It didn’t take long for bombastic Brian Burke to make waves upon his arrival in the ‘Burgh. Shortly after the veteran hockey exec was hired on February 9, 2021, to fill the newly minted post of president of hockey operations, Burke voiced his opinion over the Penguins’ preferred style of play. In the process, establishing an expectation for the new regime.
“Pittsburgh’s the last team to win with a small, fast team,” he noted at the time. “The last three Cup winners (Washington, St. Louis and Tampa Bay) have been big, they play long pants hockey, they play ugly hockey.