Brian Burke (ice hockey)
Brian P. Burke ( * June 30, 1955 in Providence, Rhode Iceland ) is a retired American- Canadian ice hockey player and was most recently general manager and president of the Toronto Maple Leafs and general manager of the U.S. national team for the Olympic Winter Games 2010.
- 2.1 As a player
- 2.2 The General Manager
Career
Players careers and studies
Brian Burke was born in Providence and grew up in the state of Minnesota. He later returned to his native town back and attended from 1973 Providence College, where he studied history and played for the same hockey team of the University. In 1977 he completed his studies with a Bachelor of Arts, but first decided to pursue a career as a professional hockey player to begin with, after he had signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. He made his debut towards the end of the 1976/77 season at the Springfield Indians of the AHL unterklassigen. In the summer of 1977, he moved within the league to the Maine Mariners, for whom he scored three goals in 65 league games and five more prepared. The Mariners finally won after a successful challenge to the playoffs the Calder Cup.
However, Burke ended his playing career and then decided to further study. At Harvard Law School Burke studied for three years Jura 1981 he received the Bachelor of Laws.
Management
The following years he worked as a lawyer in Boston and represented hockey players from the NHL, before in 1987 he finally moved himself into the league and was appointed by the Vancouver Canucks to the Director of Hockey Operations and Vice - President. In 1992 he left the franchise and moved within the league to the Hartford Whalers, where he took up the post of General Manager.
But after only a year Burke was dismissed and the league decided to join, where he was Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations. Its main task had Burke in the disciplinary committee of the NHL, so he had to rule on penalties and suspensions of players.
After five years in this position, Burke returned to the Vancouver Canucks as General Manager and should restructure the faltering team. At one of the most important acts was the obligation of the twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin on the NHL Entry Draft, which should soon be a thing of the mainstays of the team. Under Burke's leadership the Canucks managed to return to the playoffs and in 2004 they won the first time the title of the Northwest Division.
However, his contract was not renewed after the season and in the summer of 2005 and under him the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as the new General Manager and Vice - President. As a new coach Randy Carlyle and Burke took with the obligations of veterans Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne get him two major contracts. In addition, he brought Chris Kunitz, who could not convince in previous years, on the waiver back to Anaheim, who then played the best season of his career and became a mainstay in the team.
In the very first season under Burke reached the Ducks the final of the Western Conference, where they but the Edmonton Oilers documents. Burke succeeded during the summer break in 2006 another important commitment when he took by transfer star defender Chris Pronger from Edmonton to Anaheim. With a squad gutaufgestellten the Ducks finally succeeded in the 2006/07 season winning the Stanley Cup. There were then committed more experienced players such as Mathieu Schneider and Todd Bertuzzi, who has already played in Vancouver under Burke. In addition, the squad of the championship remained largely intact, but the title defense did not succeed. One month after the start of the 2008/09 season Burke gave his position as general manager Bob Murray from after he refused to extend his contract over the summer 2009 and beyond, but stayed for the time being the Ducks in an advisory role. On November 29, Brian Burke was introduced as the new president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, after it had previously been given in the months of rumors about it. On January 9, 2013 he was relieved when the Leafs from his position and in the position of General Manager Dave Nonis replaced.
In the summer of 2008, Brian Burke Manager of the U.S. national team was nominated for the 2010 Winter Olympics to the general.
Besides his duties in the field of ice hockey Burke also worked as a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia School of Law and is a member of the National Sports Law Institute and the Sports Lawyers Association. Due to his long involvement in Canada, he shall pay the U.S. Citizenship and Canadian.
2008 Lester Patrick Trophy him was awarded for his services around the sport of ice hockey in the United States.
Since September 2013 he has held the post of President of Hockey Operations for the Calgary Flames.
Awards and achievements
As a player
- Calder Cup winner with the Maine Mariners: 1978
As General Manager
- Stanley Cup winner with the Anaheim Ducks: 2007
- Lester Patrick Trophy: 2008