His old detective partner, John Janusz, watched the Pat Burns narrative unfold from up close and afar. He remains proprietary. “The Canadiens had him. The Leafs had him. The Bruins had him. The Devils had him. But he’s still our coach, the Gatineau boy. The rest of the world can share him and remember him, but he’s ours. We never let him go.”
Jason Burns had to let go of his dad as a larger-than-life physical presence. But the father is in the son’s DNA and in his heart. “His demeanour, the way he talked and acted, how hard he worked. He was always entertaining, fun to be around. Even at the end, he found ways to laugh.
“I like to remember our summers in Magog, water-skiing, boating and fishing. Those were great times because he was relaxed. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him. I wish he was still here to guide me, especially with the coaching and the hockey part of my life. I wish I could give him a call and chat about a bunch of shit. I miss when he’d answer the phone and say, ‘Duuude, what’s up, my man?’
“I miss him, my dad.”
So does hockey—the game Pat Burns loved, and which loved him back.
Requiem
PAT BURNS COACHED 1,019 games in the NHL. His teams won 501, lost 353, tied 165. In 149 playoff games, he won 78 and lost 71. He was named coach of the year three times, with three different clubs. In 2003, his New Jersey Devils captured the Stanley Cup.
And those are the least of his accomplishments in a life ended too soon, at the age of fifty-eight.
His ashes are interred in Georgeville, a little town on the shores of Lake Memphremagog, just up the road from a plot of land he bought in his first year with the Montreal Canadiens.
The gravestone reads simply:
Patrick J. Burns
1952–2010
Devotion. Discipline. Courage.
Acknowledgements
EXPLORING THE LIFE of Pat Burns has been a journey of privilege. I am grateful to the many people who shared their insights and memories. I’m also indebted to the written record amassed by journalists who covered Pat’s career. I’ve plundered their work shamelessly. In particular, I’d like to note the reportage of beat writers in the four NHL cities where Pat coached.
My thanks to Patrick McCormick—a dear friend—for his skillful close editing of the manuscript, and all the errors that he caught. Any bloopers that remain are down to me.
I’m obliged to Toronto Star editor-in-chief Michael Cooke, who gave me the book-leave. Thanks as well to everyone at Doubleday Canada, especially editor Tim Rostron, who pushed too hard but brought me in on deadline.
I’d still like to start over, though.
Rosie DiManno
May 27, 2012
Photo Credits and Permissions
Grateful acknowledgement is expressed to the following people and sources for permission to reprint these images. In the event of an inadvertent omission or error regarding copyright, please notify the publisher.
12.1 Courtesy of Diane Burns
12.2 © Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images
12.3 © Patti Gower/GetStock Images
12.4 © Michael Stuparyk/GetStock Images
12.5 © Michael Stuparyk/GetStock Images
12.6 © Lou Capozzola/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
12.7 © The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz
12.8 © The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes
About the Author
Rosie DiManno is a news and sports columnist with the Toronto Star. She was friends with Pat Burns from his coaching days in Toronto to the end of his life. She is the author of Glory Jays, Canada’s World Champions (1993), about the Toronto Blue Jays.
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