Entries with the tag: brian+burke

Ducks Must React

by Paul on 05/09/08 at 06:08 PM
Comments (3)

from Pierre LeBrun at Sportsnet,

The Anaheim Ducks, surely, will wake up one day soon and realize they’ve got to let their GM, Brian Burke, talk to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

If not, they’re making a terrible mistake.

This is going to be a distraction for them every single day until Burke’s contract expires after next season. Especially if two things happen:

1) The Ducks can’t get Burke to sign a contract extension.

2) The Leafs hire Burke’s friend Dave Nonis in some form of front-office role while very much keeping the big job open. Nonis, fired as Vancouver Canucks GM last month, is meeting with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment early next week.

continued

Can Toronto Reunite Burke and Nonis?

by Alanah on 05/08/08 at 12:14 PM
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From Ed Willes at The Province,

As anyone who’s seen an Oliver Stone movie can tell you, it’s now clear that Wednesday’s TSN report was the first act in a sequence of events which will inevitably lead to Brian Burke and Dave Nonis reuniting in Toronto to run the Maple Leafs.

I mean, who would argue differently? The crack management team at Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment has long since targeted Burke as the man who would be king of their empire. Nonis, his close confederate and former first lieutenant with the Vancouver Canucks, has recently been made available amid an equally interesting set of circumstances.

Put it all together and the inescapable conclusion is Nonis has been approached to serve as a caretaker GM in Toronto while Burke completes the last year of his contract with the Anaheim Ducks. The two allies will then resume their working relationship in the Big Smoke in 2009-10 with Burke running the show and Nonis serving as his No. 2 and that will wrap up everything in a nice, neat package.

continued... and as Willes goes on to note, there’s some problems with this theory.

Update 3:44pm ET: Jim Kelly at Sports Illustrated doesn’t think the idea is as crazy as it seems.

Reflecting on the Dustin Penner Deal

by Alanah on 05/08/08 at 11:10 AM
Comments (1)

From Robert Tychkowski at the Edmonton Sun,

Much ado, it turns out, about nothing.

“It’s just so typical of how people jump to conclusions,” Edmonton’s general manager said yesterday in a telephone interview from the World Championships.

Lowe took enormous heat at the time of the deal, and was forced to defend himself during every subsequent attack from Burke.

Now that the draft order is complete (except for 27, 28, 29 and 30, depending on how the final four play out), and the evidence is there in black and white, there has to be a sense of vindication. Unfortunately there’s no undoing the bad blood and the black mark the the feud left on Burke, Lowe and the NHL.

more...

Update 12:18pm ET: More on the adventures of Penner, Lowe, Burke & Co. from David Staples in the Edmonton Journal today.

Ducks Would Not Let Burke Leave

by Paul on 04/24/08 at 05:57 AM
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from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,

Brian Burke very much wanted to talk to the Maple Leafs about their opening for a new hockey boss.

But his bosses with the Anaheim Ducks said no chance.

That, in short, is what happened yesterday, just 24 hours after Burke said he didn’t know if he’d be back with the Ducks next season. Burke will now have to grit his teeth and fulfill the fourth and final year of his existing contract next season knowing he could have had the Leaf job.

Update 12:59pm ET—(alanah) Jim Kelly at Sportsnet.ca shares another perspective:

But there is another version making the rounds in the NHL, and though it’s clearly still in the rumor stage now, it also makes a great deal of sense:  The NHL said no go.

It makes sense on several levels, the most important being that, to the best of anyone’s knowledge (and I’ve polled a few long-time hockey people on this), no GM under contract to a team and in good standing with ownership has ever jumped to another club while the contract was in force.

And Marty Henwood at Hockey.com points out that maybe Burke just didn’t want to go to Toronto.  (And could you blame him?!?)

Burke Staying With Ducks

by Paul on 04/23/08 at 06:27 PM
Comments (0)

via the Anaheim Ducks,

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that Executive Vice President/General Manager Brian Burke will remain with the team through at least the 2008-09 season, which is the last under his current four-year contract. Negotiations between the club and Burke on a contract extension will continue.

“I work for the best owners in sports,” said Burke. “After meeting with Mike (Chief Executive Officer Michael Schulman) this morning, we’ve decided to end all unnecessary media speculation and commit to working together for at least one more year while continuing to discuss my long-term future with the Ducks.”

“Brian Burke is the best general manager in the NHL and we always expected him to return,” said Ducks Owner Henry Samueli. “Our goal is to sign him to a long-term agreement beyond next season.”

“I met with Brian this morning to discuss his future,” said Schulman. “We agreed to move forward, as planned, under his existing contract while working toward a contract extension.”

added 6:30pm, link to Ducks website now available....

Evening Line

by Paul on 04/22/08 at 09:07 PM
Comments (0)

from the National Post,

“I like Burkie,” said an NHL executive who wished to remain anonymous. “He is smart guy. He is a great orator. He is kind-hearted, and he will be bend over backwards for you.

“But he can be a bit of a bully, if you let him. And he is not afraid to tell you about what he has accomplished. His track record on paper is good - whether he did it or whoever else around him did it.”

more on Burke…

Burke Not Sure If He Will Be With Anaheim Next Year

by Paul on 04/22/08 at 06:34 PM
Comments (0)

from the AP via the International Herald Tribune,

Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke stopped short of confirming he will still be on the job when training camp opens in September.

“I don’t know,” he said Tuesday.

Burke has one year remaining on the four-year deal he signed with the Ducks in 2005.

“No NHL club has asked permission to speak with me at this time. Not one team has asked. Nor have I asked for permission to speak to any NHL team at this point in time,” Burke said. “So unless and until those two things change, or unless and until I arrive at terms for a contract extension here in Anaheim, I have no intention of further discussing my situation.”

read on

Ducks Want Burke Back

by Paul on 04/22/08 at 06:51 AM
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from Eric Stephens of the LA Times,

The Ducks are having talks with General Manager Brian Burke about a contract extension amid increasing speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs have targeted him for the same job in their organization.

Michael Schulman, the Ducks’ chief executive, would not say whether there have been formal discussions to extend Burke’s contract, which runs through next season.

The Ducks’ bid to repeat as Stanley Cup champions ended Sunday.

“We talk probably every day,” Schulman said. “We’ve got a good relationship. We’re very happy obviously with his performance.”

Schulman denied a report in the Toronto-based Globe and Mail that an extension is on the table and the Ducks are awaiting Burke’s signature.

continued

You Knew This Was Coming

by Paul on 04/21/08 at 08:58 AM
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from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,

We interrupt this regularly scheduled programming – otherwise known as the Stanley Cup playoffs – for the Maple Leafs’ pursuit of Brian Burke.

It begins today. Officially, that is. Unless Gord Kirke has presented the MLSE board with an entirely different game plan, Burke has been the No.1 target of the Leafs since John Ferguson was fired in January and he’s still the No.1 target.

This thing is now going to heat up quickly.

“It’s going to go from 33 1/3 rpm to 45 rpm in a hurry,” one source said.

continued

Update 2:33pm ET: More on the “Burke to Toronto” stuff from Bob McKenzie at TSN.

Wanted Man

by Paul on 04/17/08 at 09:57 AM
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from Mark Spector of the National Post,

He is combative, Harvard educated, and opinionated, with facts at the ready to back up his particular stance. He is also armed with enough self-confidence—yes, ego—to very likely believe that he could succeed where so many others have failed as the general manager of the woeful Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I’ve known Brian since he was 16, and I stay in contact with him,” New Jersey’s Lou Lamoriello, the dean of all NHL general managers, said yesterday. He wouldn’t speculate on Burke’s career path, but as a fellow GM, Lamoriello likes Burke’s qualities.

“He’s not afraid to make a decision, not afraid to make a mistake. He works at the job and is intelligent. They should be qualities everybody in hockey has, and most people do. Yet there are those who don’t,” Lamoriello said.

read on

Strange Timing

by Paul on 04/15/08 at 09:37 AM
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from Elliotte Friedman at his CBC blog From the Pressbox,

Immediate reaction to Vancouver’s firing of Dave Nonis: The battle is on for Brian Burke.

Burke clearly has bigger concerns right now. His Ducks are an endangered species, down 2-0 to a Dallas team that didn’t exactly resemble a serious contender down the stretch. However, the Stars look superior in every way to Anaheim, a popular pick to represent the West – again – in the Stanley Cup Final.

The timing of Canuck owner Francesco Aquilini’s announcement is very strange. It’s rare – extremely rare – for anyone to fire a general manager by statement, in the evening, while playoff games are going on.

continued

Don’t Blame the Players

by Alanah on 02/19/08 at 02:49 PM
Comments (2)

From Jim Kelley at Sportsnet,

As the trade deadline approaches across the NHL the topic of no-trade and no-move clauses has hit the front line of reporting and, not surprisingly by NHL standards, the players are being made to be the bad guys and general managers, the people in near complete control as to whether or not no-trades or no-movement clauses are made available, are doing the crying.

Now to be fair, Burke has a history of not giving them out and Fletcher inherited his, mostly from recently fired general manager John Ferguson, but that just makes it easier for them to carry the banner that reads as it so often does in the NHL GM ranks: Save Us from Ourselves.

more

Burke At It Again

by Paul on 02/19/08 at 06:59 AM
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from Slap Shot at the NY Times,

What’s the lead item on the agenda this year from the same men who brought you penalty-shot contests, the trapezoid, and the guaranteed point?

Why, the one-minute penalty!

Three guesses as to who cooked that one up — ah, but you’ve guessed already. Of course you’re right, it’s Brian Burke, GM of the Anaheim Ducks. His take on the proposed rule: “One-minute penalties in overtime just makes so much sense.” Vintage Burke.

more

Four NHL GMs in Press Conference Today

by Alanah on 02/13/08 at 02:02 PM
Comments (1)

Today, the NHL hosted a press teleconference call featuring four general managers of the NHL.  They can be heard on the audio player below, or downloaded here. Please have patience with loading or downloading, as it’s a very large mp3 file.

Each Q&A session is roughly 15 minutes each, and are featured in this order:

• Ken Holland—Detroit Red Wings
• Paul Holmgren—Philadelphia Flyers
• Don Waddell—Atlanta Thrashers
• Brian Burke—Anaheim Ducks

Kukla’s Korner.com
note1: the Burke audio is extremely low due to technical issues.
note2: a printed transcript will be added below as soon as it’s available


Update 2:59pm ET: At the Globe & Mail, Eric Duhatschek provides some analysis of the commentary in this press conference.

Burke The Perfect Choice For USA Hockey

by Paul on 02/04/08 at 04:52 PM
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from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

USA Hockey executive director David Ogrean recently told ESPN.com that the GM for 2010 will be selected before the start of the 2008-09 NHL season. That decision will set the tone for the rest of the team and have a significant impact on the Americans’ ability to ice a roster that can compete for a gold medal.

That person will almost certainly be Burke. At least, it should be.

With all due respect to other members of the committee and fellow American GMs Jay Feaster and Dean Lombardi, Burke has the personality best suited to put this team together and gives the United States its best shot at a medal.

more

Evening Line

by Paul on 02/03/08 at 07:43 PM
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from the OC Register,

“The fact that we’ve lost six in a row, there is a temptation to panic, but I don’t panic easily,” General Manager Brian Burke said. “We’ll look at all scenarios, but I’m not a big trade-deadline guy.

“I believe in this group. I’ve seen what this group can do. We’re playing without Mathieu Schneider and Sammy Pahlsson — two pretty good players. Let’s get them back, and get Teemu in, and see what we’ve got."…

“We might have to add some offense, but at what price?” Burke said.

more on the Ducks…

Brian Burke on the NHL Hour

by Alanah on 01/31/08 at 02:21 PM
Comments (3)

Anaheim Ducks’ GM Brian Burke will be Gary Bettman’s guest on the NHL Hour today.

The NHL Hour broadcasts live Thursdays from 4-5 pm ET on NHL Home Ice, (XM channel 204) and NHL.com. The show will re-run on XM Satellite Radio and NHL.com, with archived shows available for download via a podcast on NHL.com.

*At showtime, listen live at this link.  While on the air, listeners can call into the show at 1-877-645-6696, or send questions/comments via this email address: .

Ducks Have Money To Spend

by Paul on 01/29/08 at 01:26 PM
Comments (8)

Brian Burke was just on NHL Live and mentioned the Ducks are $1.7M under the cap right now, which will allow them to trade for a $5M player at the trade deadline if need be.  They also have the #1 pick from Edmonton they can dangle in trade talks too.

We will try to get the audio and post it if it becomes available.

Morning Line

by Paul on 01/25/08 at 11:33 AM
Comments (3)

from the CP via TSN,

“I’m flattered by all this,” he said of conjecture he might want to move back to Canada and join the Leafs. “It’s a great job.

“If you’re Catholic, this is the Vatican.”

Toronto is the epicentre, along with Montreal, of the hockey universe, Burke said.

“I’m flattered by all the attention and that someone would think I’m the right guy for this, but I have a job that I love and I work for special people in the Samuelis. I’m not going anywhere.”

more from Brian Burke…

Would Burke Go To Toronto

by Paul on 01/24/08 at 08:56 PM
Comments (2)

from William Houston of the Globe and Mail,

TSN’s Mike Milbury says Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke — first on the fan wish list of Maple Leafs managing prospects — wants the job and will take it if (and it’s a big one) he is assured he will not see or hear from Richard Peddie outside board meetings. Peddie is the president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Leafs.

Milbury, by the way, may know more than he’s revealing about Burke’s interest. He spent time with Burke last week in Toronto when they were shooting TSN’s Off The Record.

more

Burke Speaks Out

by Paul on 01/09/08 at 08:29 AM
Comments (2)

from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,

“I think it’s a great idea to have player input, but the competition committee should report to the managers,” he said. “Which players are on the competition committee? Which group do they speak for? Sixty per cent of our league plays a certain kind of hockey, 10 per cent play a certain kind of hockey ... what’s the composition of that group, and what’s their goal? What are they trying to accomplish? Are they trying to do what’s best for their particular group?”

Currently, the players on the committee are Brendan Shanahan, Jarome Iginla, Trevor Linden, Marty Turco and Rob Blake. The GMs are David Poile (Nashville), Don Waddell (Atlanta), Bob Gainey (Montreal) and Burke’s arch-enemy, Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe. Philadelphia chairman Ed Snider rounds out the group.

“Players don’t vote for rule changes in any other sport,” said Burke. “So either we’re revolutionary, and it’s a great idea, or we’ve got it bass-ackwards. And I think we’ve got it bass-ackwards.”

more

Morning Line

by Paul on 12/15/07 at 07:59 AM
Comments (0)

While Burke did manufacture a team that quickly became a Stanley Cup champion, he has almost as quickly allowed it to slip back into mediocrity.

Empty Netters tells you why…

The Niedermayer Timeline

by Paul on 12/06/07 at 11:18 AM
Comments (12)

from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

So here’s the bottom line - Niedermayer’s suspension will not be lifted until such time that he is a) in game shape; and, b) the Ducks make a trade to free up “tagging” room for next season.

How long all that takes only Burke knows for sure.

What we do know is that this all has to transpire in 21 days or less. Twenty-one days is the amount of time the league will allow Niedermayer to remain in a suspended state where he can practice with the team, work out with the team, but not be on the 23-man roster, not count against the cap or play a game.

read on

Morning Line

by Paul on 12/03/07 at 09:00 AM
Comments (3)

from Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette,

Burke has always been a blunderbuss - Don Cherry with a law degree.

In the wake of Anaheim’s Stanley Cup win last spring, he’s morphed into a blowhard who believes he’s a genius - but a genius who doesn’t look half as smart without Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne.

more and some Wings/Canadiens talk too…

They’ll Never Forget

by Paul on 12/01/07 at 09:35 AM
Comments (0)

from TerryJones of the Edmonton Sun,

While the Oilers moved out of last place and into a tie with the Calgary Flames with the win last night, Brian Burke’s quote still looks good.

“We’re going to take three draft picks back and given Kevin’s recent performance I expect them to be excellent picks,” said Burke after Lowe signed restricted free agent Penner and sacrificed a first-, second- and third-round draft pick in a very good draft year. If the Oilers stay where they are in the standings, Burke will be picking very early indeed.

Then there’s the flip side of it.

When Lowe traded Mrs. Pronger and her husband to the Ducks two years ago, the Oilers ended up with Anaheim’s first-round draft pick. As the Stanley Cup champion Ducks struggle, the Oilers could be picking a lot earlier than they expected.

more on the Oilers…

The Same Pronger

by Paul on 11/29/07 at 09:30 AM
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from the Vancouver Province,

All the guy does is play 28 minutes a night until the playoffs. Then he really gets to work and he kicks it up a notch. He always gets better as the season goes along and his team, no matter what team he plays for, always has a chance to do something in the post-season. He’s so good and has been for so long, he’s just expected to be great every night, every year with no fanfare, unless it’s provided by the opposing crowd.

“He’s been terrific this year again,” says Ducks GM Brian Burke of the defenceman he landed from Edmonton 18 months ago to make a Cup in Anaheim last year a reality. “He’s stepped into the leadership void left by (Scott Niedermayer’s) loss and filled it nicely. He’s always steady, great every night ... just terrific.”

read on

Burke Wants To Stay With Ducks

by Paul on 11/27/07 at 09:07 PM
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from the LA Times,

Ducks General Manager Brian Burke took the time Tuesday morning to address speculation out of Toronto about a job that, at least for the moment, isn’t even open....

“You guys know my view on some members of the media,” Burke said. “Some of the stuff they write is just . . . I’ve said it a million times and it’s true. It can only be ascribed to a drug-induced fantasy."…

“I can’t say it any more clearly,” he said. “We want to stay in Anaheim. My wife and I want to stay there.”

more (reg. req.)

The GM’s Talk

by Paul on 11/26/07 at 02:04 PM
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from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

Brian Burke has a bee in his bonnet. Two of them, actually, and it may surprise you to know that neither has anything to do with Kevin Lowe.

So the Anaheim Ducks’ general manager has requested the NHL hold a conference call with all 30 NHL GMs today at 12 noon (EST) and the league has agreed to stage it.

Two topics are up for discussion.

One is the issue of whether GMs should be able to trade “salary” when they trade players, which is currently against the rules in the new CBA.

The other is the mega-suspensions recently given to Steve Downie (20 games) and Jesse Boulerice (25 games) and whether NHL GMs ever signed off on or were fully apprised of a new standard for supplementary discipline.

continued

Waiting To Sign Perry

by Paul on 11/21/07 at 06:26 AM
Comments (0)

from the LA Times,

The signing of center Ryan Getzlaf to a five-year contract extension now means the Ducks will turn their attention to right wing Corey Perry, who has a team-leading 11 goals.

Perry, 22, is also in the last year of his original three-year entry level contract and can become a restricted free agent in July. But General Manager Brian Burke said he needs to resolve the uncertain status of Niedermayer before he can begin negotiations with his winger.

“We have to wait and see what Scotty tells us what he wants to do because it affect our ability to sit down with Corey Perry,” Burke said.

more (reg. req.) plus Betuzzi may play tonight…

Burke Talks

by Paul on 11/20/07 at 08:16 PM
Comments (0)

Brian Burke was interviewed by Chris Simpson tonight at the Bruins/Leafs game.

On Teemu Selanne, Burke said they are expecting to see his picture on a milk carton soon, they haven’t heard from him at all.

Regarding Scott Niedermayer, Burke mentioned there are indications he wants to come back, but they have not heard anything from Scott about it.

added 8:22pm, While we are on the subject of Brian Burke…

from Brian Milner of the Globe and Mail,

Most Canadians know Brian Burke as the forceful, combative hockey executive who shaped the Anaheim Ducks into the reigning Stanley Cup champions and who wouldn’t seem out of place trading elbows with an opponent in front of the net.

What few people know is that Mr. Burke’s hugely successful career in the National Hockey League was built on a strong legal foundation that continues to play an important role in how he views the sports world and his place in it.

continued

Report- Bryzgalov On Waivers

by Paul on 11/16/07 at 11:01 AM
Comments (32)

from TSN,

Sources say when the National Hockey League’s waiver transactions are sent out at Noon et on Friday, the Anaheim Ducks will make netminder Ilya Bryzgalov available.

added 11:18am, from the OC Register,

“We’re making this move, first and foremost, to give Ilya Bryzgalov a chance to play,” Ducks general manager Brian Burke said. “He’s a good guy who’s played well for us, but we’ve committed to the other goaltender."…

“I’ve been unable to move Ilya in a trade,” Burke said. “I’ve laid it out for his agent (Don Meehan), and told him we would take this next step. We’ll see where it goes.”

more

added 11:59am, via the CP,

“What I promised Bryz is that I would find him a place to play,” Burke told The Canadian Press on Friday. “Bryz is a great kid and a loyal soldier. He’s won three playoff rounds for us and he deserves to play somewhere. But I was unable to move him.

“The single, biggest obstacle was that he’s unrestricted at the end of the year. I wasn’t offered anything of value for him. But I promised him, `If I can’t get something of value for you, we’ll put you on waivers."’

added 12:16pm, from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

Evgeni Nabokov and Miikka Kiprsuoff for every game this year, an indication that - salary-cap permitting - they might be in the market for an established back-up, rather than trust the youngsters that they’re carrying on their rosters at the moment.

added 12:43pm, more from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

One more possible destination for Ilya Bryzgalov, the goaltender put on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks this morning: The Pittsburgh Penguins, who’ve gotten decent work from back-up Dany Sabourin so far this year, plus some up-and-down play from starter Marc-Andre Fleury.

Brian Burke Advocates the “Bear Hug”

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 01:51 PM
Comments (7)

From Kevin Allen at USA Today,

Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke says the Randy Jones hit from behind that injured Patrice Bergeron illustrates why the defensive “bear hug” should be legal when a player is in a vulnerable position.

“In those situations a defenseman has two choices right now: He hits the guy or he looks like a fool,” Burke said. “We need to put the third option back into the game.”

Before the lockout, when a defenseman approached a player with his back to him, he would put his arms around the player and “bear-hug” him into the glass. In an effort to open up the game, the NHL ended that practice by penalizing a player who takes a hand off his stick to tie up a player.

“In the old days, the two bodies went in together,” Burke said. “Now it’s like two billiard balls. One ball hits another and propels it into the boards.”

continued...

Extra Security For Feuding GMs Not Needed

by Alanah on 10/29/07 at 02:11 AM
Comments (0)

From Eric Stephens at the LA Times,

The juicy subplot to Sunday’s game between the Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers seemed certain to come to a head.

But there was no shouting match or chance public encounter between the Ducks’ Brian Burke and the Oilers’ Kevin Lowe, the teams’ bickering general managers who avoided each other even as the NHL dispatched extra security because of the tension between the two.

And the subject of the controversial offer sheet at the heart of that tension, Dustin Penner, did little in his first appearance at Honda Center since he skated around the ice with the Stanley Cup in June.

continued...

(*the NHL sent extra security for those guys?! Wow)

Burke Has No Plans To Speak With Lowe

by Paul on 10/26/07 at 09:02 PM
Comments (0)

from the OC Register,

So what is likely to happen if Burke and Lowe cross paths Sunday in the press box?

“I assume we will,” Burke said. “His booth is right next to mine. I sit down. He sits down. And the puck drops.”

By his account, Burke “always” stops by the visiting general manager’s quarters to at least exchange pleasantries.

Sunday night?

“Not a chance,” he said.

read on

Breaking Down Burke vs. Lowe

by Paul on 10/10/07 at 04:14 PM
Comments (1)

from Damien Cox at ESPN,

Are teams in the NHL business partners above all else? Or are they competitors first and foremost, and thus perfectly within their rights to take advantage of an opponent’s soft spots if they become evident?

This, really, is what the much-publicized Brian Burke versus Kevin Lowe verbal slap fight is all about.

Make no mistake about it, this is one entertaining confrontation, albeit one that has taken place mostly with Burke in California and Lowe in Edmonton, Alberta....

These days, if you take Burke at his word, he wouldn’t even speak to Lowe if the Edmonton GM walked into his office looking for a stapler. He wouldn’t stop for Lowe at the side of the road if Lowe’s motor vehicle were on fire.

more

Everyone Loves a Good Controversy

by Alanah on 10/04/07 at 04:41 PM
Comments (0)

From Victor Chi at The Sporting News,

For the sake of the NHL, let’s hope that Ducks GM Brian Burke and his Oilers counterpart, Kevin Lowe, continue their verbal sniping.

The league went through the considerable expense of exporting the Ducks and Kings to England for the season openers in hopes of expanding its profile. But the Burke-Lowe exchanges already have generated oodles more buzz than the trans-Atlantic foray, and in today’s fragmented and multi-layered media landscape, relevance is king.

continued...

Brian Burke Talks to TSN

by Alanah on 10/03/07 at 12:08 AM
Comments (0)

From TSN,

Burke has been critical of some of the moves made by the Oilers this past off-season and did not mince words when talking about Lowe.

“If I had run my team into the sewer like that I wouldn’t throw a grenade at the other 29 teams and my own indirectly,” said Burke. “So I have no intention of speaking to him anytime soon.”

When Duthie asked what would happen if the Ducks needed to talk to the Oilers about a player late in the season Burke explained his assistant GM, Bob Murray would make the call.

more… (*Full interview about 3 minutes long. Follow the link to check out the video.)

Uncharted European Territory

by Alanah on 09/27/07 at 03:17 PM
Comments (0)

From the Daily Mail,

The NHL will enter uncharted territory and return to its outdoor roots during a new season that begins on Saturday with the Anaheim Ducks starting their Stanley Cup defence on European ice.

The Ducks and Los Angeles Kings travel to London to play the first NHL regular season game in Europe as the NHL bids to gain a foothold in a market which has also attracted serious attention from the NFL and NBA.

“We’ve got to look at extending our brand outside of North America, whenever we can,” Ducks general manager Brian Burke said. “We think that to take regular season games to Europe is a milestone for our league. Is it ideal from a preparation standpoint? No. But I think when the league asks you to go, you go.”

continued...

Burke Talks Hockey With The BBC

by Paul on 09/21/07 at 01:15 PM
Comments (2)

from the BBC,

A week before the new NHL ice hockey season begins in the US, Extratime talks to one of the most outspoken managers in the competition.

In June 2007 Brian Burke led the once-unfancied Anaheim Ducks to win ice hockey’s greatest prize, the Stanley Cup.

Burke makes no apologies for his team’s combative style and says he looks for “pugnacity, truculence, belligerence, hostility and testosterone” in his players.

read on with video (real player)

No Complaints - No Excuses

by Paul on 09/18/07 at 05:42 PM
Comments (1)

from the Vancouver Sun,

Well, chronologically, obviously we have two guys who are locks for the Hall of Fame [Selanne and Niedermayer] who aren’t back. So I think for any team to deal with the loss of two players of that significance over any summer creates difficulty,” Burke said. “But that being said, our team mantra is ‘No complaints, no excuses.’ So I don’t want the players reading the GM complaining about this, either. The fact is we’ve taken steps to replace those guys, and I like our chances with this group.

“We’ve got to replace close to 80 goals between Teemu and Dustin Penner. We’re not countin’ on Todd to score 80 goals. But we think he can contribute, and then other people are going to have to grab the rope and pull.”

much more on Burke and the Ducks…