Burns, who was an NHL bench boss for parts of 14 seasons, coached the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup in 2003, and, after he retired because of his illness, the Devils kept him on as a consultant.
“On behalf of the ownership, management, staff, and players of the New Jersey Devils, we are all deeply saddened by the loss of Pat Burns,’’ said Lou Lamoriello, the Devils’ president, CEO, and general manager, in a statement. “Pat was a close friend to us all, while dedicating his life to his family and the game of hockey. He has been part of our family here in New Jersey for eight years. Today, the hockey world has lost a great friend and ambassador.’’
Burns had a record of 501-353-165, becoming the ninth coach in NHL history to win 500 games.
He was hired by the Bruins in 1997 after the team finished the previous season with the worst record in the league, which netted them No. 1 overall pick Joe Thornton. Burns, who was an extremely popular personality in Boston, brought Thornton along slowly, limiting his minutes. That first year, Burns led the Bruins to a record of 39-30-13, but they lost in the first round of the postseason. The Bruins won 39 games in 1998-99, too, but were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. After missing the playoffs in 1999-2000, Burns was brought back for the 2000-01 season, but was fired after eight games when the team struggled during its trip out West.
When it became obvious that Burns’s job was in jeopardy, he maintained his sense of humor. During the long flight home from that fateful October trip, as the plane was about to touch down at Hanscom Field, Burns walked up and down the aisle singing over and over, “I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again.’’
