Legendary NHL executive Brian Burke, 70, is heading to the 2026 Hall of Fame as a builder, and his son Patrick Burke talked at length about it a day later.

While speaking on The Sheet with Jeff Marek podcast on Tuesday, June 23, he revealed his dream introduction scenario for his father a few months down the line.

“My big hope is that Kevin Lowe introduces him and we finally get to see a barn fight,” said Patrick for his father Brian Burke, which made host Jeff Marek laugh, as per the video post on the official X account of the podcast. “Kevin, if you are watching, love to have you. You and my dad can go at it once and for all. And we can put this whole thing to bed.”

Brian Burke had quite a rivalry with Kevin Lowe during their executive days in the late 2000s, reaching its fever pitch with a “barn fight” that nearly went down. The mishap between two friends at the time began due to a player deal from Lowe, then Edmonton Oilers general manager, which didn’t sit well with Brian Burke, then Anaheim Ducks general manager.

When Lowe signed Dustin Penner to the Oilers on a big-money deal in 2007 via an offer sheet, it put pressure on the Ducks’ salary cap, forcing Brian Burke to call him “gutless.”

A year later, when Brian Burke accused him of upending the salaries of young players, Lowe called him a “m****” and challenged him to a fight. It led to Brian Burke giving Lowe three dates to choose for a bare-knuckle fight at a barn with him before NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman intervened.

He told both of them to back off from a fight or face an indefinite suspension as GMs instead. Years after the saga simmered, Brian Burke revealed that his late son Brendan was a driving force in helping him mend his friendship with Lowe.

Patrick Burke's comments came in the light of his father gaining the Hall of Fame attention.

Brian Burke’s illustrious executive career in the NHL

Brian Burke will be a part of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on November 9 this year in Toronto alongside five other inductees. Unlike his addition to the builder category, Patrice Bergeron, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk will be in the player category.

"I didn’t expect this today," said Brian Burke as quoted by NHL.com. “No one starts playing hockey and says, 'Someday I'm going to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.' Unless they're an idiot.”

He had quite a career in the NHL as an executive from 1987 till 2025 before getting honored with the Hall of Fame induction.

Following his short stint as a player in the AHL in the 1970s, Brian Burke became a player agent in the NHL after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1981.

After doing it for years, he began his executive career in the NHL in 1987 as the vice president and director of hockey operations at the Vancouver Canucks.

He went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks in his three-year tenure after joining them as GM following the NHL lockout in 2005.

Post that, the American also held key executive roles in the front offices of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Calgary Flames, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Recently, he was the first-ever executive director of the PWHLPA, the player union of the newly formed PWHL from 2023 to 2025.

What do you think of the dream introduction scenario? Let us know about your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar