Brian Burke

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In 1987, he was hired by Pat Quinn to be the director of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. In the 1992–93 season, he left that job to become general manager of the Hartford Whalers. Burke stepped down after one year in Hartford, so he could join the NHL front office as executive vice president and director of hockey operations, under league commissioner Gary Bettman. In that role, he served as the league's chief disciplinarian.

In 1998, he became general manager of the Vancouver Canucks. With the Canucks, he was credited with reviving the ailing franchise and increasing attendance, with the drafting and signing of several key players such as Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler, as the team won a playoff series and captured a division title. Following the 2003–04 NHL season, Canucks ownership chose not to renew Burke's contract for the GM position. Burke then briefly worked as an analyst for NHL games on both CBC and TSN. Burke's total record with the Canucks was 219-181-68-24.

Brian Burke faced public criticism for his treatment of forward Peter Zezel. Zezel had requested that he be traded to an East Coast team in order to be closer to Toronto so that he could see his 5-year old niece who had terminal cancer. Instead, Burke sent Zezel to the Anaheim Ducks, the NHL city furthest away from Toronto. As a result, Zezel retired from the NHL. Only after public and media outcry did Burke decide to buyout Zezel's contract.

As the 2004-05 NHL Lockout was coming to a close, Burke was announced as the next GM of the Anaheim Ducks. In his first year with the club, the Ducks made it all the way to the third round before falling to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. The following year, Burke won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2006–07 NHL season. Burke stepped down as GM of the Anaheim Ducks on November 12, 2008. The Ducks management submitted papers to the NHL, releasing him from contractual commitment.

On November 29, 2008, Burke was introduced as the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, replacing interim general manager Cliff Fletcher. He became the 13th non-interim general manager of the club and the first to be American-born. He reportedly agreed to a six-year deal worth $3 million annually. Soon thereafter, on December 4, 2008, Burke offered Dave Nonis the position of senior vice president and director of hockey operations for the Maple Leafs; Nonis accepted, marking the third time he has held this post under Burke; he had done so previously in Anaheim and Vancouver.

Burke attended the World Hockey Summit hosted in Toronto in 2010, and wanted NHL participation in the Winter Olympics to continue, but felt that teams should receive financial compensation while the NHL season was on hiatus during the Olympics. He proposed allowing the NHL oversee a world championship which had potential to a financially lucrative venture while league games were not being played.

On January 9, 2013, Burke was fired by the Leafs as president and general manager and given a role as senior advisor to MLSE's president and C.O.O. Tom Anselmi and the MLSE board of directors. The advisory role would not relate to hockey matters. Burke was fired principally by team director George A. Cope, who campaigned the team's new ownership to make a change in team leadership. During Burke's tenure with the Leafs from November 2008 to January 2013, the team consistently failed to make the post-season and remained the only team in the League that was unable to do so following the 2004 lockout. With the Leafs, Burke amassed a record of 129-135-42.

During his time in Toronto, Burke was notably criticized for a controversial trade in 2009 with Boston, when he acquired sniper Phil Kessel for two first-round draft picks and a second-round selection. The Bruins used the picks to select star forward Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton and Jared Knight.

In December 2011, Burke drew criticism in the media for his mid-season extension of head coach Ron Wilson, a longtime friend. "Burke and Wilson were born a month apart, were college roommates and teammates on the Providence College Friars hockey team in Rhode Island in the 1970s and have been friends ever since. Despite Wilson's three consecutive losing seasons, Burke renewed Wilson's contract with a $2 million extension. News of the contract broke on social media site Twitter, where Wilson posted that "This Xmas could be better if Santa stuffs a certain piece of paper in my stocking" and "'He came! He came!' [...] I got a new Red Ryder BB gun and a contract extension!", to which Burke replied, "Congratulations to Ron Wilson on his contract extension! Merry Christmas Ron!" Later, Burke defended his decision in the media, stating "This is a coach who's earned this, a coach who's earned this extension," and "It's not charity. It's not a gift." However, Wilson was released with full pay three months later following mounting losses and jeers from fans. "Every coach has a shelf life," Burke said. "After the last home game, it would be cruel and unusual punishment to let Ron coach another game in the Air Canada Centre."

On September 5, 2013, Burke was named the president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames, a position in only three NHL team organizations — Calgary, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Edmonton Oilers. A president of hockey operations is not to be confused with a team's president. A president of hockey operations sits between president (or owner) and general manager within a club's hierarchy. It is an advisory position assuming little to no direct responsibility for team decisions. After firing Jay Feaster and John Weisbrod, Burke assumed the role of acting general manager during the search for a permanent GM. On April 28, 2014, Burke hired Brad Treliving as the GM of the Calgary Flames.

After nearly five years on the job, Burke stepped back from his role as president of the Flames' hockey operations on April 27, 2018.

On February 9, 2021, Burke was hired as the President of Hockey Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Broadcasting career

Following his departure from the Calgary Flames, Burke joined Rogers Media as an ice hockey analyst during the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs in April 2018. He worked as a hockey analyst with Sportsnet and on Hockey Night in Canada until his hiring by the Pittsburgh Penguins in February 2021.

In October 2020, Burke in collaboration with Stephen Brunt released a memoir about Burke's life entitled “Burke’s Law”.

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