Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
A few days have now passed and the Toronto Maple Leafs club an fans alike can now breathe a sigh of relief. On Wednesday morning it was first reported by TSN that General Manager Brian Burke was relieved of his duties from the Maple Leafs organization. When the news broke out that Burke had been fired it came as a bit of a shocker to the players.
Burke had been with the Maple Leafs organization since 2008-2009 season As GM of the hockey franchise Burke seemingly took the wheel of the ship and tried his very best to breathe some new life into the team so that they can have some success.
In his tenure with the Leafs, Burke’s thinking was crucial in growing the game. In doing so his focus was on picking up the young guns of hockey.
As said in the Hollywood film The Untouchables that, “If you want fresh apples, you don’t get them from the barrel, you pick them from the tree.” Some of fresh blood that Burke acquired while in office for the Leafs included names like Dion Phanuef, Phil Kessel, Joffery Lupil and Jake Gardiner.
Dion Phanuef believes that as the general manager at the time Burke was instrumental in landing a deal to have Phanuef come to Toronto via Calgary back in 2010.
When the Leafs landed a deal with the gritty number three it was Burke that spearheaded an in-house campaign to give the “C” to Phanuef.
Burke also made a trade with the Boston Bruins to land a talented and skilled player like Phil Kessel
Burke came over to the Leafs on November 29, 2008 after being let go from the Anaheim Ducks just two weeks earlier. Brian Burke legacy in hockey is one to be desired. In the 2006 season as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, organization his Ducks won the greatest prize in all of the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks won Stanley Cup.
Despite making some blockbuster trades for the Maple Leafs organization the club never made the playoffs under the tenure of the former general manager.
Regarding the departure of his former GM Captain Phanuef; said “It’s never easy to see someone like Brian Burke leave this team. As a team we must not look to the past but focus for the future, we must move forward.”
Currently succeeding Brian Burke as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs is the team’s Vice President, Dave Nonis.
Former general manager Burke hosted a press on conference Saturday at noon to discuss the matters behind his firing and also he hopes to answer the question of what’s the step for him in his career.
