Update: The Flames have Officially hired Brian Burke under the Title of President of Hockey Operations. Jay Feaster will report directly to Burke but will still have control of the day to day decision making.
Last night rumors surfaced from TSN’s Bob McKenzie, and Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston that former Toronto Maple Leafs’ President and General Manager, Brian Burke was in deep discussions with the Calgary Flames about taking a front office position.
The Flames have now called a 12 ET (10am local time) press conference. It is widely expected that they will announce the hiring of Burke into a senior executive position. While current Flames general manager Jay Feaster is expected to remain with the team, it will be interesting to see the title that Burke is given and how the two will interact in the coming weeks and months.
In addition to being with the Maple Leafs, Burke has had a GM role with the Anaheim Ducks (where he won the Stanley Cup in 2007), the Vancouver Canucks, and the Hartford Whalers. He has also worked in the NHL front office in the role of executive vice president and director of hockey operations.
When approached by media members at Calgary International Airport on Wednesday night, Burke offered up a no comment.
“I’m not going to talk about it tonight,” said Burke to reporters. “Sorry you had to camp out here.”
The Flames are largely seen as a rebuilding club, which will give Burke the opportunity to place his own stamp on the team in the coming years. Many analysts and pundits predict that it will be a tough season in Calgary and the team has not made the playoffs in several years.
Burke was recently named to a voluntary position on the board of Rugby Canada. He has also been working as a scout for the Anaheim Ducks.
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