DENVER – Brent Burns has the impressive Ironman streak – 925 straight games and counting – the majestic beard and the individual accolades.

All that’s missing from his potential Hall of Fame career is that Stanley Cup title. This could be his last chance. The 40-year-old agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche that includes up to $3 million more in performance bonus.

kAmw6VD ECJ:?8 E@ 7@==@H E96 D4C:AE @7 w2== @7 u2>6 5676?D6>2? #2J q@FCBF6[ H9@ DA6?E >@DE @7 9:D 42C66C H:E9 q@DE@? @?=J E@ ;@:? E96 pG2=2?496 =2E6 😕 9:D 42C66C 2?5 9@:DE E96 rFA 😕 a__` 367@C6 D<2E:?8 @77 :?E@ C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am

kAm“%96C6’D DE:== D@>6E9:?8 E@ 492D6[ D@ x’> DE:== DFA6C\>@E:G2E65 7@C E92E[Q qFC?D D2:5 %9FCD52J 😕 2 +@@> 42==] Q%96C6’D @?6 3:8 8@2= DE:==]”k^Am

kAmw6 ;@:?D 2 DE24<65 r@=@C25@ E62> E92E :?4=F56D 76==@H }@CC:D %C@A9J\H:??:?8 5676?D6>2? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2G2=2?496\?9=\42=6\>2<2C\`_b`f7g2e_ab_37g33425`g43d557af5Qmr2=6 |2<2Ck^2m 2?5 @?6 @7 E96 =628F6VD E@A D4@C6CD 😕 }2E92? |24z:??@?] qFC?D 7:8FC6D E@ 255 2?@E96C =2J6C @7 =6256CD9:A E@ 2 E62> E92E ;FDE 8@E 324< 42AE2:? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=2?56D<@8\2G2=2?496\?9=\bdchd_ef54hgb23e_`cdb7_34_3c364hQmv23C:6= {2?56D<@8k^2m 27E6C 96 >:DD65 ?62C=J E9C66 J62CD 😕 9:D C64@G6CJ 7C@> 2 D6C:@FD 66 :?;FCJ]k^Am

kAm“*@F’C6 2C@F?5 8FJD E92E 2C6 492D:?8 @?6 8@2= 2?5 E96C6’D ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2= 23@FE :E — 2== E96 =2F89D 2?5 E96 H@C<:?8 92C5 E@86E96C[” qFC?D D2:5] “xE’D C62==J DA64:2= E@ ECJ E@ 3F:=5 D@>6E9:?8 E@86E96C[ 2?5 x ;FDE 6?;@J E92E AC@46DD]Qk^Am

kAm%96 e\7@@E\d[ aag\A@F?5 qFC?D 4@F=5 36 A2CE?6C65 @? E96 3=F6 =:?6 H:E9 $2> |2=:?D<:[ H9@ H2D 2C@F?5 d J62CD @=5 H96? qFC?D 3C@<6 :?E@ E96 =628F6] (92E ?F>36C qFC?D >2J H62C @? 9:D ;6CD6J C6>2:?D 😕 E96 2:C] %96 ?F>36CD 96VD 5@??65 @G6C 9:D }w{ 42C66C 2C6 E2<6? — }@] g 😀 H@C? 3J |2<2C 2?5 }@] gg 3J |2CE:? }642D[ H9@ H2D 9:D E62>>2E6 😕 r2C@=:?2] qFC?D 😀 =62?:?8 E@H2C5 }@] gc[ “3FE x 5@?VE @H :7 :EVD D6E 😕 DE@?6 J6E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmqFC?D H@? E96 =628F6VD 2H2C5 7@C E96 E@A 5676?D6>2? 😕 a_`f] w6 ;@:?D 2?@E96C }@CC:D H:??6C 😕 |2<2C[ H9@ H2D E96 2H2C5VD >@DE C646?E C64:A:6?E 2?5 2=D@ H@? :E 😕 a_aa[ H96? E96 pG2=2?496 H@? E96 $E2?=6J rFA]k^Am

kAm“w6VD @3G:@FD=J ;FDE :?D2?6=J E2=6?E65[” qFC?D D2:5 @7 |2<2C] “%96 E9:?8D 96 42? 5@ — E96C6’D ?@E >2?J[ :7 2?J[ A6@A=6 😕 E96 H@C=5 E92E 42? 5@ :E] $@ x’> C62==J 6I4:E65 E@ 86E E@ D66 :E 😕 A6CD@? 6G6CJ 52J 2?5 D66 9@H 96 E:46]”k^Am

kAmqFC?D 😀 DE:== 86EE:?8 >2;@C :46 E:>6 6G6? 2D 96’D 23@FE E@ 6?E6C 9:D aa?5 }w{ D62D@?] w6 2G6C2865 ?62C=J a` >:?FE6D 2 82>6 7@C E96 wFCC:42?6D =2DE D62D@?] w6 925 D:I 8@2=D 2?5 ab 2DD:DED]k^Am

kAm(92E’D >@C6[ 96’D A=2J65 😕 had DEC2:89E 82>6D[ H9:49 😀 E96 7@FCE9\=@?86DE “xC@? |2?” DEC62< 😕 }w{ 9:DE@CJ 2?5 =@?86DE 4FCC6?E=J 8@:?8]k^Am

kAmp 7:CDE\C@F?5 A:4< 3J |:??6D@E2 😕 a__b[ qFC?D A=2J65 D6G6? D62D@?D H:E9 E96 (:=5 367@C6 36:?8 562=E E@ $2? y@D6 😕 a_“] w6 DA6?E E96 A2DE E9C66 D62D@?D 😕 r2C@=:?2]k^Am

kAm~G6C `[chf C68F=2C\D62D@? 82>6D[ 96’D D4@C65 ae` 8@2=D 2?5 5:D965 @FE ech 2DD:DED]k^Am

kAmw6’D =65 2== }w{ 5676?D6>6? 😕 A@:?ED Wa_`e\`f[ `g\`hX[ 2DD:DED W`g\`hX 2?5 8@2=D W`d\`e[ `e\`fX 7@C 2 D62D@? @G6C 9:D 42C66C]k^Am

kAmqFC?D 😀 D6E E@ 364@>6 E96 abC5 A=2J6C 😕 }w{ 9:DE@CJ E@ D<2E6 😕 2E =62DE aa D62D@?D]k^Am

kAm“%92E’D 2 3:8 A2CE 7@C >6] xE’D D@>6E9:?8 x C62==J H2?E E@ 5@] xE’D 567:?:E6=J ?@E 62DJ[” qFC?D D2:5] Qx E9:?< :E’D 2 DA64:2= 8C@FA 96C6] ]]] (92E6G6C E96J 2D< @7 >6[ E92E’D H92E x H2?E E@ 5@] %92E’D 2== E92E x’> C62==J =@@<:?8 2E C:89E ?@H 😀 E92E’D H92E x H2?E E@ 5@]”k^Am

kAm%96 @?6 A:646 >:DD:?8 7C@> 9:D =6?8E9J 42C66C 😀 E92E $E2?=6J rFA] w6 C624965 E96 7:?2= H:E9 E96 $92C6D]k^Am

kAmx? `bd A@DED62D@? 82>6D[ qFC?D 92D ac 8@2=D 2?5 de 2DD:DED H9:=6 2G6C28:?8 ;FDE @G6C ac >:?FE6D @? E96 :46]k^Am

kAm“x ;FDE H2?E E@ 4@>6 😕 2?5 ;@:? E96 8C@FA[ 7:E :?[” qFC?D D2:5] “x H2?E E@ 3C:?8 D@>6 6?6C8J[ 3C:?8 D@>6 7F?[ D@>6 6IA6C:6?46]Qk^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! w@4<6J (C:E6C $E6A96? (9J?@ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.