Sportsnet unveils special Brian Burke commercial that won’t air because he quit

Hockey Night in Canada won’t be the same now that Brian Burke has gotten a new gig.

Burke had become a beloved, yet controversial, member of the Sportsnet’s panel, voicing his loud opinion on each show. We got to love Burke that way and there’s no doubt he will be missed now that he’s moved to Pittsburgh, becoming the Penguins’ president of hockey operations. 

The news came earlier this week when the Penguins also announced that Ron Hextall had been named the team’s new general manager. Hextall will report to Burke as his primary adviser.

Burke brings 31-years of NHL executive experience to the table. He won a Stanley Cup as general manager of the Ducks in 2006-07. And it sounds like he is ready for one more with the Penguins. 

He however leaves a panel that loved working with him at Sportsnet and it shows in a commercial the broadcast team had put together about Burke. They just didn’t get a chance to air it since he quit before it was played on air. 

But Sportsnet unveiled it on Thursday with Kevin Bieksa starring in it, and we love it. Check it out: