30th, Spirit fans got to make their own additions to the mural. Their finishing touches along the ice's surface represented the impacts throughout the community that this historic event has already created.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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