As a youth, Burke played in the 1980 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the St. Michael's minor ice hockey team from Toronto. Burke was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He earned national attention from his international play, backstopping the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team to a silver medal in the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and a fourth-place finish for the men's national team at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Burke transitioned directly from Canada's Olympics national team to the Devils. He started 11 games for the Devils in the 1987–88 season, including an overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on the final night of the season that qualified the Devils for their first Stanley Cup playoff series. Dubbed a "rookie sensation", Burke helped the Devils go on a strong playoff run, defeating the division-leader New York Islanders in the first round in six games and then the Washington Capitals in seven games. The Devils were one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals but lost in Game 7 of the Wales Conference Finals to the Boston Bruins. Burke's play was widely heralded, with The Hockey Digest stating, "Burke is now the franchise for the Devils, and to whatever heights he rises, the Devils will rise with him," and in December 1988, Burke became the first Devil to appear on its cover. Because he played just 11 games in the 1987–88 regular season, Burke maintained his rookie status for the 1988–89 season. That season, he was named to the 1989 All-Star Game. Burke played for the Devils through the 1990–91 season, then sat out the 1991–92 season due to unhappiness. Instead, he played for the Canadian national team and played in the Winter Olympics for a second time, backstopping Canada to a silver medal. On August 28, 1992, Burke was traded to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Bobby Holík, a second-round pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and future considerations. He played there for six seasons. He was voted Whalers' team MVP from 1993 to 1997. Burke then played with several teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers. He subsequently signed with the Phoenix Coyotes and played there for five seasons, where he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy and third finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy in the 2001–02 season. After that, Burke played for the Philadelphia Flyers recording his 300th career NHL win, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Burke was placed on waivers by Tampa Bay before the 2006–07 season but was not picked up. He then played for Tampa Bay's American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Falcons. However, he struggled with the Falcons and lost his starting job to Karri Rämö. He was then placed on waivers by the Lightning and picked up off re-entry waivers by the Los Angeles Kings. Burke, a three-time NHL All-Star, announced his retirement from professional hockey on September 18, 2007.
International play
Burke played in 11 games for the Canadian national team in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics. He served as the back-up goaltender in the 1991 Canada Cup and has also played in 130 games for other Canadian national teams from 1985 through 2003.
Post-NHL career
On March 4, 2008, the Phoenix Coyotes hired Burke to become its director of prospect development. He was also the assistant to the general manager and Coyotes' goaltending coach. In September 2016, Burke joined the Montreal Canadiens as a professional scout. On July 25, 2017, he was announced as the general manager of Canada's men's team for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Personal life
Sean and his wife Christy Burke gave birth to their first son Hudson on April 9, 2015. Burke also has a son from a previous relationship Brendan, who is also a goaltender who plays for the University of Alberta, as well as a daughter Andie. Burke currently resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with his wife, their son Hudson, and Burkes' two stepchildren, Alexis and Jimmy. On November 2, 1997, Burke was arrested for assault of his then-wife Leslie Burke following an alleged altercation at their home. Despite the incident, the Carolina Hurricanes chose not to suspend Burke. In January 1998, Burke was fined $200, sentenced to 18 months probation and required to complete an educational program on domestic violence after pleading guilty to the assault charge.
