NHL Stanley Cup Hockey Betting: Building the Ducks

NHL veteran Brian Burke has turned the Ducks into a Stanley Cup finalist. (AP Images)

Brian Burke is not an easy man to pigeonhole.

From his dual citizenship (he holds both Canadian and American passports) to his plethora of job titles (since 1992 he’s been a vice president, general manager, director of hockey operations and television analyst), Burke has made a career out of being everything and everywhere, shedding and adding labels at will.

His latest project, however, could ultimately define his body of hockey work. Named Anaheim’s general manager in 2005, it’s taken Burke a shade under two years to put together the most successful team in franchise history.

This season, the Ducks captured their first-ever Pacific Division crown while setting a new franchise record for points with 110 - an impressive feat given the unorthodox methods Burke used to build the team.

Anaheim’s roster is 84 percent Canadian (the highest in the league) and boasts 12 players who came from the NCAA, several of whom were un-drafted free agents. The Ducks are one of only two teams (the Kings are the other) that don’t count a forward as one of their three highest-paid players and appear to be built not only for the present - but also the future. Six of Anaheim’s regular skaters are 26 or younger.

Want to read more about the evolution of the Anaheim Ducks? Read the entire article in Bodog Nation!