In the course of a 30-minute interview Wednesday, Brent Burns talked about his Texas ranch, blowing up the transmission in his truck, eating axis deer meat, avoiding push-up contests with Rod Brind’Amour and why he grows his beard so long.
And the Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, Burns talked about them, too. And hockey.
Since 2011, Burns has played for the San Jose Sharks. The big defenseman has won a Norris Trophy, been named an NHL All-Star and played in a Stanley Cup final. At 37, his is a career in full, with or without a Cup.
But Burns has taken on a new challenge, a new career path. He agreed to be traded to the Hurricanes, where he’ll be coached by Brind’Amour and said he likes the thought of it.
“It’s not an easy thing to do when you’re in a place for so long and have nothing but great things to say about it,” Burns said via Zoom. “But the extra excitement and energy, I can feel it already.”
Burns was speaking from his ranch, the family Leonbergers barking at times in the background and an RV to unpack after a six-hour drive. The smiles came easily and his comments flowed freely as he described what has been a “crazy couple of days” that he said has “rattled” his brain.
Asked about the chance to play in the Canes’ first-ever outdoor game next season against Washington, for example, Burns conceded that things have happened so quickly he wasn’t even aware of it.
“‘There’s a lot going on in my head right now,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a sadness and a lot of looking back at all the good times I’ve had at San Jose and the people there I’ve gotten to know. It’s a great bunch of guys, a great organization and an amazing city.
“But there’s a huge rush of energy and excitement to come to Carolina. It’s always a place when you play there it’s crazy. I was always a guy who would ride to the game early and you’d see the tailgating. I think it’s just a special place.”
It wasn’t Burns’ first trade. A first-round draft pick by Minnesota in 2003, he was dealt to the Sharks during the 2011 NHL Draft after playing parts of seven seasons for the Wild.
There’s a nervousness that comes with a trade, even for a veteran who has played 1,251 regular-season games. You’re walking into a new locker room, meeting new people and new teammates, with expectations to be met.
Many expect Burns to team with Jaccob Slavin on the Canes’ top defensive pairing and efficiently operate a power play that misfired too often in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. Most assume the transition will be seamless for a player of his caliber and personality.
But he is 37, with a lot of miles behind him, as they say. The Canes do like to play fast. He is expected to put up points, as he did so consistently in San Jose, and give the Canes the offensive punch supplied by former D-men Dougie Hamilton and then Tony DeAngelo last season.
Canes president and general manager Don Waddell called Burns a “fitness freak,” saying he was eager to get to Raleigh and work with Bill Burniston, the team’s strength and conditioning coach.
Waddell said he and Brind’Amour talked with Burns on Wednesday and said, “The excitement he has over the phone gets you excited. He brings a lot of energy. He’s an upbeat guy. He’s a good guy who loves to play hockey.”
Burns did concede his new head coach, a fitness freak of his own, might be in better shape, joking he might not take off his shirt when Brind’Amour was around. Or test him in push-ups.
“We do have some similarities there,” Burns said. “We take a lot of pride in taking care of ourselves.”
A part of his attention to nutrition, Burns said, is eating axis deer meat before most games, saying the deer are free-roaming around his ranch. The meat has a high-protein, low-fat content.
“We harvest a couple every year,” he said.
As for that beard …
People recognize Burns for his bushy beard and his missing front teeth. Play defense and face down shots and you’ll need dental work. And the beard?
“It kind of started as an accident,” he said. “I used to shave it for charity every year and then I started getting more messages about keeping it and letting it grow. Then it became a thing where Jumbo (former teammate Joe Thornton) and I were growing it and keeping it as the ‘bearded brothers.’
“I’ve always loved it. I think it started for me when my dad had a big beard. … He was always in great shape, working out all the time and he always had a great beard. I think there’s something in me that always brings me back to that time. It’s just become part of me.”
Besides, he said, it has been “trimmed down.” And he’s shaved his head, “Getting a little more aerodynamic on the top part.”
With that, Burns closed out the interview. There was an RV to unpack.
