Montreal Canadiens appoint Sean Burke as director of goaltending

MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens have made another change to their coaching staff, appointing Sean Burke to take over as the director of goaltending. 

General manager Marc Bergevin made the announcement Tuesday following a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators that gave rookie head coach Dominique Ducharme his first NHL victory.  

Burke replaces Stephane Waite, who held the position since 2013 and was let go Tuesday.

Ducharme replaced the fired Claude Julien last week in the wake of consecutive shootout and overtime losses to the Senators in Ottawa. 

No. 1 goaltender Carey Price made 26 saves for the victory Tuesday over the Senators, but has struggled in 2020-21. 

He entered Tuesday with a 5-4-3 record to go along with an .888 save percentage and 3.13 goals-against average this season. Over his previous six starts, the former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner was 1-4-1 with an .870 save percentage. 

Montreal backup Jake Allen, meanwhile, is 4-2-2 with a .929 save percentage and 2.12 GAA this season. 

Burke will be required to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine before joining the team. Laval Rocket goaltending coach Marco Marciano will work with Montreal’s goaltenders until Burke is cleared to join the squad. 

The 54-year-old Burke was originally hired by the Canadiens in 2016 as a professional scout for the Western region. He has also worked as a goaltending consultant for Montreal. 

He spent six seasons as a member of the Coyotes’ hockey management group, serving as goaltending coach and director of player development before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2012. 

He had an 18-year NHL career, suiting up for eight organizations before moving into management post-retirement. 

The three-time NHL All-Star represented Canada at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics, and served as Canada’s general manager at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang where the team won bronze without NHL players. 

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2021.

The Canadian Press