The franchise became the New York Americans, and Burch was named the team's captain, a position he would hold until 1932. The team played up his New York birth; he was dubbed both "Yonkers Billy Burch" and "the Babe Ruth of hockey". Burch scored the first goal in Americans' franchise history on December 2, 1925, in a 2–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and finished the season eighth in league scoring with 25 points. He again finished eighth in scoring, with 27 points, in 1926–27, and was voted the winner of the Lady Byng Trophy, awarded for his "effectiveness and a true sporting spirit".