Coach: The Pat Burns Story
Rosie DiManno offers a clear-eyed portrait of Pat Burns, the forceful NHL coach who led multiple franchises and captured the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. The book follows his unusual path from a fatherless childhood and years as a police officer to a celebrated — and complicated — hockey life.
DiManno draws on extensive interviews and personal knowledge to present a layered view: Burns as tough and charismatic, prone to contradictions, and singularly gifted at coaching. The narrative explores his coaching methods, relationships in the hockey world, and the personal struggles that shaped him.
Highlights:
- Career overview: Montreal, Toronto, Boston and New Jersey
- Stanley Cup victory and coaching legacy
- Insightful reporting and personal interviews