Brian Burke and the Anaheim Ducks have announced that "Burkie" will remain with the organization through the length of his contract, which expires at the end of next season.
That obviously means that all the rumor mills can cease speculating on whether or not he'll head off to Toronto or Vancouver.
I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed that the Ducks will sign Burke to a contract extension (they indicated that negotiations would continue), and while it may be a bit of a dream, I have to say that I certainly hope Burke chooses to stay clear through until he decides to retire.
He's brought such success to Anaheim, and he's done his fair share of gambling that's paid off and a bit of gambling that didn't pan out the way some of us hoped it would. Still, overall, he's given Anaheim a makeover like no other and made us Champions in three short seasons. He's made sound moves and continually stresses the fact that he will not make a deal that doesn't make sense. I have every confidence in his abilities, despite the fact that I may not always agree or like his choices (ahem, that whole Black Saturday thing that went down with Shane O'Brien last season?).
Nevertheless, with some time and clear-headedness, I've been able to see the wisdom in his dealings -- and yes, that does mean I now agree with the trade that cost me my O'B. The reason I agree is because: (1) it's hard to argue against a trade made the year your team won the Cup, (2) O'Brien's style of play was certainly a better fit for Tampa as opposed to Anaheim, though O'B did do his best to adjust to his assigned role... it just appeared as if he was looser/more comfortable in TB, and (3) in a roundabout way, it's all good because Burke brought in Brian Sutherby, who quickly became my new favorite. So, despite the heartbreak it cost me to see O'B go, all was mended when Sudsy came to town.
But this isn't about O'B or Sudsy. This is about keeping Burkie.
And thank the hockeygods... he'll be back for next season. Now if he can just persuade Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Corey Perry, and Brian Sutherby to say the same...