Brian Burke Steps Down From Ducks; Will He Join Maple Leafs?

Burke Stepping Down As Ducks Exec VP & GM

OFF TO WORK WE GO: In Toronto, Steve Simmons reports there are several offers that Burke may receive. RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie may offer Burke an "equity stake in an NHL franchise, should Burke help secure the purchase of a team" for Balsillie. A source said that this offer has already "been extended." Also, the Maple Leafs are "poised to make an offer for Burke as soon as he is deemed available," and the Bruins and Blackhawks reportedly are interested (TORONTO SUN, 11/13). Also in Toronto, Damien Cox writes Burke joining the Maple Leafs is a "deal that should get done, possibly by the end of next week." If Burke is not the team's GM by then, and "possibly the president as well, it will be because with the professional opportunity of a lifetime at his feet, he went for too much" (TORONTO STAR, 11/13). The TORONTO STAR's Hunter & McGran report Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) President & CEO Richard Peddie will talk with MLSE BOD members and "assess hiring the NHL's most coveted front-office free agent." Peddie: "If we're interested, there are still procedures that have to be followed so that we're not tampering" (TORONTO STAR, 11/13). In Toronto, Scott Morrison writes there "aren't many teams with the wherewithal to hire Burke, but owners do curious things when there is a free agent available." Morrison: "Can the Leafs afford to not pay the king's ransom they will to sign him and risk waiting for someone else? Of course not" (TORONTO SUN, 11/13). SI.com's Michael Farber wrote Burke should "demand nothing less" than a "non-interference clause in his contract that allows him to walk if there is meddling by the board." The Maple Leafs "should be a perfect fit for Burke, who can ride into town as the white knight" (SI.com, 11/12).

Bruins And Maple Leafs Among Teams  Expected To Have Interest In Burke

DUCK, DUCK, LOOSE: The GLOBE & MAIL's Matthew Sekeres wrote the "saga" of Ducks Owner Henry Samueli, who earlier this year plead guilty to "lying to federal" regulators in the Broadcom case, "must also be playing a part" in Burke's decision to leave the franchise. It is unclear when Samueli's NHL suspension may be lifted, and it "would be scandal enough ... to drive Burke out of Anaheim" (GLOBEANDMAIL.com, 11/12). In L.A., Helene Elliott writes Burke's departure was "inevitable from the moment last season he left a lucrative extension on the table, hesitant to continue commuting between coasts." Burke was "sometimes blustery, sometimes defiant, but he made sure his players looked beyond themselves and became involved in the community." He was not "always successful but he never was dull" (L.A. TIMES, 11/13). ESPN.com's Burnside wrote Burke "leaves behind mostly good feelings in Anaheim and an immediate legacy of success" (ESPN.com, 11/12). In Vancouver, Iain MacIntyre writes Burke was "never a good fit in Anaheim, unless you count the hockey part." Burke "hates golf, burns in the sun and too few people quote him there." Burke working in Anaheim was "terrific for the Ducks, bad for the NHL" (VANCOUVER SUN, 11/13). In California, Mark Whicker writes under the header, "Burke's Big Thinking Aligned Ducks' Stars." Burke "brought something the Ducks never had before. Scope. He thought big" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 11/13).

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