The Colorado Avalanche are expecting to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs during 2026-27. One of the players who is still seeking his first Stanley Cup is defenseman Brent Burns.
Heading into his 23rd season in the NHL, something has got to give for Burns. In 2016, Burns and the San Jose Sharks lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, 4-2.
Burns is on a tremendous “ironman” streak—consecutive games played. Since the beginning of the 2014-15 season. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, the NHL suffered shortened seasons due to COVID-19, so the games that were missed during htat span do not count, therefore his streak is still technically intact.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has no plans or intention of ruining Burns’ streak.
""I'm not going to be the guy that breaks that streak. 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.""Jared Bednar on Brent Burns’ streak
That is a solid respect thing Bednar said on Friday. Burns has been in the league for so long that he was able to develop a league-wide positive reputation. He deserves to play out this incredible streak as best as he can.
Burns is 57 games away from tying the all-time record of 1,064, which was set and held by Phil Kessel. That streak came to an end on April 13, 2023.
Something that could certainly help Burns achieve this milestone is if he plays less minutes per game. That isn’t an ideal route in Burns’ eyes, but as an aging player, it would make sense to manage his playing time. He is currently listed as the third-pairing right defenseman alongside Josh Manson. Both players can play a physical game.
If Sam Malinski or Brett Kulak, both of which are on the second line, go down with injury, Burns could slide into a second-pairing role.
However long Burns decides to play, the only thing that would stop him from achieving the record of consecutive games played is his health. Given the incredible streak he has going, that won’t be an issue this season.
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