Burke pulls no punches; Duthie much lighter
Two of the many books with hockey themes released for the Christmas market were Brian Burke’s “Burke’s Law” and James Duthie’s “Beauties.”
I sat with Burke at a Petes game in 2008 when he was working with the Anaheim Ducks just prior to his joining the Toronto Maple Leaf as general manager.
That evening, he was amicable, pleasantly reacted to fans asking if he was going to take the Leafs job as rumoured.
His book is more biting.
His famous “truculent” description of gritty, hard-nosed hockey players best describes his writing. “Burke’s Law,” written with Stephen Brunt, pulls no punches.
With the many hockey jobs the Harvard Law School graduate has held, from a player, agent, NHL director of discipline, scout, GM and now media analyst, he seemed to regularly run up against conflict.
Burke was critical of a number of journalists, some of whom were equally critical of his description of the Todd Bertuzzi incident in the book.
Burke was the Vancouver Canucks GM when Bertuzzi attacked Steve Moore.
Burke’s written interpretation of the attack casts doubt Moore was injured as bad as he let on even though medical reports stated he had three broken neck vertebrae, which ended his hockey career.
Burke does write poignantly about the life and tragic death of his son, Brendan Burke, in a 2010 car crash.
Brendan, then working as a student-manager of the Miami University of Ohio hockey team, had come out as gay. Brian took up his cause and became an outspoken advocate for gay rights.
Two of Burke’s favourite players from the Ducks’ 2007 successful run to the Stanley Cup were former Petes star Chris Pronger and Peterborough’s Corey Perry. He wrote how those two players in particular were keys to the Ducks’ Cup win.
As serious-minded as Burke’s book is, Duthie’s is not.
Duthie takes the reader on a lighthearted romp through the game of hockey using often humorous reminiscences of those involved in the game.
Goalie Roberto Luongo tells of the time he was late coming out of the dressing room in a Vancouver Canucks playoff game because he had an urgent visit to the toilet.
He recounts days later sitting on a restaurant patio in Vancouver when a fire truck drives past and one of the firemen throws him a roll of toilet paper.
The Zamboni driver being the emergency goalie replacement for the Carolina Hurricanes in Toronto last season was not the first.
Duthie tells of an accountant in Chicago who became a replacement goalie for the Hawks and the ways his brief NHL experience affected his and his family’s life afterwards.
There is the story of Wayne Gretzky playing golf in Los Angeles.
He bet his partner he could “get home” in two hits on a 500 yard hole. Wayne’s drive went about 200 yards.
His partner figured he had the bet, especially when Gretzky took out a pitching wedge. Wayne turned and hit the ball into the backyard of a home bordering the course, his home. Home in two shots!
Sidney Crosby was known as “Darryl” throughout his junior career in Rimouski of the Quebec league. In his first exhibition game as a 16-year-old, he was an unknown especially to the veterans on the Oceanic sitting out the game.
When Crosby notched six points in the game, the veterans decided he needed a nickname. His scoring reminded them of Darryl Sittler scoring a record 10 points for the Leafs in a 1976 game.
From that point on, Sidney was Darryl to his teammates. Don Barrie is a retired teacher, former Buffalo Sabres scout and a member of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Peterborough and District Sports
Hall of Fame. His column appears each Saturday in The Examiner.