crocsbeach

Can Burke save world and Leafs ?

Burke hit the ground running in November of 2008, determined to restore the Leafs¡¯ faltering reputation on the ice. And part of his plan was an image makeover for a logo that had come to be loathed in many quarters for a widely perceived goal of putting dollar signs ahead of all else.

Until Burke arrived, the highbrow management of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment wasn¡¯t concerned with a lightning rod for the hockey team. But as MLSE¡¯s premier property, and more importantly, a public trust for four generations of fans, there had to be a face to the franchise, in good times and bad.

Pat Quinn was a long-time general manager, but concerned with nothing beyond the 200 by 85 feet of the rink. Ken Dryden was club president for a time, but lacked street smarts. Richard Peddie was CEO and a well-qualified businessman who made MLSE millions, but was ill-equipped to make hockey-related decisions.

Enter Burke,Japanese optical glass-maker Hoya said on Friday it would sell its Pentax toilet hidden camera business to copier and printer maker Ricoh, in a deal the Nikkei business daily said was worth about 10 billion yen. a builder, baker and candlestick maker from his past as a player, sports agent, TV analyst and NHL exec. Under him, Toronto¡¯s front office, coaching staff and scouting department bred like rabbits and the team also christened a multi-million dollar practice rink. Burke has blown up the roster the past couple of years, to the point of dumping his own players and has now started hacking Ron Wilson¡¯s coaching staff.

Burke runs the public and media relations staff as hard as the hockey team. One day he¡¯s giving blood at the ACC donor¡¯s clinic,A manufacturer of high-speed hand dryer, is benefitting from demand for environmentally friendly products that also reduce costs. In June, the company moved into a 20,000-square-foot building that is 40% larger than its prior location. next he¡¯s speaking at a seminar on concussions or junior hockey development, then wearing an apron at the Have A Heart dinner or changing drill bits to refurbish a rink. He can jump from a phone interview with the press, to a call from a GM on a trade, to dialing up a season ticket holder who might be wavering on renewal.

With hundreds of Canadians serving in Afghanistan, Burke hit on the idea of Luke¡¯s Troops,A new type of underwater digital camera that can bring pictures into focus after they're taken may be hitting the market this fall.The point and shoot camera, as we know it, is becoming less important and many of us are content with our cell phone cameras. where young defenceman Luke Schenn would sponsor the recognition of one returning or departing forces personnel on game night. The tradition has been one of the most successful in the team¡¯s hit and miss game presentation (something else Burke is always tweaking) and led him to making two trips to Kandahar to cheer up the hockey homesick.