Sports
Tales of Brent Burns: Teammates discuss cheetah attacks, his ‘Mary Poppins’ rep and loving the NHL’s ‘colossal kid’
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPNWould maybe well 22, 2023, 07:00 AM ET
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
RALEIGH, N.C. — There’s conformity among many NHL gamers. And then there could be Brent Burns.
Breaking apart the parade of monotone industry suits and successfully-groomed exteriors while getting into the sphere is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound defenseman carrying loud patterns, lugging a comically gigantic camouflage backpack and wearing a chaotic scraggle of beard around a toothless hockey grin.
That is the Brent Burns you glimpse. The Brent Burns you hear about is one of many most irregular superstar athletes in all of official sports actions, let alone the NHL.
He is the “colossal kid” in a 38-three hundred and sixty five days-long-established physique. There’s the menagerie of animals he owns. There’s his hyperintelligence, learning facts and talents so quick that it be love his mind became plugged into “The Matrix” and downloaded them. And clearly, there could be that mysterious rep.
We spoke with a entire lot of of us which possess identified Brent Burns within the NHL to listen to some tales of the Norris Trophy-a success defenseman who has helped the Carolina Hurricanes to the Japanese Convention finals in his first season with the club.
Right here are Hurricanes teammates Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho; broken-down San Jose Sharks teammates Logan Couture, Brenden Dillon and Colin White; broken-down Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks teammate Dominic Moore; and Mike Potenza, director of performance for the Golden Speak Warriors and broken-down director of strength and conditioning of the Sharks (2006-2022), speaking all issues Brent Burns.
The principle time I met him
Burns debuted within the NHL in 2003-04, having been selected twentieth overall within the 2003 draft by the Minnesota Wild. He played for the Wild unless 2011, when he became traded to the San Jose Sharks. He played 11 seasons for the Sharks, a success the Norris Trophy in 2017. In 2022, he became traded to the Hurricanes.
Moore: We had been in Minnesota together. Jacques Lemaire became the coach. We had been doing a conflict drill, all under the purpose line, and Burnzie appropriate every now and again beasted three forwards in a row. It became love staring at a Jason Bourne film the establish he takes out three guys with one fell swoop. All three guys had been aloof flat on the ice, and Lemaire appropriate chuckled. I knew lawful away that this kid became particular.
Couture: He is intimidating for of us that first glimpse him. He is bought the total tattoos and he is suitable colossal. I will be able to’t remember if he had teeth or now not relief then. I in finding now not deem he did. But then you definately talked to him and he became appropriate a enjoyable-loving, easygoing guy, joking the total time. He is roughly love a better than existence character.
Slavin: The principle time I interacted with him after the replace [to Carolina], I despatched him a textual mumble message asking him to near relief to something. He didn’t textual mumble relief. He didn’t send a explain memo. He took a video of himself explaining what the yelp became. He is start air at his camper. Hat on, no teeth, in a camo cutoff shirt. Appropriate taking half within the Raleigh humidity. And so that became my first interplay with him. I became love, “Oh, this guy’s hilarious.”
Potenza: I remembered him from Minnesota because he beat [the Sharks] up for four functions in a single sport. He wore No. 8. He had quick hair. He became colossal and he could presumably also skate. He became a pest in opposition to us. And then we in finding him and it be love, “Holy s—, here is monumental!”
Dillon: I met him in 2014 once I became traded to San Jose. He didn’t possess a beard yet. He had played the earlier season at forward, nonetheless I stopped up playing the remainder of that season with him on defense. I mean, you is at threat of be a little intimidated. Or now not it’s Brent Burns. Or now not it’s an NHL All-Star. I needed to in finding past the 6-foot-5 mammoth that had been working me the earlier two years at forward. Burnzie is a form of bull-in-a-china-shop guys.
Couture: Or now not it’s completely insane he made the pass from forward to defense so successfully. He played every in San Jose. I played a pair of video games with him as my lawful fly and with Jumbo [Joe Thornton]. Then you definately glimpse him a success the Norris Trophy as a defenseman. I couldn’t image myself going relief there to enact that.
Potenza: When he confirmed up in San Jose, I noticed he is bought a ton of tattoos — and acquired even extra at some stage in his time with the Sharks. I in finding now not know if I became as greatly surprised at the tattoos as powerful as I became the snake series.
The animals
Burns is considerable for having a series of pets, mostly reptiles. Or now not it’s miles a passion for irregular animals he has shared with teammates — for better or worse.
Dillon: You are going to hear all of these issues. Admire he is bought a gorilla in his basement or an alligator in his garage.
Moore: In Minnesota, he had the total pets. Fish tanks and snakes and the entirety at his dwelling.
Couture: When we first traded for him, there became the total experiences concerning the snakes. I deem there became a video on-line that I saw about them. And I became love, “Holy s—.” Because I’m timid of snakes, so I’m by no method going over to his self-discipline.
Potenza: He had a song lizard. Why would someone possess a song lizard? You are better off having a pit bull with a toothache than you is at threat of be having a song lizard. In fact, I’d take two pitbulls with toothaches, that had been also hungry, over a friggin’ song lizard.
Dillon: He invited me over for dinner once I became traded. I didn’t know if wanted to be jumpy. I’m now not the ideally suited bird guy. Would there be birds? I’ve by no method had, love, an iguana or anything. I purchased over there and he had some smaller animals. I deem he in actuality needed to shuffle away most of his animals in Minnesota because his dwelling there became rather accustomed to relief all of them.
Couture: He knowledgeable us some wild experiences about them. Two of the snakes escaped at his self-discipline in Minnesota. They had been lost in his dwelling for while a obvious length of time. I became love, “Oh my God, how enact you sleep at night? You’ve got bought two big snakes roaming across the dwelling and two minute younger of us at that level!”
Moore: I remember he had long past to the zoo on an off day sooner than a sport in Columbus with some teammates and acquired clawed by a bobcat or something.
Couture: I deem it became a cheetah.
White: It became an off day. It became me and Burnzie and Jumbo Joe. Burnzie’s into all these animals, lawful? He had a bunch of snakes and stuff then. I deem he has rather powerful a zoo now in Texas. Regardless of city we had been in, he would take us varied locations the establish there had been animals. Admire in Detroit, he took us to a snake farm.
And then we went to the zoo in Columbus. I’m now not a right animal guy. I became terrified. He had all of it self-discipline up the establish we could presumably take a image with a cheetah. And that is the reason when he bought bit by one. Ethical within the ribs. [Laughs]
Moore: I remember pondering, “Oh my God.” Any long-established manager would cringe hearing that.
White: I became insecure. I became already anxious of this factor. They introduced it out and so they had treats and stuff, nonetheless then they knowledgeable us to in finding around it for a image. And this factor had its eyes on Burnzie the total time. We bought in shut. Burnzie bought nearer to it and it reached over and grabbed him by the ribs. It didn’t in finding, love, a paunchy chunk. But it completely left these two fang marks.
Jumbo became going loopy laughing. I became laughing. Burnzie didn’t care. He wasn’t excited. He became laughing. We went relief inner and so they introduced out a bunch of varied animals. Burnzie knew I became worried of them and stuff. It became all funny as heck.
Couture: The next day we saw them after the cheetah had clawed at them. I became love, “Jesus guys, here is wild.”
What’s within the rep?
Burns carries a colossal, camouflage backpack across the sphere and on avenue trips. Of us which possess looked inner had been greatly surprised by what they found.
Potenza: Did you ever glimpse “Mary Poppins”? When Mary Poppins has that rep and she pulls out a huge lamp? Brent Burns is love Mary Poppins.
Couture: The rep is paunchy. There’s doubtlessly 20 kilos of stuff in there. Admire, he is sweating carrying it. In New York, after we play the Rangers, you possess to stir up this hill [from the buses] and he is bought to support that rep. And he is suitable leakin’, because he is bought so powerful extra weight on him.
Moore: He had the rep in Minnesota, nonetheless I deem there could be been an evolution with it alongside with how the game has evolved. There’s increasingly restoration and pregame issues that gamers enact. So he is bought issues in there that he desires to possess sooner than or after the game.
Potenza: He is bought some considerable oils in there, whether or now not it be to abet him be relaxed and aloof at some stage in sleep or if he is bought soreness in his shoulder or what possess you ever. Some muscle-rub form issues.
Couture: In the final few years [in San Jose], he and I sat next to at least one one more on the plane. So I at final in actuality bought to peep what’s within the rep. First, he is bought a blender in there. He brings his fetch espresso on the avenue — Dusky Rifle Coffee Firm. Three or four bags of it.
Skjei: I’ve long past over to his room for espresso, so I know there could be a espresso machine in there. All that stuff requires a colossal rep. There’s pretty a pair of sharp parts, nonetheless the espresso’s stunning and it in actuality works for him.
Couture: He is bought dietary supplements. He has these little issues that he rolls on [his body]. He is bought all of his vitamins. He is bought bottles of water he takes from the rink — if a team has Natty Water or Fiji, he packs his rep paunchy of these water bottles because he thinks they’re nicer waters. I deem that’s it. Oh, and a few knives. He had an axe one time, too.
Dillon: Let’s appropriate affirm a pair times when he is long past thru security, he is needed to respond to a pair questions.
Couture: In fact one of his passions is knives. He repeatedly will get his knives from Grizzly Forge. He appropriate loves the finishes on them. I mean, I’m now not a knife particular person, nonetheless they’re gorgeous knives. He makes exhaust of one to take the tape off his stick between classes. Or now not it’s varied.
Potenza: I’ve needed to shuffle within the rep to in finding stuff out for him. If you’ve got considered the rep up shut, there are doubtlessly 30 pockets in that rep. He is requested me to get something. I’d possess to return to him three or four times. “Admire, what pocket is it in?” And he is love, “The front one with the double zipper, nonetheless now not the help zipper.” And I’m love, “I in finding now not know what you you is at threat of be speaking about.” Then I’d shuffle to receive the rep — and it weighs rather powerful how powerful I weigh — and I lug it over to him and I’m love, “You watch it.”
Slavin: Or now not it’s miles a pair bags now. He is bought his suitcase. He is bought his personal rep. Then he is bought his backpack. He is suitable bought pretty a pair of stuff. For a one-day avenue day out, he is packing over 200 kilos of stuff I deem.
The beard
Though he became a little one-confronted player for the Minnesota Wild, Burns grew out a furry beard while with the San Jose Sharks, matching the face foliage of teammate Joe Thornton.
Potenza: Burnzie bought going with it and I deem he became love, “How prolonged can I shuffle with this factor?” It roughly made him extra considerable. If you glimpse him saw him with out the beard, or appropriate a minute beard, it be love, “Man, you peep smooth younger.”
Dillon: The playoff beard-grew to alter into-standard of living beard has indubitably played a role in making him so recognizable. I remember around 2017, him and Connor McDavid had been colossal Adidas guys. I remember being on the couch with Burnzie when [NBA star] James Harden tweeted at him:
Bawl out to the ideally suited beard in hockey lol Welcome to #Teamadidas, @Burnzie88.
— James Harden (@JHarden13) October 7, 2017
I remember Burnzie roughly being love, “James Harden, why enact I know that title?” I became love, “Dude, he is one of many legends of the NBA lawful now. You are one of many legends of the NHL lawful now.” And he is love, “Create you deem I ought to aloof quiz for an autographed jersey or something?”
I deem every now and again for of us that discuss him being love a colossal kid, I every now and again deem as stunning of a player as he is and confident in a player as he is, every now and again he presumably appropriate doesn’t glimpse himself in that method. Which is a colossal sure, because he continues to work onerous at his sport. But for of us that deem Brent Burns, I deem you would also quiz pretty a pair of Individuals who presumably are now not the ideally suited hockey fans and he’d be one of many most recognizable faces within the game.
Moore: On a non-public level to, he and his companion blueprint of shaving his beard with the proceeds going to my foundation. Natty character guy. And he does loads for other causes as successfully.
White: He is a colossal militia guy. He is a monumental supporter of them. He is bought Burnzie’s Battalion, his foundation that supports veterans.
Couture: He idolizes these guys, for obvious. His brother became in particular forces. His grandfather became in World Battle II with the Canadian militia. Or now not it’s within the family, and that’s the reason something that’s considerable to him.
Potenza: He is a colossal family man. Or now not it’s funny: In San Jose, the total younger of us looked as if it could presumably be the same age at one level. [Joe] Pavelski‘s younger of us and Burns’s younger of us and [Patrick] Marleau’s younger of us. I remember blinking at some point soon and I became love, “There’s love 10 boys working around this rink lawful now at some stage in notice. Who’s staring at these younger of us?” And then all of them bought on the ice after notice.
He also loves being a dad and you would glimpse that once he interacts with other younger of us. He could presumably also glimpse me and my younger of us at the rink and he would have interaction with them: “How you doing? How’s your skating?”
White: He appears to be like to be like peep love “Duck Dynasty,” nonetheless he is a successfully-organized man.
“Primarily the most attention-grabbing man on this planet”
From having a 420-acre Texas ranch the establish he raises free-range animals and hunts, to a quantity of ever-changing off-ice pursuits, existence is repeatedly fascinating for Burns and his teammates.
Dillon: He is love the Dos Equis man. Primarily the most attention-grabbing man on this planet. You esteem him as a teammate since you would now not discontinuance laughing with a pair of of the stuff he knows.
Skjei: Or now not it’s random stuff that you just in finding now not possess any clue about. He is extremely, very intellectual. Fun guy to shuffle to dinner with. He appropriate can discuss anything.
Moore: I will’t deem someone else who has any of all these passions or hobbies. If he has a blueprint, a ingenious blueprint, he pursues it. Quite heaps of of us, they possess got quirky, funny passions or solutions, nonetheless they in finding now not possess the boldness or the notice thru on it. I deem that speaks volumes about him in long-established.
Dillon: Probabilities are you’ll presumably also consult with him for every now and again 24 hours straight and hockey could presumably now not ever near up once. Probabilities are you’ll presumably discuss animals or the climate or UFC or boxing or football. Literally anything Burnzie does or knows, he is smooth, smooth an expert about it.
Couture: Him and I in actuality possess very identical pursuits, whether or now not it became wine or espresso or bourbon or food, our books, podcasts. He is presented me to pretty a pair of authors that I read now. He’d sit on a plane and would appropriate discuss anything for an hour. I’d aloof down and be taught from him. He finds something he is in and appropriate digs lawful in.
Dillon: I remember we had a paintballing occasion with the Sharks. All of us give an explanation for up in jeans and a sweater or something. He comes with a head-to-toe custom official paintball outfit. His gun is in actuality the machine gun of paintball. We’re appropriate all renting the ones from the self-discipline.
Moore: All of a sudden, he bought an curiosity in biking. He would shuffle out and in finding the total equipment and a fresh bike and he would shuffle to the nth degree with it — appropriate shuffle fully all-in. But then he wasn’t love quick-lived with these issues. He sticks with them and roughly continues these passions that he picks up alongside the manner. Appropriate a incandescent, thoughtful guy.
Couture: We went to Tahoe at the commence of one three hundred and sixty five days and we had been going to shuffle on a two-mile hike. Burnzie shows up in paunchy hiking instruments. He became head to toe in all this hiking stuff. Admire, he introduced strolling sticks. His backpack became paunchy. Doubtlessly 30 kilos of s— in there. He fell within the help of the fellows so powerful because he became appropriate dragging alongside so powerful extra weight. It became in actuality pretty a hilarious day.
Potenza: He dives into researching or learning up on something in particular that he is obsessed with. He is dove into accumulating wine and accumulating particular whiskeys. He bought into browsing a little bit early in his occupation. He is repeatedly impressed me on how he is read so powerful. I deem that’s how he change into so successfully-rounded.
Dillon: He is bought at least 10 to 15 guitars. He is an not doubtless guitarist. I neglect how he realized how to play, nonetheless pretty a pair of it’s self-taught. Some of us in finding now not know that about him. They appropriate know him as Brent Burns from the ranch.
Couture: He would repeatedly discuss how monumental elk meat is. I know he cooks pretty pretty a pair of that. He is monumental on the barbecue. That is one of his other passions is cooking meat. And he is extremely stunning at it. He compare it and talks to pretty a pair of of us about how to successfully cook dinner it.
Aho: He has his meats, lawful? I have been over for dinner once or twice. He is a rather monumental cook dinner.
Dillon: Master grill man. I mean, he had the entirety. He had the Traeger [smoker] sooner than the Traeger became a component. He had the [Big] Green Egg. He had all these varied people who smoke. And he has all his fresh meat from his ranch. So he is a colossal, colossal pork guy, naturally. But being all organic, he knows the establish it be from and all that. He grills pizza and brisket and steak. By no method had a immoral meal at the Burns dwelling.
Couture: If you quiz 20 guys within the locker room, they’re going to point out you they feel love they’re one of Burnzie’s stunning chums appropriate because he is into so powerful and so an expert.
Fun-loving guy … to a level
While Burns is one of many NHL’s monumental characters, thru on-ice circulation and conserving himself in shape, few compare to Brent Burns.
Aho: He is unreal. A monumental guy. He appropriate brings his fetch personality within the locker room and is a extraordinarily, very easy guy to in finding alongside with. But on the ice, you in finding now not possess to chat about that too powerful. He is been doing this for, I in finding now not know, pretty a pair of years.
Moore: I played with him in Minnesota after which all any other time in San Jose about four years later. I didn’t glimpse any distinction in actuality from a younger Burnzie to the extra prone Burnzie. I deem that speaks to the same roughly factor that [Carolina coach] Rod Brind’Amour has commented on: That he has a youthful presence and personality. I deem he is unchanged about who he is. Or now not it’s miles the juxtaposition between that adaptability thru evolving as a player over the path of a prolonged occupation to set within the league, with the reality of being the same particular person all over all of that.
White: He is a fantastic athlete. Anybody who’s played with him, I mean, you glimpse what he is doing at 38 years long-established and he is on one of many fittest teams within the league, especially when your coach is “Rod the Bod.” So yeah, I mean, I read an article the opposite day. He completed second within the [Hurricanes’] bodily checking out within the origin of the three hundred and sixty five days at 38. He is a machine.
Potenza: He didn’t esteem coaching, nonetheless he revered it and he knows how important it’s for the longevity and the performance of his occupation. In yelp that’s the establish we hit it off. We had some bumpy classes with injuries for him, nonetheless we navigated thru it and he is near out clearly as a colossal player — even supposing he is a pair of years eliminated now from his Norris Trophy, he is suitable aloof dominant.
Moore: He is now not thick. He is suitable strong. Or now not it’s now not the farmer’s strength love we confer with these guys out West. He is wiry. Or now not it’s appropriate the manner he strikes, and his pure athleticism provides him his vitality.
Potenza: He pushed himself. He repeatedly wanted to survey issues that he could presumably also toughen, survey fresh ideas. I deem for of us that’ve been within the league for that prolonged, you enact need fresh stimulus. You enact need fresh coaching or modes of exercise that can in actuality set you constructing and adapting.
Moore: If you remember, he had gotten injured one season. Left out pretty a pair of time. If you peep at it, he is been barely harm since then. Or now not it’s love a change flipped the establish he became love, “OK, I’ve bought to handle my physique and set on the ice.” You be taught from issues.
Potenza: I’m repeatedly impressed that he keeps such detailed notes. There’s been a pair of athletes — and Pavelski became one more one — who set notes on the total workouts they’ve done. Admire, he has workouts that he did as a rookie in Minnesota in a binder, saved away. Performance coaching culture has long past away from the paper coaching to extra digital apps to notice workouts. And Burnzie doesn’t want to exhaust the app because he is bought all these notes. He is a collector. Maybe he’ll half it with his son at some point soon.
Dillon: That is the factor that’s so spectacular about Burnzie, and what I in actuality took from him. He is 38 now, nonetheless he is aloof repeatedly asking questions. Admire asking the forwards the establish they need the shot to shuffle. Or asking a teammate what their read is on a play. For pretty a pair of these guys which possess had as powerful success as him, it’d be rather easy to bid, “I know the entirety.” And that is the reason now not the mentality at all.
Couture: He knows when to buckle it down and be serious, nonetheless he can be repeatedly there for a stunning time and he can set issues light. He is a colossal leader. He works so onerous. He picked a pair of of that up from Jumbo and Pavelski and Marleau, and guys love that. But that’s also one factor that I’m obvious he is repeatedly had in him. His work ethic is wonderful. This is why he is aloof playing, and he is aloof wonderful.
Slavin: I deem he is the ideally suited kid in this locker room and appropriate loves the game. He is suitable one of a form.
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