Burke on Modano

Team USA GM Brian Burke was asked about the selection of Mike Modano to participate in the upcoming Olympic orientation camp when several other veteran American players were left off the list. Here’s what Burke had to say.

“If you look at the evolution of the Dallas hockey club, Mike Modano has been asked to accept an increasingly defensive role. He’s the all-time leading scoring American player,” Burke said during a media conference call. “He’s been a warrior for us. I keep using that term because we’ve been so lucky to have a group that has answered the bell every time. It’s not like other countries that have deeper pools. We’ve turned to the same group for the last 15 years and they’ve always shown up and they’ve always shown up with heart and desire, and we owe these guys. In Mike’s case, his production has fallen off but his usefulness as a player has not. It’s just that his role has changed, and he’s accepted that cheerfully. He’s worked very hard and he’s still an effective hockey player, even though he’s not putting up the numbers he once did.”

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