Brent Burns trims beard, not his ambition ahead of 23rd season

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The famed bushy beard of Brent Burns was neatly groomed. His hair, too. When he smiled, front teeth gleamed in the gap where he once had none.

It's a fresh look as the 41-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenceman embarks on his 23rd NHL season. But he's still the colourful character they refer to “Burnsy,” the one who's still up for the grind as he chases his first Stanley Cup title. The one who took a young player under his wing this summer and invited him into his house.

The one who doesn't focus on the possibility of breaking the league's all-time ironman streak, which, health willing, could happen in February.

“I’m trying to figure out what stick I’m going to use tomorrow, what I’m going to eat tonight,” said Burns, who has played in 1,007 straight regular-season games and sits 57 away from tying the mark of Phil Kessel. “I don’t really think about all the other stuff.”

Never a doubt he would return

Retirement didn't even really cross his mind after the Avalanche were swept by Vegas in the Western Conference Final. He signed another one-year deal in late June and was right back to training.

His superpower, according to teammate Brock Nelson, is his ability to stay young at heart.

“I don't think he strikes anybody as a 41-year-old. He still seems like an 18-, 19-year-old kid,” the 34-year-old Nelson said. “Just having fun, always laughing and having a good time.”

This summer, the Burns family hosted T.J. Hughes, a 24-year-old forward out of the University of Michigan. They didn't want him living out of a suitcase at a hotel.

“He’s just such an unbelievable guy,” said Burns, whose kids frequently engaged Hughes in every high-energy activity they could. "Just a great human being off the ice. So driven, which has really helped push me.

“Watching him, what he can do, and getting to see him off the ice and meet his family, just really cheering for him to do well.”

Hughes moved out of the Burns household at the urging of Burns.

“He’s got to get some rest,” cracked Burns, who had 12 goals and 23 assists last season as he averaged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game. “He’s playing mini-sticks all day long, and my little one’s got him on the trampoline for two hours a day. I said, 'You've got to get some sleep.'”

Chasing Kessel's ironman streak

Kessel's consecutive games streak stands at 1,064 and took place from Nov. 3, 2009, to April 13, 2023. Should Burns remain in the lineup, he could tie the mark on Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay and break it two days later in front of the home crowd against Columbus.

“I’m not going to be the guy that breaks that streak,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I've got way too much respect for him, for what he’s done in his career, and for what he’s doing for us on a daily basis. He’s proven to me that he deserves to be in our lineup. I’m hoping that he can stay healthy and get it. I wish him the best of luck, and I just hope his health holds up.”

Bednar added that Burns returned this season in “phenomenal condition.”

“It’s not just the beard that’s making him look younger — or lack of a beard — I think he’s in great condition.”

But there's another factor that goes into keeping the streak going: good fortune. That's why he doesn't fret about it.

“There’s just too much that can happen,” said Burns, whose streak began on Nov. 21, 2013, while with San Jose. “If you start thinking about that, (expletive) will happen. I’m not really lying, I don’t really think about it.

"Just trying to stay afloat most of the time — and figure out what’s for dinner.”

A long season

He embraces the grind of a long season, which he still relishes.

“I must,” he said, referring to his longevity.

As for his groomed beard, he said, “it's a little different, for sure.” But he found an advantage: The trim makes him more aerodynamic on the ice to keep up with the youngsters.

“You’ve got to enjoy the fun things, the (expletive) things, the mundane things," Burns said. "You’ve got to enjoy being at the rink. It’s not easy. It’s not all great. Some hard days, hard work. But I think when you’re with a group that loves to work and we just naturally have fun doing it, it definitely helps, too.

“I think that’s an important part, just to enjoy that process.”