- Brian Burke (ice hockey)
Brian P. Burke (born
June 30 ,1955 inProvidence, Rhode Island ) is an executive in theNational Hockey League and currently thegeneral manager and executivevice president of theAnaheim Ducks and the general manager of the U.S. National Ice hockey team for the2010 Winter Olympics inVancouver .Born in
Providence, Rhode Island and raised inEdina, Minnesota [ [http://www.hhof.com/html/exSCJ07_21.shtml Hockey Hall of Fame - Stanley Cup Journals: 21 ] ] , Burke graduated fromProvidence College in 1977 with a BA in History. While attending Providence, he played for the Friars Division-I ice hockey team, where, during his senior year, he served as captain. The team was coached byLou Lamoriello . In 1977 Burke played seven games with the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League. Burke then proceeded to play one full year in the AHL with theMaine Mariners , who won the AHLCalder Cup Championship that year. After one year in the AHL, Burke attended Harvard, where he graduated with an J.D in 1981.After graduating, Burke became an NHL player agent. In 1987, he was hired by
Pat Quinn , his coach from Maine, to be the Director of Hockey Operations for theVancouver Canucks . In 1992, he left that job to becomegeneral manager of theHartford Whalers . He was fired after one year in Hartford, after which he was hired by the NHL to be Vice-President in charge of discipline, under commissionerGary Bettman . In 1998, he became General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks. With the Canucks, he was credited with reviving the ailing franchise and increasing attendance, with the signing of several key players such as the Sedin twins, as the team won a playoff series and captured a division title. Following the 2003-04 NHL season, Canucks ownership chose not to renew Burke's contract for the general manager position. Burke then briefly worked as an analyst for NHL games on both the CBC and TSN. During the2004–05 NHL lockout , he proposed a 15-point plan derived from his experience as an agent and general manager.He is known in Vancouver for wearing his heart on his sleeve and occasionally feuding with certain members of the media, such as sports talk host David Pratt [ [http://www.vancourier.com/issues04/072104/news/072104nn1.html canada.com ] ] , as well as fellow GM
Kevin Lowe for his signing of restricted free agentDustin Penner , who was free to sign with any team he wanted. A dual citizen of theUnited States andCanada [ [http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20050702102955619 A fond adieu to Jennifer Mather and Brian Burke] By John Twigg. Accessed on May 1, 2007] [ [http://www.canoe.ca/Slam031019/col_tychkowski-sun.html Swinging for Canada] By Robert Tychkowski, Edmonton Sun. Accessed on May 1, 2007.] , Burke is married toJennifer Mather , a former TV and radio journalist inVancouver . They have 2 young daughters, Mairin and Fiona Grace. Burke has four children from a previous marriage—Katie, Patrick (a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=3242400 ESPN - We're starting from scratch and we're playin' GM (exxxxcellent) - NHL ] ] ), Brendan, and Molly.Burke won the
Stanley Cup with theAnaheim Ducks as the GM in the 2007 season. It was his second year as an executive with the club.References
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