Son of former Vancouver Canucks GM in the running for his dad's old job
He was one of the best general managers in Vancouver Canucks history. If his son takes over the job, there will be some big shoes to fill.
Brian Burke was general manager of the Canucks for six seasons. He resuscitated a floundering franchise and unearthed building blocks that would set the team up long after his departure.
There’s an argument that the Canucks shouldn’t have let Burke go back in 2004. Could they seek out vindication by hiring his son?
CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Wednesday that Patrick Burke, Brian’s son, has been interviewed for the Canucks’ vacant GM position.
Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek also reported that Patrick had previously been interviewed for the Nashville Predators GM opening.
Aside from being the son of one of the NHL’s most quotable former executives, Patrick has been working in hockey for the past 20 years.
His front office career started back in 2006, when he joined the Philadelphia Flyers as a pro scout. He held that role until 2013, when he joined the NHL’s department of player safety. He’s risen in the ranks of that organization and currently holds the title of vice president.
Ironically, it’s a role that his dad held before joining the Canucks as general manager back in 1998. Could Patrick follow a similar role?
Unlike his dad, however, Patrick doesn’t have front office experience outside of being a pro scout for the Flyers. Before Brian joined the department of player safety, he was the Canucks’ assistant general manager under Pat Quinn.
Regardless, he’s clearly well-respected enough to get an interview with the Canucks. Both Dhaliwal and Marek reported that Patrick is held in high regard around the league.
Interestingly enough, Patrick has a connection to another rumoured front office candidate for the Canucks. He worked with longtime NHLer Ray Whitney in the NHL’s department of player safety.
One thing Canucks fans might appreciate about Patrick is that he isn’t afraid to stand up for his colleague and what he believes in.
Back in 2020, Patrick was asked about Evander Kane after he ripped the department following a three-game suspension for elbowing.
“I don’t think that we saw it as anything more than a frustrated player who’s on a team that’s having a frustrating season and is looking to lash out a bit,” PatrickĀ told ESPN. “The Sharks are not having the season they anticipated. I wonder if Evander is having the season he was hoping for, and he’s frustrated.”
Patrick has also been an advocate for LGBTQ rights, working with the You Can Play Foundation, in honour of his late brother, Brendan Burke.
If he were to be hired by the Canucks, Patrick would join a small list of NHL GMs who had fathers in the same role, with one of the most recent examples being Scotty and Stan Bowman.