Flames President of Hockey Operations BRIAN BURKE "will be stepping back" from Calgary Sports & Entertainment after five years with the organization, according to Mike Johnston of SPORTSNET. Burke joined the Flames in September '13, having spent the previous five years with the Maple Leafs. The Flames under Burke's watch made the playoffs in '15 and '17, but "never [made] it out of the second round" (SPORTSNET.ca, 4/27). Flames President & CEO KEN KING in a press release indicated the team and Burke "determined together that it was time to move on." Flames GM BRAD TRELIVING, VP/Hockey Operations DON MALONEY and Assistant GMs CRAIG CONROY and BRAD PASCALL "will direct the team's hockey operations going forward" (CP, 4/27). ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski writes Burke's hiring was "an unconventional move" for the Flames, as he was "seen as the driver for player personnel decisions over the general manager." He "faded into the background for the Flames" over time, allowing Treliving to be the "front-facing manager for the team and to make the majority of the calls on player transactions" (ESPN.com, 4/27).
FINDING TEMPORARY WORK: Burke will join Sportsnet's Stanley Cup playoff coverage "for the remainder of the post-season." Burke is "well-known for being a straight-shooter" and will be "adding commentary, insights, analysis across television, radio and digital." He will start during Saturday's doubleheader and will appear on the net's "coverage of the 2018 NHL draft lottery" (CALGARYHERALD.com, 4/27).
