Pat Burns

Patrick John Joseph Burns[1] (April 4, 1952 – November 19, 2010) was a National Hockey League head coach.

Over 14 seasons between 1988 and 2004, he coached in 1,019 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils.

He won the Jack Adams at the end of the season, making him the only coach in history to win the award three separate times.

He resigned in 2005 in an effort to focus on his health and treatment following a cancer diagnosis in 2004,[9] though he remained with the organisation as a special assignment coach.

The Burns family moved to Gatineau, Quebec, following the death of Alfred in an industrial incident, when Pat was 4 years old.

In 2009 Burns announced that his colon cancer had returned and metastasized to his lungs, was thus inoperable, and therefore he decided to forgo further treatment.

It was reported on September 16, 2010, that Burns's health had suddenly deteriorated and that he had returned to his home in Magog, Quebec, to be with his family.

[15] Burns himself talked to both English and French media about the incident, denying that he had died and asked that his status be clarified immediately.

[16][17] He died on November 19, 2010, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, at the Maison Aube-Lumière, of colon cancer at age 58, which had eventually spread to his lungs.

[4][18][19] Shortly after his funeral, thieves broke into Burns's widow's car, stealing personal belongings, credit cards and numerous pieces of hockey memorabilia, including 30 autographed NHL jerseys that were to be auctioned for charity.

Burns has been frequently mentioned as one of the best coaches in the history of the National Hockey League, often appearing in lists and discussions between fans and sports websites.

In 2011, an arena bearing Burns's name was built at Stanstead College, a private boarding school in the Eastern Townships.