Playing in his 20th career season, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns once again proved what a freak of nature he is.
Despite his age, Burns still reached the double-digit goals threshold for the 13th time and broke 40 points for the 12th time.
While he's very noticeably starting to show more and more signs of slowing down, he's still capable of playing the game at a high level, but the question is, can he continue to be a top option on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations?
The Canes held their first round of exit interviews on Saturday following the conclusion of their 2023-24 season which ended after losing in six games to the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs.
Here's what Burns had to say:
On if coming up short this year was more difficult: It's always hard. Obviously it gets harder and harder for different reasons. This was a really, really special group obviously. From the outside looking in, you could tell it was a special group. The team went hard at it this year bringing in the guys that they did, but from the inside out too, it was a special group and a great group of guys. It just seemed like everything... there were a lot of games where there was no quit. We always found a way. So I think that adds to it too. It adds to the hurt, but in the end, there's 31 teams that go through the hurt because the end goal is just to win. I don't know what to tell you. It sucks. I don't know when I said it, one of the years, but you could be 20 and it hurts, you can be older and it hurts. You can have a bad team that doesn't make the playoffs and it hurts and you can have a good team and it hurts. It's never fun.
On how one copes with that: I think you have to have hobbies. I think you have to have something. Obviously family. Probably for some reason that makes it worse too I guess in some ways, having kids, because they get so emotionally attached. So for different reasons it's hard on them the things they go through with it too. There's reasons for that, but I think at the end of the day too, you put everything you can into it all summer, all year, the grind of it. You have to accept it and use it for the next year for motivation. Whether you're young or old, I think it's tough. It's hard to realize that there's not always a chance at it, but I think you have to really embrace having the chance at it and we definitely did. We had such an unbelievable group from the staff down. You have to enjoy that and feel the hurt too when it doesn't happen.
On if he still feels the drive: Yeah, yeah. I think that's a big reason to still be around at these times. I think embracing the grind and the work. The work, it is what it is. It's not easy, but I love that part. I love the work and the hurt and the laughs around the room. Those things are special and you can't recreate it. You can't get that anywhere else. So yeah.
On Rod Brind'Amour: He's just such a special person. I think in this city alone, what he's done here and the culture that he brought and still drags in, that's one side of it, but I think just the energy that he brings every day, the work, all those things, you can't recreate that. It takes a special person to do that and it's every day. So I think it's an incredible thing to have. I can't speak enough about what he brings everyday not only to the city, to the fans, from what he's done in the past, but the things that go unseen. I know that people see the quick goal-horn videos after the game and those little things, but the other things throughout the day or that game day. It's an unbelievable thing to get to play for a guy like that.
On how he would assess his season: I think I look at things differently than others because I know what it takes. I think all the guys are like that. So it's never good enough because we didn't win. Anything else doesn't matter.
On if there's more of a connection with Brind'Amour based on the number of games each has played: I don't know. I think there's a lot more to it than just that. A lot of similarities. I don't know. It's a good question. Yeah, I don't know if that is all of it because I know it can be your first year in the league and right away you feel the special energy about him. Right away, he's just a guy that you want to play for. I don't know. I think he has a special relationship with a lot of guys. It's definitely a great thing to get to play for a guy like that where everyday you don't know what you're going to hear and there's a lot of little things that they do that make this a special place to play in and go through all the things that you go through. I think for him, he's done all that so he's been through a lot. He's won and been through that grind for a long time, but I think it's more than that. It's his personality, it's his energy that you can't make up. It oozes out of him and it's a special thing for a team. I think there's a lot of things we can relate on and I can learn from him. I just love the energy he creates for all of us to do it and his passion to bring another one to this city and the fans and you can just feel it every day from him. He's just such a... you can't recreate that. You can't get that from... there's a lot of great coaches, but you can't recreate what he has. The passion that he has for this city and the fans, it is special.
On his relationship with some of the younger guys on the team: It's unreal. It's such a special group of guys. For a lot of reasons. For the energy, the laughs, it just makes every day a lot of fun. For my kids too. I think they all have special relationships with those guys and you see it every game day. I'm crazy and doing my thing but I can look over and see them doing things with certain guys every day. It's a really, really special group. There's a lot of teams saying that, but those are the things that make the hard stuff and all the grind of it, it makes it a lot easier to go through those. All those little laughs and things. Looking over and seeing that. As the kids get older and they're going through it, they know... yeah. It's awesome
On if he's given much thought to where the end of the line might be for himself: Yeah, I mean you think about it. I think guys think about when they're 19 though. You never know if it's going to be your last year. There's a lot of guys that play two or three years. I've been stressed out about that since I was 18. At that time, you're trying to establish yourself and I was probably worse at that time. You don't really think about it. Like I said, I think having hobbies is a huge thing. I tell young guys too. You have to have something more than hockey and something more to occupy your life with than just hockey. I think it makes the hockey easier and the work easier to go through. Whenever it does end, whether you're 20, 40, 30, it doesn't matter. There's guys that are done at all those ages so you have to have something to go back to to keep your wits about you. So do I think about it? Yeah, I think about it all the time. I think every night I think about that, not coming back, but the next morning, you'll get a good laugh from Jarvy or KK or Marty or one of those guys and then you get on the bike and you get to work. Roddy will give you a good speech and you go out and do it all again the next day. I can't even remember the full question, but it's that routine for a lot of guys. Whether they play five games and are just trying to establish themselves or an older guy that's gone around the turn.