Pat Burns battling cancer

[Thrillhouse]

New Jersey Devils coach Pat Burns is battling colon cancer.

Burns said Sunday he will begin treatment this week and that his status with the team will be determined in five weeks, the earliest the treatment could end.

The announcement came a day after the defending Stanley Cup champions were eliminated from the NHL playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers.

``The last month or so I have not been feeling well,'' Burns said. ``There were signs that something was not right but I was reluctant to do anything because the playoffs were coming up.''

Burns said he insisted on coaching the Devils in the first round even though the treatments would not have allowed him to coach had the Devils advanced.

``For those who know me well, I've never backed down from any fight. And I'm not going to back down from this one,'' he said.

Burns appeared at the news conference at Continental Airlines Arena with his wife and with Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello. He read from a prepared statement and did not answer questions.

New Jersey lost 3-1 on Saturday, with the Flyers taking the best-of-seven series in five games.

Burns said the he would undergo treatments five days a week for the next six to eight weeks. He did not go into further detail.

Burns, 52, missed a morning skate and an off-day team meeting last week. The team said in both instances he had to take care of ``personal matters.''

Defenceman Scott Niedermayer said he didn't notice anything different about Burns in the weeks leading up to the playoffs.

``He was trying to get the team ready 100 per cent just like he always does,'' Niedermayer said. ``We didn't notice anything until he didn't come to a couple of morning skates. Then we knew he wasn't feeling well.''

A three-time winner of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach, Burns replaced Kevin Constantine behind the Devils bench on June 13, 2002, and won his first Stanley Cup ring last spring when the Devils defeated the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the final.

On Sunday, he praised his team's efforts in the regular season and the playoffs, and lamented the timing of the illness.

``I wasn't the coach I should have been the last couple of weeks, but I had a lot of things on my mind so it was understandable,'' he said.

Defenceman Scott Stevens described the reaction of his fellow players to Burns' illness as ``shock and depression.''

``This definitely puts everything in perspective,'' Stevens said. ``Hopefully he'll fight through this. He's a tough guy.''

Before arriving in New Jersey, Burns had coached three Original Six teams - Montreal, Toronto and Boston - and had only been to one Stanley Cup final in 13 seasons, during his first season with Montreal.

He hadn't coached since being let go by the Bruins only eight games into the 2000-01 season. There was talk it would be tough for him to find a job as teams sought younger coaches with new ideas, new systems and no reluctance to try new things.

But Burns, a former policeman from Hull, Que., with a sullen personality and a self-proclaimed inability to smile, meshed well with the Devils. He reached two milestones this season. A victory over the Rangers on March 30 was the 500th of his NHL career and on Feb. 27 he coached his 1,000th game when the Devils faced the Atlanta Thrashers at Continental Airlines Arena.

Burns has a career regular-season record of 501-367-151 along with a playoff record of 78-71.

Wow, get better soon Burnsy.

[xycer]

i never really liked burns but that sux...

[Travis24]

My best goes out to Burns. My grandfather is going through the same thing so I can imagine what Burns' family is dealing with. Anyway, good luck to a great coach.

[HordiBrusk29]

Sad news. I hope Burns gets well, and is able to beat this.

[5 and a game misconduct]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=80673

Devils' Burns battling cancer

Canadian Press

4/18/2004

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CP-AP) - New Jersey Devils coach Pat Burns is battling colon cancer.

Burns said Sunday he will begin treatment this week and that his status with the team will be determined in five weeks, the earliest the treatment could end.

The announcement came a day after the defending Stanley Cup champions were eliminated from the NHL playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers.

``The last month or so I have not been feeling well,'' Burns said. ``There were signs that something was not right but I was reluctant to do anything because the playoffs were coming up.''

Burns said he insisted on coaching the Devils in the first round even though the treatments would not have allowed him to coach had the Devils advanced.

``For those who know me well, I've never backed down from any fight. And I'm not going to back down from this one,'' he said.

Burns appeared at the news conference at Continental Airlines Arena with his wife and with Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello. He read from a prepared statement and did not answer questions.

New Jersey lost 3-1 on Saturday, with the Flyers taking the best-of-seven series in five games.

Burns said the he would undergo treatments five days a week for the next six to eight weeks. He did not go into further detail.

Burns, 52, missed a morning skate and an off-day team meeting last week. The team said in both instances he had to take care of ``personal matters.''

Devils defenceman Scott Niedermayer said he didn't notice anything different about Burns in the weeks leading up to the playoffs.

``He was trying to get the team ready 100 per cent just like he always does,'' Niedermayer said. ``We didn't notice anything until he didn't come to a couple of morning skates. Then we knew he wasn't feeling well.''

Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, who is a cancer survivor himself, said he planned to call Burns and offer support.

``When I went through it, it really helped at the beginning when I was able to talk to people who have gone through it,'' said Koivu, who missed most of the 2001-02 season with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. ``At this point, the only thing is to wish him the best and hope it works out.''

Koivu said the next few days will likely be tough.

``You just try to survive and get through it,'' he said. ``Hockey and your work and all that doesn't really play a big role in moments like that.''

A three-time winner of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach, Burns replaced Kevin Constantine behind the Devils bench on June 13, 2002, and won his first Stanley Cup ring last spring when the Devils defeated the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the final.

On Sunday, he praised his team's efforts in the regular season and the playoffs, and lamented the timing of the illness.

``I wasn't the coach I should have been the last couple of weeks, but I had a lot of things on my mind so it was understandable,'' he said.

Defenceman Scott Stevens described the reaction of his fellow players to Burns' illness as ``shock and depression.''

``This definitely puts everything in perspective,'' Stevens said. ``Hopefully he'll fight through this. He's a tough guy.

Canadiens coach Claude Julien, who, like Burns, is a former coach of the Hull (now Gatineau) Olympiques of the QMJHL, said it was a sad day.

``What he's done for the game - he had a great team in Montreal, he turned things around in Toronto and he won a Stanley Cup in New Jersey last year,'' said Julien. ``You just wish him the best and hope they're successful in making him better.''

Before arriving in New Jersey, Burns had coached three Original Six teams - Montreal, Toronto and Boston - and had only been to one Stanley Cup final in 13 seasons, during his first season with Montreal.

He hadn't coached since being let go by the Bruins only eight games into the 2000-01 season. There was talk it would be tough for him to find a job as teams sought younger coaches with new ideas, new systems and no reluctance to try new things.

But Burns, a former policeman from Hull, Que., with a sullen personality and a self-proclaimed inability to smile, meshed well with the Devils. He reached two milestones this season. A victory over the Rangers on March 30 was the 500th of his NHL career and on Feb. 27 he coached his 1,000th game when the Devils faced the Atlanta Thrashers at Continental Airlines Arena.

Burns has a career regular-season record of 501-367-151 along with a playoff record of 78-71.

[Fletch]

Yeah that does suck. All the best for Burns and his family.

[habsfighter15]

Yesterday when they said they will hold a press conference about non-hockey issues, I really had a feeling he was going to announce something like this. I hope he beats it.

[I_am_Belak_2]

I hope for the best for Burns. I knew it when I was watching a flyers/devils game last week, and he looked really bad on the bench. Hopefully he can overcome it.

GET WELL SOON BURNSY!