Burke's Law

A Life in Hockey

By: Brian Burke, Stephen Brunt - contributor

Narrated by: Brian Burke

Number One National Best Seller

The gruffest man in hockey opens up about the challenges, the feuds, and the tragedies he's fought through.

Brian Burke is one of the biggest hockey personalities - no, personalities full-stop - in the hockey media landscape. His brashness makes him a magnet for attention, and he does nothing to shy away from it. Most famous for advocating "pugnacity, truculence, testosterone, and belligerence" during his tenure at the helm of the Maple Leafs, Burke has lived and breathed hockey his whole life. He has been a player, an agent, a league executive, a scout, a Stanley Cup-winning GM, an Olympic GM, and a media analyst. He has worked with Pat Quinn, Gary Bettman, and an array of future Hall of Fame players. No one knows the game better, and no one commands more attention when they open up about it.

But there is more to Brian Burke than hockey. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and an accomplished businessman with hard-earned lessons that come from highly scrutinized decisions made at the helm of multimillion-dollar companies. And despite his brusque persona on camera and in the boardroom, he is nevertheless a father with a story to tell. He lost his youngest son in a car accident and has had to grapple with that grief, even in the glare of the spotlight. Many Canadians and hockey fans knew Brendan Burke's name already, because his father had become one of the country's most outspoken gay-rights advocates when Brendan came out in 2009.

From someone whose grandmother told him never to start a fight but never to run from one either, Burke's Law is an unforgettable account of old beefs and old friendships, scores settled and differences forgiven, and many lessons learned the hard way.

©2020 Brian Burke (P)2020 Penguin Random House Canada

Critic reviews

“Brian Burke is first and foremost a father and community activist. He’s also a brilliant storyteller who’s led an extraordinary life. You’ll enjoy this book!” (Rick Mercer, best-selling author and host of The Mercer Report)

“'Truculent' doesn't begin to describe my friend Brian Burke. He brings that and hard-boiled honesty to every aspect of his life - including his friendships. But if you can't take his truculence as a friend, you definitely wouldn't want him as an enemy. The most belligerent and entertaining book you'll read this year.” (Mike Milbury, former NHL player, coach, GM, and broadcaster)

“If you've only ever heard Brian Burke talking at a press conference, you probably think he's a gruff, old-school hockey hardass who could care less about other people. You would be only half-right. I have known Brian since he was getting into the agenting business, and I can tell you he will never take a step backwards if he thinks he's right. But he's also a big teddy bear. If he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank, and you have to respect someone who believes in equality the way he does. Brian is an enigma wrapped in a riddle. This book may help some of us figure him out.” (Glen Sather, former NHL player, Stanley Cup-winning coach, and GM of the Edmonton Oilers)

Fantastic book!!

Burke's pull no punches history is informative, entertaining and insightful. His influence on the game is massive and will continue to be for years to come, a must read!

the insight and depth

book was great loved the break down of aspect of building a team. Burke seems like a no b.s. person.

Fantastic!

Loved it! Start to finish, simply enthralling! One of the first audio books in quite some time I just couldn't wait to hear more!

Great read, hockey fan or not.

Comes off as an Old school, with some modern ideas. need more of this today.
Thanks for the memories and the lessons.

Solid look under the hood of the bombastic Burke

I really like Burke’s approach to story telling. He’s blunt and doesn’t hide his point of view. I gave it 4 stars, because he was quick to attack people he disagreed with while doubling down on his failures (95 lockout, poor handling of suspensions, etc). He’s a bit too quick to toot his own horn. That being said, he’s had a remarkable career which was well documented.

Fabulous! Highly Recommended

Great Job Burke!

Enjoyed on Audible. Fascinating to learn the behind the scenes in the NHL.

Great Man. Great life.

I've been a Canucks fan for a while. Hearing the behind the scene stories of the days when I first followed the team was pretty awesome. I have a ton of respect for Brian. I loved that he didn't sugar coat things.

I couldn’t put it down

If you enjoyed Brian Burke’s press conferences, you’ll love this. He’s inspired me to be more upfront with people and stand up if something isn’t right.

Brian Burke is awesome

I loved this book. I always loved Burke and hearing his takes on the Hockey Central podcast and listening to his book has made me an even bigger fan. He has become my favorite person in the world of hockey and a hero of mine. 100% recommend

great hockey read

Not only was it a great hockey read It was a great read that encompasses good life lesson. Mr Burke has wisdom that is worth dispensing, beyond hockey.