Sean Burke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sean Burke |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Burke with the Springfield Falcons in 2006
|
|||
| Born | January 29, 1967 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | New Jersey Devils Hartford Whalers Carolina Hurricanes Vancouver Canucks Philadelphia Flyers Florida Panthers Phoenix Coyotes Tampa Bay Lightning Los Angeles Kings |
||
| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
||
| NHL Draft | 24th overall, 1985 New Jersey Devils |
||
| Playing career | 1988–2007 | ||
Sean Burke (born January 29, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently the director of goaltending for the Vegas Golden Knights. He helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. Sean played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for many teams, including the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Phoenix Coyotes. He was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but grew up in Toronto, Ontario.
Contents
Sean Burke's Hockey Journey
Early Years and Junior Hockey
When Sean Burke was young, he played in the 1980 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He played for the St. Michael's minor ice hockey team from Toronto.
Burke went to St. Michael's college high school. He played junior B hockey for the St. Michael's Buzzers in the 1983-84 season. The Toronto Marlboros picked him in the third round of the OHL draft. He played for them for the next two seasons.
Joining the NHL: New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils drafted Sean Burke in the second round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He became well-known for his international play. He helped the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team win a silver medal in the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He also played for the men's national team at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
Burke joined the Devils right after the 1988 Olympics. He played 11 games for them in the 1987–88 season. One of these games was an overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks. This win helped the Devils reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time.
Sean Burke was called a "rookie sensation" because of his amazing play. He helped the Devils have a great playoff run. They beat the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals. The Devils almost made it to the Stanley Cup Finals but lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins. People praised Burke's performance. The Hockey Digest even said he was the future of the Devils. In December 1988, he was the first Devils player to be on their magazine cover.
Because he only played 11 games in the 1987–88 season, Burke was still considered a rookie for the 1988–89 season. That year, he was chosen for the 1989 All-Star Game.
Moving Teams and Olympic Return
Burke played for the Devils until the 1990–91 season. He then sat out the 1991–92 season because he wanted to be traded. Instead, he joined the Canadian national team again for the Winter Olympics. He helped Canada win a silver medal. Future NHL stars like Eric Lindros were his teammates.
On August 28, 1992, Burke was traded to the Hartford Whalers. He played there for six seasons, even when the team moved and became the Carolina Hurricanes. He was voted the Whalers' team MVP from 1993 to 1997. After that, Burke played for several other teams. These included the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, and Florida Panthers.
He then signed with the Phoenix Coyotes and played there for five seasons. In the 2001–02 season, he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy (best goalie) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player). Burke was also selected for the NHL All-Star games in 2001 and 2002 while with the Coyotes.
Later, Burke played for the Philadelphia Flyers again. He earned his 300th career NHL win there, becoming only the 20th goalie to reach this milestone. He also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Before the 2006–07 season, he played for Tampa Bay's minor league team, the Springfield Falcons. Finally, he was picked up by the Los Angeles Kings.
Sean Burke announced his retirement from professional hockey on September 18, 2007. He is ranked among the top NHL goaltenders for games played (820), wins (324), and shutouts (38).
Playing for Team Canada
Sean Burke played a lot for the Canadian national team. He is the goalie who has played the most international games for Canada, with 130 games between 1985 and 2003.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing  Canada |
||
| Canada Cup | ||
| Gold | 1991 Canada | |
| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 1992 Albertville | |
| World Championship | ||
| Gold | 1997 Finland | |
| Gold | 2003 Finland | |
| World Junior Championship | ||
| Silver | 1986 Canada | |
Burke played in 11 games for Canada in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics. He was also a backup goalie for the 1991 Canada Cup, where Canada won gold.
In 2020, Sean Burke was named to the IIHF All-Time Canada Team. This is a special group that includes hockey legends like Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby.
After His Playing Career
Working in Hockey Management
After retiring, Sean Burke continued his career in hockey. On March 4, 2008, the Phoenix Coyotes hired him. He became their director of prospect development. He also worked as an assistant to the general manager and as the Coyotes' goaltending coach.
In 2015, Burke was part of the management team that helped Canada win a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships. Canada went undefeated in that tournament, beating Russia 6-1 in the final game. He was also part of the management group when Canada won another gold medal at the IIHF World Championships in 2016. They defeated Finland 2-0 in the final.
In 2017, Burke co-managed Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships. Canada won the silver medal after a close game against Sweden. Burke was also the General Manager for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in 2016, 2017, and 2019, winning gold medals. In 2018, his team won a silver medal at the Spengler Cup.
Coaching and Olympic Role
In September 2016, Burke joined the Montreal Canadiens as a professional scout. He also worked as the full-time goaltending coach for the Canadiens during the 2020-21 season. That year, the team made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
On July 25, 2017, he was named the general manager for Canada's men's team for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Team Canada won the bronze medal there. That same season, he co-managed the IIHF World Championships with Martin Brodeur.
In March 2021, Burke became the director of goaltending for the Montreal Canadiens.
Stanley Cup Win with Vegas Golden Knights
On June 25, 2022, Sean Burke was appointed as the director of goaltending for the Vegas Golden Knights. Even though the Golden Knights had many goalie injuries during the 2022–23 season, Burke helped coach them to win the Stanley Cup in 2023. This was Burke's first Stanley Cup win!
Burke has also been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation's Players Committee since 2016.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1983–84 | St. Michael's Buzzers | MetJHL | 25 | — | — | — | — | 1482 | 120 | 0 | 4.86 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Toronto Marlboros | OHL | 49 | 25 | 21 | 3 | — | 2987 | 211 | 0 | 4.24 | — | 5 | 1 | 3 | 266 | 25 | 0 | 5.64 | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Toronto Marlboros | OHL | 47 | 16 | 27 | 3 | — | 2840 | 233 | 0 | 4.92 | .862 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 238 | 24 | 0 | 6.05 | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Canada | Intl. | 42 | 27 | 13 | 2 | — | 2550 | 130 | 0 | 3.05 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Canada | Intl. | 37 | 19 | 9 | 2 | — | 1962 | 92 | 1 | 2.81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | — | 688 | 35 | 1 | 3.05 | .883 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 999 | 57 | 1 | 3.42 | .889 | ||
| 1988–89 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 62 | 22 | 31 | 9 | — | 3590 | 230 | 3 | 3.84 | .873 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 52 | 22 | 22 | 6 | — | 2914 | 175 | 0 | 3.60 | .880 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 125 | 8 | 0 | 3.84 | .860 | ||
| 1990–91 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 35 | 8 | 12 | 8 | — | 1870 | 112 | 0 | 3.59 | .872 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Canada | Intl. | 31 | 18 | 6 | 4 | — | 1721 | 75 | 1 | 2.61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 424 | 17 | 0 | 2.41 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 160 | 13 | 0 | 4.88 | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 50 | 16 | 27 | 3 | — | 2656 | 184 | 0 | 4.16 | .876 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 47 | 17 | 24 | 5 | — | 2750 | 137 | 2 | 2.99 | .906 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 42 | 17 | 19 | 4 | — | 2418 | 108 | 0 | 2.68 | .912 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 66 | 28 | 28 | 6 | — | 3669 | 190 | 4 | 3.11 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 51 | 22 | 22 | 6 | — | 2985 | 134 | 4 | 2.69 | .914 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 25 | 7 | 11 | 5 | — | 1415 | 66 | 1 | 2.80 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 16 | 2 | 9 | 4 | — | 838 | 49 | 0 | 3.51 | .876 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 11 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | 632 | 27 | 1 | 2.56 | .913 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 283 | 17 | 0 | 3.60 | .860 | ||
| 1998–99 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 59 | 21 | 24 | 14 | — | 3402 | 151 | 3 | 2.66 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 418 | 18 | 0 | 2.58 | .913 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 35 | 17 | 14 | 3 | — | 2074 | 88 | 3 | 2.55 | .914 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 296 | 16 | 0 | 3.24 | .904 | ||
| 2000–01 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 62 | 25 | 22 | 13 | — | 3644 | 138 | 4 | 2.27 | .922 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 60 | 33 | 21 | 6 | — | 3587 | 137 | 5 | 2.29 | .920 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 297 | 13 | 0 | 2.63 | .902 | ||
| 2002–03 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 22 | 12 | 6 | 2 | — | 1248 | 44 | 2 | 2.11 | .930 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 32 | 10 | 15 | 5 | — | 1795 | 84 | 1 | 2.81 | .908 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 15 | 6 | 5 | 2 | — | 825 | 35 | 1 | 2.55 | .910 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 1.50 | .889 | ||
| 2005–06 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 35 | 14 | 10 | — | 4 | 1713 | 80 | 2 | 2.80 | .895 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 109 | 7 | 0 | 3.85 | .877 | ||
| 2006–07 | Springfield Falcons | AHL | 7 | 2 | 5 | — | 0 | 345 | 26 | 0 | 4.52 | .856 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 23 | 6 | 10 | — | 5 | 1310 | 68 | 1 | 3.11 | .901 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 820 | 324 | 341 | 101 | 9 | 46,440 | 2,290 | 38 | 2.96 | .902 | 38 | 12 | 23 | 2,149 | 119 | 1 | 3.32 | .888 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Canada | WJC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 | — | |
| 1987 | Canada | WC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 300 | 12 | 0 | 2.40 | — | |
| 1988 | Canada | OLY | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 238 | 12 | 0 | 3.02 | — | |
| 1989 | Canada | WC | 5 | — | — | — | 275 | 10 | 1 | 2.18 | — | |
| 1991 | Canada | WC | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 479 | 21 | 0 | 2.63 | — | |
| 1992 | Canada | OLY | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 429 | 17 | 0 | 2.37 | — | |
| 1997 | Canada | WC | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 608 | 22 | 3 | 2.17 | .924 | |
| 2003 | Canada | WC | 6 | — | — | — | 329 | 7 | 1 | 1.28 | .955 | |
| Junior totals | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 | — | |||
| Senior totals | 46 | — | — | — | 2658 | 101 | 5 | 2.28 | — | |||
Awards and Achievements
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 1989, 2001, 2002 | |
| Stanley Cup | 2023 (as coach) | |
| International | ||
| WC All-Star Team | 1991, 2003 | |
| Best Goaltender | 2003 | |
| IIHF All-Canada Team | 2020 | |
