November 2008 Archives
...and you can all (both?) breathe a sigh of relief that you'll hear no more Brian Burke updates in this space. From http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hnBFANCARcu428jlCR8Wm3y-MmbwD94NN7H81:
TORONTO (AP) -- Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to a six-year deal for the former Anaheim general manager to take over as president and GM, The Associated Press learned Thursday night.
"The deal is done," said a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team isn't ready to announce it. That could come Saturday.
The Canadian Press and the Globe and Mail first reported the agreement.
Burke spent the past three-plus seasons with the Ducks, leading them to a Stanley Cup title in 2007. He stepped down Nov. 12 after declining to sign a contract extension that would take him beyond this season.
"I am really excited that Brian is able to get this straightened out, if it is true," Toronto coach Ron Wilson said.
Burke, Wilson's college roommate at Providence, will replace Cliff Fletcher, hired as interim general manager following John Ferguson's firing in January.
"He's done a great job setting the table for Burkie. An unbelievable job," Wilson said after the Maple Leafs' 2-1 shootout loss in Ottawa on Thursday night.
Burke, also Vancouver's former general manager, worked with Toronto player personnel director Al Coates with the Ducks.
From http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081127.wsptshoalts27/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home:
Brian Burke has not been issued his official Toronto Maple Leafs cellphone yet, but he is the club's new president and general manager.
A contract agreement was reached yesterday between Toronto lawyer Gord Kirke, who handled the negotiations for the Leafs, and Burke's lawyer, Peter Gall. Burke plans to review and sign the six-year contract today, and the NHL club is planning the big announcement for tomorrow before the Leafs' game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Burke indicated in an e-mail message that Gall told him a deal was struck by yesterday afternoon. The former Anaheim Ducks GM said he has not "reviewed or signed" the contract, "but it will get done." A Maple Leafs source also indicated an agreement was reached.
Burke has been in Boston all week with his family to celebrate the U.S. Thanksgiving and did not plan to travel to Toronto until today at the earliest.
He said earlier that he expected the contract, which covers the rest of this NHL season and five more at $3-million (U.S.) a year, to be wrapped up by tomorrow at the latest.
From the Winnipeg Sun, which reports that everything has been prepared for Burke to take over the Maple Leafs' front office, save a contract. That won't be signed until after Thanksgiving, while Burke spends the remainder of the week in Boston with family.
While that has been widely reported the past 48 hours, Duck fans should care that David Nonis is reporting to be leaving Anaheim to be Burke's No. 2 in Toronto. Nonis wasn't here long; Burke plucked Nonis from Vancouver's front office last summer after the latter was fired by the Canucks. He was passed over last week for the Ducks' No. 2 executive position in favor of David McNab, who simply absorbed the No. 2 duties (as GM of the AHL affiliate and director of all scouting) on top of his existing salary-cap guru role.
Basically, when Bob Murray went to a 2-man front office, Nonis was the odd man out in Anaheim; a move to Toronto makes perfect sense for him. Consider it Burke's first raid of his former team. (Though Burke, for the record, is still a paid consultant to Ducks CEO Michael Schulman).
You would have liked the Ducks' video tribute to Salei midway through the Ducks' 4-1 win on Monday.
What I like about the video tributes is watching how the player responds. Sean O'Donnell, for example, didn't budge for his tribute when the Kings visited the other week. On the other end of the spectrum, Ilya Bryzgalov nearly broke out crying the first time he visited Honda Center in a Phoenix Coyotes uniform last year.
Salei? He looked up, waved to the crowd, then said this after the game:
"I think it was a really classy thing to do and I appreciate it. The fans responded, it seems like they still remember me even though it's been two years since I was here. It's always touching. It's an amazing feeling when people remember you."
From http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/11/24/burke-leafs.html:
Brian Burke reportedly left his Anaheim-era residence today, grabbed a coffee at Pete's -- they don't have Tim Hortons in Southern California -- and bought Civil War Times magazine at a Los Angeles International Airport newsstand en route to Toronto.
The speculation surrounding Burke possibly becoming the Maple Leafs' next general manager has often reached absurd levels over the past year, with all matter of minutiae reported and many attempts by sportswriters to connect the dots of separate moves by each party.
But it does appear the long-rumoured partnership could be forged some time very soon.
Continue reading Breaking: Burke buys "Civil War Times".
From http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081123.wspt-burke23/GSStory/GlobeSports/home:
After a quiet weekend, talks between Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to heat up Monday, according to an NHL source.
Burke returned to his home in Anaheim on the weekend after spending several days in Vancouver last week while his wife, Jennifer, handled a freelance broadcasting assignment.
There were talks between Burke's lawyer, Peter Gall, and the Leafs about the team's president and general manager opening, but only to establish the timing of the negotiations and some broad parameters of a potential deal. Burke plans to do his own negotiating, while Toronto sports lawyer Gord Kirke and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Richard Peddie will be involved from the Leafs' side.
Money is not expected to be an obstacle in the talks. The major issue is likely to be how much power Burke would have in the post and who he would report to, although the Leafs seem willing to grant him the same control that Toronto Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo has on the basketball side of MLSE. It is possible Burke could be hired by the end of the week.
The Anaheim Ducks announced that the Wild Wingers Kids Club and Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) have teamed up for the third annual Kits for Kids Donation Drive, giving Ducks fans the opportunity to purchase Kids Club kits for CHOC patients. Every $20 Kids Club kit purchased by Ducks fans will be personally delivered by Ducks players when the team makes its holiday visit to the hospital in December.
Continue reading Christmas is coming early..
Fans in attendance at tomorrow's Ducks game against the Washington Capitals (7 p.m. at Honda Center) will have the opportunity to support Southern California fire victims and local firefighters. Collections will be taken during the game on the main level of the concourse.
Francois Beachemin's bad news is good news for Bobby Ryan and Brett Festerling.
The Ducks placed Beauchemin on long-term injured reserve Saturday after an MRI exam revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The defenseman is expected to miss approximately six months, which projects to May 2009 -- around the time of the NHL Conference Finals.
Continue reading Bad news for Beauch; Ryan, Festerling recalled..
Multiple sources are reporting that the Ducks have formally asked for permission from the NHL for Brian Burke to speak with other teams. No word yet on whether the NHL has approved the request.
Brian Burke stepped down as general manager of the Ducks. He will be replaced immediately by assistant GM Bob Murray, who has worked with Burke dating back to their time in Vancouver.
Continue reading Brian Burke is out, Bob Murray in..
The Ducks announced today that the club was recently honored with the statewide Celebrate Literacy Award presented by the California Reading Association (CRA). Selected from 60 nominees throughout California , the Ducks award-winning S.C.O.R.E. program will continue to spread its initiatives by hosting Reading is the GOAL day tomorrow at Walter Knott Elementary School in Buena Park
Continue reading Ducks get some extra credit..
The Ducks' radio play-by-play announcer will be featured on the next episode of "Voices" on the NHL Network, which will air starting tonight at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
For those of you without NHL Network, a 3-minute preview (actual show is 30 minutes) is available by clicking on the link below....
http://ducks.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=390849&page=NewsPage&service=page
Continue reading To all Steve Carroll fans..
Ducks general manager Brian Burke has met with the agent for Mats Sundin in the last 24 hours, but sources close to the situation say it was more of an exploratory meeting between the two sides and that the Ducks are a longshot to land the Swedish winger. Sundin still hasn't decided whether or not he will return to the NHL - let alone a timetable if he does.
The Ducks are within $1 million of the salary-cap ceiling, and Sundin has already been offered $10 million to play for the Vancouver Canucks. Even though they don't have the cap room to compete with the Canucks' offer, the Ducks at least have an early-season need at left wing, where Brendan Morrison hasn't been the answer the Ducks are looking for on their second line.
Through 14 games and two periods of a 15th (the Ducks lead the Blues 4-2), Morrison at least hasn't been demoted to the energy line. Nor has he scored a goal.
If only voting once on Tuesday doesn't satisfy your ballot-punching fetish, you're in luck.
Continue reading Four Ducks named to All-Star ballot..
There must be a catch to this one:
Come to the Ducks ticket office at Honda Center and if you tell us you voted in the Presidential Election, you will receive $10 off select ticket prices to Wednesday's game against the St. Louis Blues. (Only redeemable at Honda Center box office; call 877-WILD WING to find out which seats.)
Since you have to be present in Orange County to receive the discount, it's possible you won't get any credit for voting for Obama.
Sundin has been reported to be working out in Los Angeles, so it was only a matter of time before the Ducks became a major player in the quest to lure the longtime Leaf out of retirement.
In all honesty, this is not a reliable source, so hold your imaginations. In reality, the Ducks would have to part with Bobby Ryan to land Sundin. Brian Burke didn't want to do that a month ago when Ryan's name came up in the Mathieu Schneider sweepstakes, and over the weekend Burke reiterated that he's "not even close" to trading Ryan.
6:40 p.m. update: TSN.ca is reporting that Sundin will meet with Burke either Tuesday or Wednesday. It could be a short one if Sundin isn't willing to take a significant pay cut from the $10 million contract Vancouver is offering.
Ducks forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne, who produced a total of 28 points in four games as the Ducks posted a 3-0-1 record, have been named co-recipients of the NHL's 'First Star' award for the week ending Sunday, Nov. 2. Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was named Second Star and Philadelphia Flyers left wing Simon Gagne earned Third Star honors.
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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