Brian Burke

Hockey legend & speaker Brian Burke is a dynamic figure in both the worlds of business and sport. He has held leadership positions in several NHL organizations including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks, as well as the United States Olympic national hockey team. Having led teams to both a Stanley Cup and Olympic silver medal, Burke is a sought-after speaker on leadership, business management and growth, and, of course, his prolific career in professional sports.

An accomplished executive whose teams have won both a Stanley Cup and Olympic silver medal, Brian Burke shares leadership lessons from both on and off the ice.

Burke was named the Executive Director of the newly formed Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association in 2024 after supporting women’s hockey for years. It’s a 2 year contract after which he hopes a woman will have the role. He also became a US Hockey Hall of Fame inductee in 2023. +

Sharing lessons from his experiences in the business of hockey, Burke identifies with corporate business challenges while providing entertaining stories of tough decisions, trades, HR hirings & firings (including his own!), and sports highlights. And he’s not averse to call ’em like he sees ’em with colorful language to make his point.

He’s a dual citizen of Canada and the US and a graduate of Harvard Law School. He shares his experiences with personal stories from his time in cities like Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Boston, Providence, Pittsburgh, Hartford, and of course from Anaheim where he and his team won the Stanley Cup.

A strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, Burke established the You Can Play project that targets homophobia and promotes safety and inclusion in sports, in honor of his late son, Brendan.

Away from the rink, Burke is well-known for his work within the community. He is a vocal activist against homophobia in sports, a strong supporter of first response personnel including firefighters, police and military service members, an environmentalist and a humanitarian.--

Brian Burke Speaking Presentations:

The 12 Commandments of Business

In his riveting presentation, Burke breaks down his commonsense approach to business, outlining the 12 principles that have guided him for the last five decades, which saw him lead teams to both a Stanley Cup and Olympic silver medal. Burke’s time-tested approach to business management and leadership will help any organization find long-term success.

To inquire about Brian Burke's speaking schedule, as well as booking Brian Burke as your event or conference speaker, contact us.