A photo of Pat Burns sits at the front of Mary Queen of the World Cathedral for Monday's funeral in honour of the former NHL coach. (CBC) Members of the hockey world, dignitaries, and many others filled a Montreal cathedral Monday to pay their respects to Pat Burns, the legendary NHL former coach who died of cancer this month.
About 1,500 people filed into the downtown Mary Queen of the World Cathedral to give their condolences to Burns's widow, Line, and his children, Jason and Maureen.
The afternoon funeral lasted about two hours, with a bilingual service that featured eulogies by Burns's cousin Robin and New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello.
The importance of hockey and Burns's courage in fighting cancer in his final years highlighted the sermon of Msgr. Robert Sansoucy, a priest at the cathedral. The importance of hockey was further enforced by the urn containing the former coach's remains, which was in the shape of a Stanley Cup.
Pat Burns's remains in an urn shaped like the Stanley Cup. (CBC)Before the funeral began, two buses arrived carrying the entire roster of the New Jersey Devils, the team Burns coached to his only Stanley Cup win in 2003.
All-star goaltender Martin Brodeur was a large part of that championship team, and he had kind words for Burns as he entered the cathedral.
“It gives me a big smile, every time I think of Pat,” said Brodeur. "We won a Stanley Cup together, and at the same time I got the chance to get pretty close to him, riding motorcycles. We had plenty of fun together."
Quebec Premier Jean Charest attended the service and spoke of Burns's leadership skills.
Pat Burns provided the Toronto Maple Leafs a much-needed boost in the 1990s. Burns is shown during a practice at Maple Leaf Gardens on Jan. 16, 1994. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)“Leadership in sports, like in life, business, or politics, always comes down to the same ingredients. You have to prove you have a lot of determination. You have to be capable of vision," said Charest. "Burns had an exceptional career, he was a very generous man … and he had a positive effect everywhere he went.”
Several former and current National Hockey League coaches, managers and players attended the funeral for the only coach to win the Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year three times. Attendees included Patrick Roy, Guy Carbonneau, Carey Price, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Jacques Demers, Kirk Muller, Raymond Bourque, and Yvan Cournoyer.
Members of the Gatineau police department, where Burns served before he launched his professional hockey career, also attended the service.
A crowd enters a downtown Montreal cathedral before the Burns funeral. (CBC)Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, himself a hockey fan, returned from a trip to Rome to preside over the service.
Two songs were performed at the celebration — the 1950s classic Unforgettable and Angel by Sarah McLachlan. Sansoucy said the songs were a request Burns made to his wife.
The Burns family decided not to allow the event to be broadcast.
