Burke Driven to Join Coyotes: 1,700-mile Journey to Arizona

Brayden Burke is known by the Coyotes brass for his skillset and, especially, his drive.
And that doesn't even start to explain the 26-hour trip he'll start this Friday to return to the team for on-ice workouts. Burke will make the more than 1,700-mile trek from Edmonton to Arizona.
Burke's trip is due to
Phase 2
of the NHL's plan to permit the gatherings of small-group workouts and on-ice practices. Phase 2
goes into effect Monday
.
"I'm just going to hop in my car real early," he said. "Like 5:00 in the morning on Friday and try to drive 17, maybe 18 hours [that day]."
The journey will mark the third time the 23-year-old drives from Edmonton to the Southwest. He made the same trip the previous two summers for training camp.

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It'll be a bit different, this time, however: there will be no hotel stays or stopovers to visit friends.
"I'm just going to bring a blanket and a pillow," Burke said. "I'll get into a parking lot and sleep for maybe two or three or four hours [on Friday night] and then hop back on the road for the last portion of the drive [on Saturday]. Really, I'm just trying to see as few people as possible and get there in the safest way possible."
He has an established in-car entertainment routine.
"I have a system down to where I go an hour of music, an hour or two of podcasts, and then I'll talk on the phone for an hour," he said. "So, it's going to be a lot of transferring between those three."
His travel menu is a bit less established, more on-the-fly.
"I'll probably drink a lot of soda water," he said. "As far as snacks, I don't know. I'll probably just eat some breakfast at Tim Hortons [on Friday], say goodbye to Tim Hortons in the morning, and hopefully get my mom to pack me a couple snacks as well."
President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka contacted Burke and other players to make sure travel to Arizona is safe. "[This is] one of those stories where one of the guys is making the trek back," Chayka said of Burke.
"We gave him a call and let him know that he's welcome to come and start working out and skating as part of Phase 2," the GM said. "He didn't want to get caught with a quarantine for two weeks by flying, [and] he didn't want to expose himself. Brayden wanted to jump in the car and make his way over."

Chayka said he wanted to be sure that Burke would be safe, "stay in his bubble," and be expedient in his route. The GM stressed that safety should dictate all players' travel plans.
Said Chayka: "The idea isn't so much to get the guys together [right now], but to create a safe environment for these guys to come and condition themselves and get back on the ice, that's what they do. They're hockey players. They like to get on the ice, work out and train. We're just excited to host some of them and get them back playing. That's the end goal."
Burke, in his second pro season, led the AHL Tucson Roadrunners in scoring with 21 goals and 51 points, including a team-record 13 power play goals.
"He had a strong year," Chayka said. "He's kind of one of those guys that busted the door down. He stands out with his work ethic and how hard he plays every shift. He's a very skilled guy, he put up a lot of points. He made plays. He was able to add a power play shot to his repertoire this year. He's got skill. He's got talent. But what sticks out to us is that work ethic."
The Coyotes signed the undrafted Burke to an entry-level contract in 2018. He was selected to the AHL All-Star Classic this year.
"I learned a lot from my rookie season coming into season two," Burke said. "I wanted to put as many of the new things I've learned into my game, become a better pro, improve not only on the offensive side, but in the neutral zone and the defensive zone. So, I think I did a good job, and as the season wore on, I felt more comfortable being a player that's relied upon for scoring. As far as the season went, I was really happy with it. I still think I have a lot to learn, and I'm open and ready to."
Burke earned his first NHL call-up December 12.

"You're in the highest league in the world," Burke said of the experience. "Everyone there needs to earn every day, essentially. Just watching the guys work hard every day, seeing how well they prepared themselves ... It adds another layer of hunger for me to try to become one of those players and be one of those guys that can come in, work hard, and be relied upon on an NHL team."
Burke's first pro game came during the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs, when he was added to the Roadrunners' expanded roster. Now, he looks to earn a spot on the Coyotes' expanded roster for the 24-team return-to-play format.
"I'm coming to work hard, show my game, and all I hope for is to be given a chance," Burke said. "That's what John Chayka and Rick Tocchet have done for me here, to bring me down and allow me to start training. I'm grateful for them for giving me the opportunity, and I hope I can show well."

As for the other Coyotes, Chayka says family decisions also might play a part in specific travel plans.
"We want guys to do what's right for them and their families," Chayka again carefully noted.
"There's no rush," he reassured. "We want them to be able to do it safely. A lot of the guys who are out of state, they still have opportunities [locally] to condition themselves and have access to safe facilities so that they can continue to ramp themselves up. That's what we're after here.
"Certainly, if guys are here or they're able to make their way down, we welcome them and we're happy to have them. If they can't, we want to make sure that anything we do in the future, we're doing in a safe way. We want minimal to no risk; we're doing everything we can to keep it safe."
Time still is on the players' side. Phase 3 full-team training camps aren't expected to open before July 10.
"We've got four or five weeks here before the training camp starts, if everything works out," Burke said. "I'm just excited to come down and have an opportunity."

Lead Photo Credit: Norm Hall - Arizona Coyotes // Second Photo Credit: Norm Hall - Arizona Coyotes // Third Photo Credit: Kevin Abele - Icon Sportswire via Getty Images // Fourth Photo Credit: Norm Hall - Arizona Coyotes // Footer Photo Credit: Adam Pantozzi - Getty Images