DENVER (AP) — Brent Burns carries a lot of weight on his shoulders these days.
Not pressure-related or anything, just from his heavy, military-style backpack that’s crammed with all the necessities to keep the 40-year-old Colorado defenseman humming along.
The precise contents remain a mystery, but whatever’s stuffed inside sure is working. Burns, who’s embarking on his 22nd NHL season and first in Colorado, is slated to play in his 1,500th NHL game
on Saturday against Dallas. Delving deeper, he hasn’t missed a contest since 2013, running his streak to 927 straight, which is the league's fourth-longest “Iron Man” streak of all time.
Burns has been with the Avalanche for a short time and already he's making his mark. The bushy-bearded, front-teeth-missing Burns is a social butterfly who strikes up conversations all around the facility. He’s a fatherly hockey figure, too, and another 40-something to play for the Avalanche, following in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, who joined the team at the end of his storied career.
Like Bourque, Burns is chasing his first Stanley Cup title late in his hockey tenure. The Avalanche would love nothing more than to make that title happen, too, much like they sent Bourque into retirement by hoisting the trophy in 2001.
“He came here for a reason,” fellow defenseman Cale Makar said of Burns. “We’ll get there at some point, but right now we’ve got to focus on the day-to-day.”
On Saturday against Mikko Rantanen and the Stars — the team that knocked Colorado out of the playoffs last season — Burns is set to skate in game No. 1,500. When he does, he will become the league’s eighth defenseman to reach the milestone.
If Burns were to suit up in every game this season, he could move up to No. 2 on the all-time consecutive games played list with 1,007. At that point, he would trail only Phil Kessel’s streak of 1,064.
For this sort of healthy run in a hard-hitting sport, some credit goes to the contents of Burns' backpack. It’s the stuff of legend around the locker room.
“Don’t even try to pick it up,” captain Gabriel Landeskog warned. “You’ll blow your back out.”
The backpack supposedly contains everything from stretching bands to assorted recovery gear to his own coffee setup.
Care to offer any details?
“It's a secret,” he said with a laugh, adding the backpack has been part of his routine since his San Jose days. “Definitely too heavy, and it keeps getting heavier and heavier.”
He certainly likes to chat, too.
Coach Jared Bednar was recently walking around the facility when he spotted Burns chatting with teammates by the coffee machine. Thirty minutes later, Bednar walked by the weight room and he was talking to more teammates. Twenty minutes later, he’s conversing with more teammates in the hallway.
Simply teammates taking any chance to pick up helpful hints.
“There’s so much, obviously, that he’s seen and been around for,” Makar said. “There are a lot of things in his game that I ask questions about, and how he does certain things.”
Avalanche forward Gavin Brindley was still a year away from even being born when Burns made his NHL debut on Oct. 8, 2003, with Minnesota after being a first-round pick by the Wild.
“That’s wild, just wild,” Brindley said of Burns' longevity. “It's so impressive what he does on the ice.”
Burns has quickly emerged as another leader for the Avalanche, joining Landeskog as a respected voice. He assists by keeping things loose.
“I’m a little bit more of a goof — I screw drills up all the time,” Burns said. “I’m just a little different.
“Obviously, we’re not all around the same age, so it’s kind of fun to hear what they’re doing. It keeps me feeling better and energized — just to talk to other guys and mess around and make them feel good.”
Added Bednar: "I love the personality that he brings to our team. He’s hungry to win.”
Burns got to the Stanley Cup final in 2016 with the Sharks, where they lost in six games to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Burns has played in 135 career playoff contests.
“We’re so happy to have him here,” Landeskog said. “He wanted to be here. He wanted to be a part of this group, and I think that says a lot about where we’re at as a team."
Over the summer, Burns signed a one-year deal with the Avalanche, his fourth NHL team. He joined a squad that's a Stanley Cup favorite behind a lineup boasting Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog and Makar.
One thing that Burns quickly realized was that it's filled with players who get to the rink early.
“I feel like I’m going to be one of the first cars in the parking lot, and it’s packed," Burns said. "I’m like, ‘Holy crap.’”
As an older player — “I know you’re not saying old player,” he playfully interjected — there are extra things he does to stay ready.
“But I’d be here until tomorrow, trying to tell you all the new things,” Burns cracked.
More than anything, he stays young at heart.
“Just a big kid in a big man’s body,” goaltender Scott Wedgewood said. “Just down to earth, fun to be around. Just has a little bit of a joking side, a high-energy side. He loves the game, cares about it and he's chasing that ultimate goal.”
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