Brendan Burke
Encyclopedia
Brendan Gilmore Burke was an athlete and student manager at Miami University
for the RedHawks men's ice hockey team
. The younger son of Brian Burke, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs
and of the US Olympic hockey team, in November, 2009, he made international headlines for coming out
, advocating for tolerance and speaking out against homophobia
in professional sports. Burke's coming out was widely praised and supported by sports news outlets and fans, generating multiple discussions about homophobia in sports, and in hockey in particular. He was viewed as a pioneer in advocacy against homophobia in hockey, described as "the closest person to the NHL ever to come out publicly and say that he is gay."
Burke was killed in a car crash on February 5, 2010. Following his death, Burke's memory and contribution to LGBT
awareness in hockey was honored by several hockey teams. The "Brendan Burke Internship" was later established in his honor by USA Hockey
for his work in hockey management and a documentary entitled The Legacy of Brendan Burke aired on CBC Television
in November 2010.
, British Columbia
and was the younger son and third of four children of his father's first marriage. His parents divorced in 1995 and in 1997 he moved with his mother, Kerry to Boston, Massachusetts. During high school, Burke played hockey
as a goaltender on the varsity team
, but quit because he worried that his teammates would discover that he was gay. Instead, he told his family that he wanted to quit rather than spend the season benched off the active roster. He graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School
in Westwood, Massachusetts
.
After high school, Burke could not decide between going to law school (after completing college), or a career in hockey management. He attended Miami University
in Oxford
, Ohio
where he came out
as gay during his sophomore
year. He interned on Capitol Hill in the summer of 2009 for U.S. Representative Bill Delahunt
, and became a student manager at Miami University, responsible for recruiting correspondences, reviewing game film, working with coaches, and analyzing players. During this time, he attempted to decide between a career in politics or hockey management, eventually deciding on the latter.
of 2007 and to his father, then-general manager of the Anaheim Ducks
Brian Burke, after attending a Ducks game in Vancouver
on December 10. Brian as well as the rest of Burke's family were accepting of his sexuality. However, Brendan's father and older brother Patrick, also a hockey manager, were concerned about how this might impact Brendan's career in hockey, noting homophobia in the hockey world in particular. As an advocate, Burke returned yearly to his high school to give talks on his experience coming to terms with his sexuality in a largely homophobic sports culture and the positive personal impact of his father's support.
In November 2009, Burke came out to one of his teammates, Pat Cannone, after he was asked about his love life. He then came out to the rest of the Miami University hockey team, of which he was also the video coordinator and student manager, that he was gay. The story was leaked to ESPN.com
. The Burkes appeared on the Canadian sports channel TSN
, where Brendan Burke said he hoped his story would give other gay athletes and those working in professional sports the confidence to come forward. The team's coach, Enrico Blasi
, and the rest of the team first learned of Burke's sexual orientation after the Frozen Four NCAA men's hockey championship in 2009. Burke was concerned that the news story on his sexual orientation might be distracting to the team, and approached Blasi, offering to walk away from the story if Blasi disapproved. With full veto power on the story, Blasi gave it his full support. His team was also accepting of his sexuality.
Burke's public coming out was met with wide support from the press and fans, with the ESPN interview garnering praise from the hockey world. He received hundreds of emails and letters of support from gay athletes from across the continent. The news of his father's acceptance of his sexual orientation also earned Brian Burke praise from press and fans inside and outside the hockey world. The news further launched Brendan into advocacy, speaking about homophobia in hockey and encouraging discussion on the challenges faced by gay athletes in hockey and mainstream sports in general. In a later TSN interview, Burke stated that he hoped that telling his story would allow gay athletes and pro sports workers to know that there were supportive, safe environments for them and would encourage them to step forward as well. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
(PFLAG) of Toronto, began using Burke's coming out story as a teaching tool, stating that the story could "change so many families across Canada, particularly because so many young boys are expected to grow up playing with a hockey stick and make their dads happy." His coming out story gained further attention from a large variety of news outlets in the days that followed. Interest in Brendan's story was attributed to both his relation to his father and "hockey's sometimes homophobic culture."
Brendan Burke became well known in hockey circles following his public coming out. Blasi described Burke's presence as a "blessing," creating awareness within the program about homophobia. TSN
sportscaster James Cybulski commented that the reaction to Burke's story, and that it was a major story in the first place, demonstrated the need for Burke and his whole family to stand tall as a major step forward for all minorities. GlobeSports.com's podcast Hockey Roundtable featured a discussion between sports writers Eric Duhatschek and James Mirtle about the dialogue concerning openly gay athletes and high profile employees in major hockey franchises that resulted from Burke's interview about his struggles with hiding his sexuality and eventual coming out. Duhatschek commented that NHL players were reluctant to discuss the recent news and the subject in general, attributing it to a culture of machismo
in professional sports. Assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes
, David King, stated that he felt that like athletic sports' role in breaking down the racial barrier, sports would do the same for gay athletes, albeit stressing that he felt it "would take some time." Mirtle agreed, discussing the challenges of prejudice that closeted and out hockey athletes may face and highlighting NBA star John Amaechi
's 2007 coming out as an example of strong anti-gay attitudes in the NBA and larger sports world.
near Economy, Indiana
, his 2004 Jeep Cherokee slid sideways into the path of an oncoming 1997 Ford F-150 truck, killing him and his friend, Mark Reedy, a Michigan State University
athlete, who was in the passenger seat. The impact of the collision fractured the base of Burke's skull, killing him instantly. The vehicle was mangled to such an extent that police officers and paramedics could not tell that Reedy was inside the vehicle, dead as well.
A moment of silence
was observed prior to the Toronto Maple Leafs
vs. Ottawa Senators
game on February 6, 2010. Another moment of silence
was also observed prior to the Miami University hockey game vs. Lake Superior State on February 6, 2010. The team also named him honorary first star of the game. The St. Louis Blues also held a moment of silence for Brendan Burke prior to their Saturday night game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The funeral was held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic church in Canton
, Massachusetts
, where his family lives, with nearly 1,000 people, including the full roster of the Toronto Maple Leafs
, in attendance. In April 2010, USA Hockey
established the "Brendan Burke Internship" in honor of his work in hockey, describing it as being given annually to a recent college graduate seeking to pursue a career in hockey operations. On November 26, 2010, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
television newsmagazine
the fifth estate
aired "The Legacy of Brendan Burke", a documentary detailing Burke's story and the discussion it generated about homophobia in hockey.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, Canada
, the United States Men's Hockey Team wore dog tags inscribed with the words "In Memory of Brendan Burke". In June 2010, Chicago Blackhawks
president John McDonough
announced that he would be sending the team's recently won
Stanley Cup
with defenseman Brent Sopel
who would march in the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride Parade
. Sopel began his NHL career with Vancouver and became friends with Brian Burke when he was the general manager there. Although he was traded to the Atlanta earlier in the week, Sopel honored Brendan Burke by using his day with the Stanley Cup to display it in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, stating to the press that honoring Burke's legacy and his father's example of familial support and tolerance was one of his reasons for marching in the parade. In recognition of the one year anniversary of Burke's death, the RedHawks wore special sweaters during their weekend game on the February 5, 2011.
In the wake of Brendan's death, Mirtle wrote in an article in The Globe and Mail
published after Burke's death that he "was widely hailed as a pioneer in a sport that has never had an openly out athlete." He was also described as "the closest person to the NHL ever to come out publicly and say that he is gay." Assistant coach of the RedHawks Nick Petraglia attested to the commonplace use of gay slurs in hockey culture and stated that Burke's coming out impacted their program in addressing homophobia. The New England Hockey Journal also wrote that Burke would be remembered as a pioneer for addressing the issue of homophobia in hockey. Andrew Sobotka, president of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association, attributed a double in the organization's membership to Burke's legacy and the Cup's appearance at the 2010 Gay Pride parade, describing the continued debate about gays in hockey as "everyone carrying his [Brendan Burke's] torch."
Burke's older brother Patrick Burke announced in a column on Outsports.com that the Burke family promised their "unwavering, unremitting, relentless support" for the cause of equality in sports and to continue working to end homophobia in hockey. Since Brendan's death, his father has continued advocating against homophobia in professional sports, giving speeches at schools, marching in the annual Toronto Pride Parade
, and working with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue
, whose son is also openly gay, through PFLAG.
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
for the RedHawks men's ice hockey team
Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey
The Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Miami University. The RedHawks are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association...
. The younger son of Brian Burke, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and of the US Olympic hockey team, in November, 2009, he made international headlines for coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
, advocating for tolerance and speaking out against homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
in professional sports. Burke's coming out was widely praised and supported by sports news outlets and fans, generating multiple discussions about homophobia in sports, and in hockey in particular. He was viewed as a pioneer in advocacy against homophobia in hockey, described as "the closest person to the NHL ever to come out publicly and say that he is gay."
Burke was killed in a car crash on February 5, 2010. Following his death, Burke's memory and contribution to LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
awareness in hockey was honored by several hockey teams. The "Brendan Burke Internship" was later established in his honor by USA Hockey
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
for his work in hockey management and a documentary entitled The Legacy of Brendan Burke aired on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in November 2010.
Early life
Brendan Gilmore Burke was born on December 8, 1988, in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and was the younger son and third of four children of his father's first marriage. His parents divorced in 1995 and in 1997 he moved with his mother, Kerry to Boston, Massachusetts. During high school, Burke played hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
as a goaltender on the varsity team
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
, but quit because he worried that his teammates would discover that he was gay. Instead, he told his family that he wanted to quit rather than spend the season benched off the active roster. He graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School
Xaverian Brothers High School
Xaverian Brothers High School , founded in 1963 by the Xaverian Brothers, is a private, Catholic secondary school for boys on a campus in Westwood, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston....
in Westwood, Massachusetts
Westwood, Massachusetts
Westwood is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,618 at the 2010 census. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Westwood 13th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Boston Magazine listed Gay Street in Westwood on its...
.
After high school, Burke could not decide between going to law school (after completing college), or a career in hockey management. He attended Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in Oxford
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
where he came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay during his sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
year. He interned on Capitol Hill in the summer of 2009 for U.S. Representative Bill Delahunt
Bill Delahunt
William D. Delahunt is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Delahunt did not seek re-election in 2010, and left Congress in January 2011. He was replaced by Norfolk County District Attorney Bill Keating...
, and became a student manager at Miami University, responsible for recruiting correspondences, reviewing game film, working with coaches, and analyzing players. During this time, he attempted to decide between a career in politics or hockey management, eventually deciding on the latter.
Coming out and advocacy
Burke came out to his family during ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
of 2007 and to his father, then-general manager of the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
Brian Burke, after attending a Ducks game in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
on December 10. Brian as well as the rest of Burke's family were accepting of his sexuality. However, Brendan's father and older brother Patrick, also a hockey manager, were concerned about how this might impact Brendan's career in hockey, noting homophobia in the hockey world in particular. As an advocate, Burke returned yearly to his high school to give talks on his experience coming to terms with his sexuality in a largely homophobic sports culture and the positive personal impact of his father's support.
In November 2009, Burke came out to one of his teammates, Pat Cannone, after he was asked about his love life. He then came out to the rest of the Miami University hockey team, of which he was also the video coordinator and student manager, that he was gay. The story was leaked to ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
. The Burkes appeared on the Canadian sports channel TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
, where Brendan Burke said he hoped his story would give other gay athletes and those working in professional sports the confidence to come forward. The team's coach, Enrico Blasi
Enrico Blasi
Enrico Blasi is the Head Coach of the Miami University men's hockey team, which plays in the CCHA. Blasi is a native of Weston, Ontario. He is an alumnus of Miami University and played for the hockey team from 1990–94, playing on Miami's CCHA championship team in 1992–93 and captaining the...
, and the rest of the team first learned of Burke's sexual orientation after the Frozen Four NCAA men's hockey championship in 2009. Burke was concerned that the news story on his sexual orientation might be distracting to the team, and approached Blasi, offering to walk away from the story if Blasi disapproved. With full veto power on the story, Blasi gave it his full support. His team was also accepting of his sexuality.
Burke's public coming out was met with wide support from the press and fans, with the ESPN interview garnering praise from the hockey world. He received hundreds of emails and letters of support from gay athletes from across the continent. The news of his father's acceptance of his sexual orientation also earned Brian Burke praise from press and fans inside and outside the hockey world. The news further launched Brendan into advocacy, speaking about homophobia in hockey and encouraging discussion on the challenges faced by gay athletes in hockey and mainstream sports in general. In a later TSN interview, Burke stated that he hoped that telling his story would allow gay athletes and pro sports workers to know that there were supportive, safe environments for them and would encourage them to step forward as well. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a socio-political group of family members and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Its mission statement describes the goals of PFLAG as promoting health and well being of LGBT persons as well as actively supporting...
(PFLAG) of Toronto, began using Burke's coming out story as a teaching tool, stating that the story could "change so many families across Canada, particularly because so many young boys are expected to grow up playing with a hockey stick and make their dads happy." His coming out story gained further attention from a large variety of news outlets in the days that followed. Interest in Brendan's story was attributed to both his relation to his father and "hockey's sometimes homophobic culture."
Brendan Burke became well known in hockey circles following his public coming out. Blasi described Burke's presence as a "blessing," creating awareness within the program about homophobia. TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
sportscaster James Cybulski commented that the reaction to Burke's story, and that it was a major story in the first place, demonstrated the need for Burke and his whole family to stand tall as a major step forward for all minorities. GlobeSports.com's podcast Hockey Roundtable featured a discussion between sports writers Eric Duhatschek and James Mirtle about the dialogue concerning openly gay athletes and high profile employees in major hockey franchises that resulted from Burke's interview about his struggles with hiding his sexuality and eventual coming out. Duhatschek commented that NHL players were reluctant to discuss the recent news and the subject in general, attributing it to a culture of machismo
Machismo
Machismo, or machoism, is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origin that describes prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism...
in professional sports. Assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
, David King, stated that he felt that like athletic sports' role in breaking down the racial barrier, sports would do the same for gay athletes, albeit stressing that he felt it "would take some time." Mirtle agreed, discussing the challenges of prejudice that closeted and out hockey athletes may face and highlighting NBA star John Amaechi
John Amaechi
John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi OBE is a retired American-born British basketball player who currently works as a psychologist, educator and political activist in Europe and the United States....
's 2007 coming out as an example of strong anti-gay attitudes in the NBA and larger sports world.
Death and legacy
Burke died February 5, 2010, at the age of 21 in an automobile accident. While driving in heavy snowFirst North American blizzard of 2010
The February 5–6, 2010 North American blizzard also known as "Snowmaggedon" was a winter storm and severe weather event that tracked from the U.S. states of California to Arizona through northern Mexico, the American Southwest, the Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions...
near Economy, Indiana
Economy, Indiana
Economy is a town in Perry Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 187 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Economy is located at ....
, his 2004 Jeep Cherokee slid sideways into the path of an oncoming 1997 Ford F-150 truck, killing him and his friend, Mark Reedy, a Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
athlete, who was in the passenger seat. The impact of the collision fractured the base of Burke's skull, killing him instantly. The vehicle was mangled to such an extent that police officers and paramedics could not tell that Reedy was inside the vehicle, dead as well.
A moment of silence
Moment of silence
A moment of silence is the expression for a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of respect, particularly in mourning for those who have recently died or as part of a commemoration ceremony...
was observed prior to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
vs. Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
game on February 6, 2010. Another moment of silence
Moment of silence
A moment of silence is the expression for a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of respect, particularly in mourning for those who have recently died or as part of a commemoration ceremony...
was also observed prior to the Miami University hockey game vs. Lake Superior State on February 6, 2010. The team also named him honorary first star of the game. The St. Louis Blues also held a moment of silence for Brendan Burke prior to their Saturday night game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The funeral was held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic church in Canton
Canton, Massachusetts
Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,561 at the 2010 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where his family lives, with nearly 1,000 people, including the full roster of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, in attendance. In April 2010, USA Hockey
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
established the "Brendan Burke Internship" in honor of his work in hockey, describing it as being given annually to a recent college graduate seeking to pursue a career in hockey operations. On November 26, 2010, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
television newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
the fifth estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
aired "The Legacy of Brendan Burke", a documentary detailing Burke's story and the discussion it generated about homophobia in hockey.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States Men's Hockey Team wore dog tags inscribed with the words "In Memory of Brendan Burke". In June 2010, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
president John McDonough
John McDonough (sports executive)
John McDonough is a sports executive who is perhaps best known for his two decades with the Chicago Cubs. In 2007, he left the presidency of the Cubs to become president of the Chicago Blackhawks and guided the team to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, its first since 1961. On June 1, 2011, McDonough...
announced that he would be sending the team's recently won
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with defenseman Brent Sopel
Brent Sopel
Brent Sopel is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing the Kontinental Hockey League and previously the National Hockey League .-Vancouver Canucks:...
who would march in the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride Parade
Chicago Pride Parade
The Chicago Pride Parade, also colloquially called the Chicago Gay Pride Parade or PRIDE Chicago, is the annual gay pride parade held on the last Sunday of June in Chicago, Illinois in the United States...
. Sopel began his NHL career with Vancouver and became friends with Brian Burke when he was the general manager there. Although he was traded to the Atlanta earlier in the week, Sopel honored Brendan Burke by using his day with the Stanley Cup to display it in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, stating to the press that honoring Burke's legacy and his father's example of familial support and tolerance was one of his reasons for marching in the parade. In recognition of the one year anniversary of Burke's death, the RedHawks wore special sweaters during their weekend game on the February 5, 2011.
In the wake of Brendan's death, Mirtle wrote in an article in The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
published after Burke's death that he "was widely hailed as a pioneer in a sport that has never had an openly out athlete." He was also described as "the closest person to the NHL ever to come out publicly and say that he is gay." Assistant coach of the RedHawks Nick Petraglia attested to the commonplace use of gay slurs in hockey culture and stated that Burke's coming out impacted their program in addressing homophobia. The New England Hockey Journal also wrote that Burke would be remembered as a pioneer for addressing the issue of homophobia in hockey. Andrew Sobotka, president of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association, attributed a double in the organization's membership to Burke's legacy and the Cup's appearance at the 2010 Gay Pride parade, describing the continued debate about gays in hockey as "everyone carrying his [Brendan Burke's] torch."
Burke's older brother Patrick Burke announced in a column on Outsports.com that the Burke family promised their "unwavering, unremitting, relentless support" for the cause of equality in sports and to continue working to end homophobia in hockey. Since Brendan's death, his father has continued advocating against homophobia in professional sports, giving speeches at schools, marching in the annual Toronto Pride Parade
Pride Week (Toronto)
Pride Week is a ten-day event held in Toronto, Canada, during the end of June each year. It is a celebration of the diversity of the LGBT community in the Greater Toronto Area. It is one of the largest organized gay pride festivals in the world, featuring several stages with live performers and...
, and working with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
, whose son is also openly gay, through PFLAG.