On Monday, New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello and Brian Burke, the current Executive Director of the Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association, talked about their connection on NHL Network Radio. Burke, originally from Edina, Minnesota—same hometown as Islanders captain Anders Lee—played college hockey from 1973 to 1997 at Providence College.
As Lamoriello noted, “I don’t know if people know, but Brian played four years for me in college. He was tough and competitive, just like he is now.” While Burke aimed to turn professional, he also decided to apply to Harvard Law School, a choice heavily influenced by Lamoriello. “The reason I went to law school was because of Lou Lamoriello. He insisted I go,” Burke explained. “I attended Harvard Law School because of him, and it changed my life.” Lamoriello shared a humorous anecdote: “Here’s a great story about Brian. He wasn’t known for scoring a lot, but the night he learned he got into Harvard Law School, he scored a hat trick against New Hampshire.” Burke added, “They were ranked No. 2 in the country, and I got my only hat trick.” Lamoriello chimed in, “And he kept all three pucks.
” Burke later played in the AHL for the Springfield Indians and Maine Mariners before earning his Juris Doctor in 1981. He went on to become a general manager for various NHL teams, including working under Gary Bettman. As for Lamoriello, he left Providence College to become
Leave a Reply