Pat Burns - Great coach and even better person

After hearing the news that Pat Burns was diagnosed with cancer for the third time, it hit me in the stomach like a sucker punch. I can only imagine how hard it must be for him and his family. Pat was only in New Jersey for a relatively short time but was responsible for bringing the 3rd Stanley Cup championship to the Devils and their fans.

There was always something about Pat Burns that drew me to him. To this day, he is my favorite coach in Devils history. I know that is blasphemous in some circles and Jacques Lemaire should be my favorite coach, but thats jut not the case. It will always be Pat Burns.

I will always remember the press conference when he was hired and the way he described Lou Lamoriello coming to his home in Canada and speaking with him. You could just tell in his voice how grateful he was for the opportunity. When the Devils were looking for a coach Pat Burns' name was never even mentioned and the entire hockey community was shocked when he was tabbed as the man to lead the Devils. The hiring of Pat Burns signaled a change within the team. Pat was more of a disciplinarian than the players friend, and that was something the team needed. People always said that Herb Brooks was the right man at the right time when talking about the 1980 US Olympic team. Well Pat Burns was the right man at the right time to run this team.

The real tribute to the kind of guy and the kind of coach Pat Burns is and was, if you ask any player that played for him what they think of him, to a man, they will tell you they would run head first through a brick wall for that man. He is a natural born leader and a model human being. You never hear a bad word about him. As a fan, I always watch the coaches press conferences and just watching him talk, you could always tell he was being sincere and genuine, regardless of what the subject was. Winning the Stanley Cup always creates some sort of bond between the players and coaches in the fans. I will always remember Scott Stevens hoisting Lord Stanleys Cup for the first time in 1995. I will always remember screaming and yelling in the early hours of the morning when Jason Arnott fired that puck past Ed Belfour. And I will always remember the joy and happiness on the face of Pat Burns when he lifted that Stanley Cup over his head. For a man that rarely smiled during that 2003 season, you couldnt wipe that grin off his face.


After reading some quotes from Pat Burns over the last week or so, he is preparing for the worst and just worrying about living his life and enjoying every moment that he has left. He is choosing to not undergo chemotherapy to treat the cancer that has spread to his lungs. If there is anyone that can beat this horrible disease for a 3rd time it is that man. I wish him and his family the best of luck and my thoughts and prayers are with them.