Not many like this one

Tonight Hitch and I had dinner with Pat Burns and his wife, Lynne. They came into town to be present at the ceremony they are having for Hitch reaching his "500th win" milestone.

For those of you who don't know Pat Burns, he is one of the top coaches to ever coach in the NHL who, like Hitch, never played in the NHL. He coached 1019 games and has 501 wins, won the Jack Adams award three times (NHL's award for Best Head Coach) and won the Stanley Cup in 2003 with the New Jersey Devils.

Pat coached with and intensity and committment that only a handfull of people possess. Here is an example of Pat being 'into it':



The look in his eyes says it all. The coach of the other team looks like he is too scared to move.

I first met Pat this May when he was an assistant to Hitch at the World Championships in Halifax. I liked him immediately. He is a salt of the earth, no nonsense kind of guy. Pat, a former cop, had a very intimidating presence behind the bench and garnered immediate respect from his players and opposing coaches alike. Meeting Pat at breakfast that morning I saw the heart that this man had, and within minutes, felt like I had known him for years.

He is a guy who, like Hitch, is very open and forthcoming about every topic. I loved the passion he held for his story telling and sense of humor that went along with it. I also got a chance to see the 'other' side of him when he was dealing with a team services guy for Hockey Canada. He quizzed the guy relentlessly about a back up plan in case they lost (a game vs. at team that there was NO chance that Canada was going to lose). The guy wasn't sure if Pat was serious or not, but Pat maintained his stern look and inquisition forcing him to organize a contingency plan. Once the guy left the table, Pat giggled at the notion of losing, but also conceded the fact that 'hey, anything can happen'.

I am drawn to people who are 'real', which it is one of the reasons that I really appreciate Hitch. There is nothing pretentious about him and there is no 'show' in his being. Pat is cut from the same cloth and so is his wife Lynne. Both Pat and Lynne have good energy and it is energy I could see myself spending time with. There aren't too many I can say that about.

So tonight there will be a ceremony preceeding the Penguins game acknowledging the huge milestone that both of these men have accomplished. The 500 Club. Pat flew in from Florida to be a part of it and share this moment with his good friend Hitch. I am sure it will be an emotional night and an exciting night for everyone. The building is sold out and the team has just come off two huge wins and are now facing a red hot team with two superstars in Crosby and Malkin. I find myself wrought with emotion at your average game so this one is going to be especially energized for me. Why?

Well, I am so proud of Hitch for reaching this milestone and getting the recognition he deserves. I am also thrilled to see how far the team has come in only a few months--when I left here in January 14 000 in the building was a pretty good night for attendance. Now the place rarely has less than 17 000 and sell outs are becoming a theme.

I am excited to actually be present for such a ceremony, but more than anything I am delighted that Pat Burns could be here to share this moment with his good friend. You see, Pat is currently not coaching in the NHL because he has just been diagnosed with his third bout of cancer. It is in his lungs this time and his prognosis is not good. He is still on staff with the NJ Devils in a scouting capacity while living out and enjoying whatever time he has left.

I will definitely need some Kleenex for this one.