ANAHEIM, Calif. — Brian Burke turned down a contract extension to remain general manager of the Ducks on Wednesday, citing the need to spend more time with his family and the strong state of the team he helped turn into a Stanley Cup champion as reasons for leaving.
He was replaced by Bob Murray, who has spent the past three seasons in the Ducks’ front office.
“People leaving a job tend to want to leave a monument and talk about what a great team they left — and the guy coming in wants to point out all the holes in the hull. But I believe I have delivered here and that I’m leaving Bob a pretty good team,” Burke said.
Burke, 53, explained he wants to spend more time with his six children and that 11 years of commuting coast to coast was enough for him.
“This is the toughest decision I’ve ever had in my life, professionally, as far as what to do next,” Burke said. “I’ve been wrestling with the decision. I’ve got four older children on the East Coast and two little ones (4 1/2 and 2 1/2), and I don’t see any of them enough. So I felt if I can get a chance to get in the same time zone with them, I’m going to take it.”
Footnotes.
Rangers center Scott Gomez is day to day because of a leg injury.
• Senators forward Jarkko Ruutu was suspended for two games without pay by the NHL for catching Montreal’s Maxim Lapierre with an elbow.
The Associated Press
