ESPN named Burns a finalist for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award on Thursday. Joining Burns as nominees are Tina Charles of the WNBA's New York Liberty, Carlos Dunlap of the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals and Chris Paul of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.
Influenced by his grandfather's service during WWII, Burns has worked tirelessly with United Heroes League, formerly known as Defending the Blue Line, an organization dedicated to ensuring military members are healthy and active through sports, since 2009. Dubbed "Burnzie's Battalion," Burns has donated more than $1.2 million in suite tickets to United Heroes League, regularly meets with veteran and active duty military members and has donated thousands of pieces of hockey equipment to military families.