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Here Come The Nerves - Sept. 26 , 2022 - Vol. 76, Issue. 04  – Ryan Kennedy

FOR YEARS, DEFENSEMAN Brent Burns would arrive early to away games in Carolina because he wanted to see all the tailgaters grilling and partying outside PNC Arena. Now that he’s a member of the Hurricanes, those barbe-cuers may need to make room for some exotic meats – and maybe even start to think about a Stanley Cup parade route.

Burns, who had spent the past 11 seasons as a mainstay on the San Jose Sharks’ blueline, joined Carolina via trade this summer in what was essentially a salary dump for the rebuilding Sharks. Known as much for his enthusiastic personality and Game of Thrones beard as he is his top-notch offensive skills on the back end, Burns always seems to be in the middle of delightful chaos. To wit: during his introductory Zoom press conference, he had just arrived at his Texas ranch after a five-day drive from Toronto in an RV that included his family and two 130-pound Leonberger dogs. The RV was towing a truck with a wrecked transmission (the truck had slipped out of neutral during the journey), and Burns’ parents were behind them in their own RV. Despite the odyssey, Burns was in his usual form on the call.

“What’s exciting for me is the nerves,” Burns said. “They create so much energy and excitement, and you kind of get away from that because you’re in such a rhythm. Now, it’s all going to be brand new. It’s a whirlwind and gives you a new perspective on guys who have changed teams. Just a crazy time, the full spectrum of emotions.”

As part of his contract, Burns had a list of three teams to which the Sharks were allowed to trade him, and although Carolina was not on that list, it didn’t take a lot of coaxing for the native of Ajax, Ont., to green-light the trade. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said the deal came together quickly, as Sharks peer Mike Grier had just become GM at the draft in Montreal. Waddell welcomed Grier to the fraternity, then started asking about Burns. A few days later, Burns was on his way to Carolina with depth forward Lane Pederson in exchange for center Steven Lorentz, AHL goalie Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional third-round pick. San Jose will also pick up one-third of Burns’ $8-million cap hit for the final three years of his deal.

San Jose Sharks Fall to Anaheim Ducks in First Pre-Season Road Game The San Jose Sharks were on the road, for their first preseason game away from the SAP Center, as they visited the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center.

For a player who spent more than a decade with San Jose, switching jerseys is going to take some getting used to, and even though Burns had played seven years in Minnesota to start off his NHL career, he’s synonymous with the Sharks. Burns acknowledged it’s hard to leave the city and its fans, not to mention his teammates.

I’M COMING TO A TIME WHERE HAVING A CHANCE TO WIN IT ALL IS ALL THAT MATTERS– BRENT BURNS

He had built chemistry with young blueliner Mario Ferraro in recent years, but it was Ferraro who helped assuage the affable Burns’ fears about heading into a new dressing room. “He said, ‘Burnzie, like you’re going to have a hard time getting to know guys,’” Burns said. “San Jose was a special place for me for such a long time, and I really grew as a player there. For me, I’m coming to a time where having a chance to win it all is all that matters right now. I’ve chased the boys in red and black around the ice for a while, and they’ve got a lot of young guys who are just flourishing.”

Though Burns is 37, there wasn’t much concern on Carolina’s part about his durability, especially since he hasn’t missed a game in eight seasons. “Everybody ages differently,” Waddell said. “This is a big man that has played a lot of minutes and been very durable throughout his career. We think he’s got at least three more real good years in him as he reaches 40.”

And let’s not forget: Burns is joining a win-now team. Just after he was acquired from San Jose, the Hurricanes swung another sweetheart deal when they got scoring winger Max Pacioretty from cap-strapped Vegas. Then, in August, they made a great value pick-up in 36-year-old free-agent center Paul Stastny.

So an already solid team led by the likes of Sebastian Aho, Jaccob Slavin and Andrei Svechnikov got seasoned stars at both forward and defense. The Sharks won’t be vying for a Cup again anytime soon, so Burns gets another crack at a title in Carolina. “That’s the reason why we’re all in this game,” Burns said.

“That’s why we’re all hitting the squat racks right now, it’s not out of pure love for those (exercises). There’s an end goal every time we do it. It’s no secret this team has been very good the past couple of years, and I’m coming from a team that had those goals as well.”

As for the fitness side of things, that has never been a concern with Burns, who has been known to take weights on vacation with him. He played more than 26 minutes a game last year, ranking third in the league and trailing NHL leader Seth Jones by just four seconds a night.

“I never really think about that kind of stuff,” Burns said. “I love playing a lot, I love working. One of the reasons I’m still here is a passion to work out and have that fitness level. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Tim Hortons and a bag of potato chips, but I’ve taken pride in getting older and taking care of myself. I see the young guys coming in, they’re in incredible shape and have been with trainers for a long time. The days of me going to junior and never lifting a weight are over.”

He’ll also have a master motivator behind the bench in Rod Brind’Amour, the Canes coach and legendary fitness beast dating back to his playing days. “I’m probably a little nervous to take my shirt off in front of him until I get dialled in and ready to go there,” Burns joked. “We have similarities there, taking pride in that side of the sport, taking care of ourselves. But I would not want to have a push-up contest against him.”

San Jose Sharks Linked to Toronto Maple Leafs Forward The San Jose Sharks have been linked to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson.

As for Pacioretty (who will miss several months due to surgery on a torn Achilles), he’s been through the wars in front of the net with Burns over the years and is happy to be on the same side. “There was a lot of animosity between me and Burnzie,” Pacioretty said. “But we had a virtual meeting after the trade and talked about the time we really got into it.”

Burns even joked to Pacioretty that he could go for the Lady Byng this season, since he won’t be trying to cross-check Pacioretty in the face anymore. Of course, he’ll have competition from Canes mainstay Slavin, a previous winner of the award and a potential ‘D’ partner for Burns. Slavin has been one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL for years and elevated his offensive game on a pairing with the since-departed Tony DeAngelo last season.

HE’S GOT AT LEAST THREE MORE REAL GOOD YEARS IN HIM AS HE REACHES THE AGE OF 40 – GM DON WADDELL

Burns could have a similar effect. “Even just to have that opportunity is something special,” Burns said. “He’s been a great player for a long time now, and he just makes the game look easy. He’s a very smart player, and it would be awesome to play with him.”

While the Eastern Conference still goes through Tampa Bay, a changing of the guard could happen as soon as this year. Goalie trouble in the playoffs hurt the Hurricanes last season, but the potential was already there for a run. “This team is so close,” Pacioretty said. “In the playoffs, I thought they outplayed the Rangers in that series. Obviously, they had some bad luck and some injuries, but I’ve been on teams that are close, and you just need to add one or two guys. Burnzie plays huge minutes, so that will help. And people have noted about the power play and scoring goals in the playoffs, and that’s where I can help out.”

As for the tailgating scene in Carolina, Burns could be another wild card. Though the region is known for pulled pork and whole hog, Burns’ Texas ranch features game such as axis deer, which he and his family cook up on the regular. “It’s one of our favorite meats,” he said. “We harvest a couple every year, and it’s one of the animals I try to eat most nights before games and on game days.”

Burns also has one mounted on the wall of his house. Perhaps soon he can pop a Stanley Cup ring on the antlers.

Sharks Make More Cuts From Training Camp Roster The San Jose Sharks have once again reduced their 2025 Training Camp roster.

From the Archive: Crash Course In NHL Life 101 The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.

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