Flames name Burke president of hockey operations

Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames have named Brian Burke the club's president of hockey operations.

Burke, who previously served as general manager with Toronto, Anaheim, Vancouver and Hartford, said at a news conference Thursday that he will have a background role with the club and that Jay Feaster will remain the team's GM.

"Jay is going to be the general manager of this team," said Burke, who built Anaheim's 2007 Stanley Cup championship team. "It's my pleasure and honor to be able to work with him. If Jay has something he wants to do, we will talk about it and try to reach a consensus about it."

Feaster joined the Flames in July 2010 as assistant GM and was named acting general manager in December of that year before being given the full-time position on May 16, 2011.

The Flames have failed to earn a playoff berth in each of the last four seasons, although they had winning records in three of those years before a 19-25-4 mark during the shortened 2013 campaign.

"To be able to bring in someone who has won a Stanley Cup ... it's a great thing," Feaster said Thursday.

Burke was most recently a part-time scout with the Ducks after being fired as the general manager of the Maple Leafs in January. Toronto failed to reach the postseason during his four years at the helm.

"I know people think I have to be driving the bus, but I'm actually a pretty good teammate, too," Burke added.

The long-time NHL front office veteran was first director of hockey operations with the Canucks in 1987 and left to become the general manager of the Hartford Whalers in 1993. He spent just one season in Hartford before taking a position with the NHL as executive vice president.

Burke joined the Canucks again in 1998, this time as general manager, then left after the 2003-04 season and took the same role with the Ducks. A year after building the Ducks' title team, he stepped down in Anaheim and became the GM for Toronto in November 2008.