BOOK REVIEW: Burke' Law: A Life in Hockey

[BG]

Burke's Law - Google Books

Just finished Burke's book (paperback is cheap at Walmart).

I always liked Burke, and thought he was one of the hardest working GM's in the game. His years with the Leafs were doomed to fail, if only because the talent he was able to collect were not a particularly cohesive group. But his ability to make deals happen (Phaneuf, Kessel, Gardiner, Lupul) and put the JFJ/Fletcher shitshow behind us made me a fan.

There are a lot of good stories in here, including his other GM stops in Hartford/Vancouver/Anaheim/Calgary. There is also a lot of confirmations about why he was fired, including his firing from the Leafs (he thinks it all boiled down to his unwillingness to offer the back-loaded contracts that were winning other teams championships).

He talks about the McSorley incident, the Bertuzzi incident, the Wideman incident. But most heartbreaking, he talks about his son's tragic death.

For FI fans he even talks about the Hazel Mae story, and his lawsuit against the "internet trolls".

Lots of chirps about Ottawa, and the media (Brooks, Strachan, Simmonds etc..)

Worth a read IMO, the Google Books preview above is early in the book and talks about his days as a college/minor pro hockey player.

 

[BG]

Here is a page that included his team building chart, it sort of defines his career and how he intended to build teams. (Not my thumb)

 

[Volcanologist]

second fighter lol

 

[Volcanologist]

p.s. toethumbs

 

[MindzEye]

Burke has way too much ego to ever provide anything but the kindest assessment of his failures.

He took over in November 2008. The teams that won during his tenure were Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston, & Los Angeles.

Chicago used front loaded deals on Keith & Hossa, but Pittsburgh, Boston, & LA never signed anyone to any of them.

Unless if what he's saying is "I would have signed Weber and Kovalchuk if not for you meddling kids and your front loaded deals", then I'm not sure what he's on about. He failed because he placed his bets on a sub par core of Kessel, Phaneuf, JVR, Bozak and misfit toys (Lupul, etc)...and his drafting record was more miss than hit (thanks for Naz & Morgan though).

 

[SundinsTooth]

Disciples? What is he doing, casting a Passion play?

 

[hockeylover]

Here is a page that included his team building chart, it sort of defines his career and how he intended to build teams. (Not my thumb)

I really, really disagree and I'd be surprised if I went through the best teams in the league right now if they had three roster spots tied up on guys described as fighters. It seems like an outdated approach.

(Totally interesting and thanks for posting though)

 

[SundinsTooth]

I do like having a "green light" on scoring. That seems like big brain stuff.

 

[MindzEye]

Here is a page that included his team building chart, it sort of defines his career and how he intended to build teams. (Not my thumb)

3 fighters, with one of them expected to play in the last minute of each period?

 

[Preston]

I love that he lists his "fighters" in weight classes.

Sir, this is a hockey team.

 

[hockeylover]

It seems he's looking for an unrealistic number of what ME usually describes as "unicorns". The ever elusive combination of mean and skilled.

Chasing those unicorns lead him to some pretty bad decisions a la Biggs.

 

[WeHaveMoreCupsThanYou]

I'm really only interested in the love child he fathered with Hazel Mae and I'm sure he denies it so no point buying the book.

Does he write about the time that he had his then wife Jennifer Mather phone David Pratt live on the radio to stick up for him? There's audio of it somewhere. How he was ever able to get a job after that escapes me.

 

[MindzEye]

It seems he's looking for an unrealistic number of, what ME usually describes as, "unicorns". The ever elusive combination of mean and skilled.

Chasing those unicorns lead him to some pretty bad decisions a la Biggs.

Yep.

It's so easy to fall in love with a prime Lucic or Tom Wilson. Or even better a Wendel or Cam Neely. But it's just fucking unrealistic to get your hands on and has been for yeeears now.

It's like a GM in 2021 saying that he wants to start his hockey team with a 6'3 centre capable of playing 22 minutes of dominant 2 way play while scoring 50+ in his sleep. Well yeah, I'm sure you do but there's one of those in the known universe, try harder.

 

[hockeylover]

So how does this current winningest Leaf team ever live up to this blueprint and who would he have to remove to get there I wonder?

 

[zeke]

Here is a page that included his team building chart, it sort of defines his career and how he intended to build teams. (Not my thumb)

l

I love how the nerds get criticized for being overformulaic and "on paper" and yet stuff like this idiotic blueprint exist.

 

[zeke]

Here is a page that included his team building chart, it sort of defines his career and how he intended to build teams. (Not my thumb)

Post the defrnse next to it.

 

[BG]

For reference, here is the roster Burke assembled in Toronto before he was fired.

JvR - Bozak - Kessel
Kulemin - Kadri - Lupul
Komarov - Grabovski - McArthur
McLaren - McCelement - Orr
(Frattin/Steckel)

Gunnarsson - Phaneuf
Gardiner/Kostka - Liles
Franson - Fraser
(Holzer)

Reimer
Scrivens

 

[Deckie007]

Read it a few months ago. Enjoyed a lot of the stories, but he's out to lunch on team building. He seems like a genuinely good person though, which seems like a rare trait among hockey execs.

 

[BG]

Post the defrnse next to it.

Buy the book, cheapskate.

 

[leafman101]

Is it dedicated to the mythological sirpsychcosexy?