Burkie Has Burnt Bridges

Toronto Maple Leafs GM, Brian Burke wore a TSN microphone during the televised 2009 NHL Entry Draft. For the network, it was a calculated attempt to capture the dealings of the most active manager, as he had proclaimed many times in the days before that he intended to move up and hopefully draft John Tavares. In one televised exchange discussing the Tampa Bay Lightning's Vincent Lecavalier, Burke said to Montreal Canadiens’ GM, Bob Gainey, "I hear he's coming to you."

To which Gainey simply replied, "Yeah?" "Yeah..." stated Burke, and as Gainey walked away, "good luck." This was not the only conversation where the other party seemed to have no time for him, and one begins to wonder if Burke's brash tactics and bold predictions have finally caught up to him. Obviously the other General Managers were aware of his direct link to TSN, and likely did not want to give away their personal thoughts on live television.

In March 2007, Burke provided the USA Today with a full personal account of all of his dealings leading up to the 2006 trading deadline and allowed them to publish it. Having all of their conversations exposed didn’t sit well with the other general managers, and they probably keep it in mind every time they negotiate with him. A combination of animosity and fear of exposure from his negotiating parties can hardly serve him well as he tries to steer the Maple Leafs out of the NHL’s doldrums, and with the way he’s acting, he’s making the uphill climb even steeper.

Note: To see the article from the USA Today, click here