Brian Burke's status as GM, is taking on more attention than the team on the ice these days. Is he quitting? Is he being forced out? Has John McCaw sold the team, and the new owners want their own guy in place? The rumours fly around Vancouver like a gale off the Pacific, through Stanley Park and down Georgia.
Tonight on Hockey Night in Canada, Al Strachan spoke on the Satellite Hot Stove and said that Burke had demanded 2 million dollars, to stay in Vancouver. The good news for HNIC is that Burke is a fan, the bad news was that he was pretty annoyed with Strachan and "demanded" some time to rebut the report. Quickly granted (CBC knowing controversy is good for ratings, hi there Donald S) they rushed Burke onto the screen before the Canucks/Blues game Saturday night. Burke once again reinforced his desire to stay in Vancouver and denied that money had anything to do with the apparent impasse at the moment.
Never shy with the media, Burke is taking on a life of his own these days. Check out some of these stories about him and his situation, then you too can be as confused as everyone else involved in this mess.
Kevin Dupont of the Boston Globe recounts Burke's Boston years, he wonders aloud if the Canucks management really get this hockey thing or not.
Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail contemplates what being a lame duck GM in Vancouver means for both Burke and the team. The Globe as a newspaper has been rather fascinated by all the controversy in Vancouver with Jim Morris jumping in with a report for Canadian Press.
Burke finds some solid support from an unlikely source, the Denver Post jump into the fray, reporter Terry Frei, say he deserves a better fate than what's playing out at the moment.
Burke is becoming quite the celebrity and if the Canuck's don't appreciate him, there is one group in BC that must love him. The pulp and paper industry will be able to thank Burke should they find their inventories start to dwindle and the price goes up. All this press attention, has got to be good news for them, if the Canuck's don't want him perhaps COFI will sign him up!
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