[Flashpoint]

Well, there's a thought!

Heir to Cherry?

Short term, he will surface on your Hockey Night in Canada broadcast Saturday night to offer commentary for the first three rounds of the NHL playoffs and possibly the entry draft. From there, it’s not certain.

If Burke decides to work on the dark side – what he lovingly describes as a media position – as the final act of his working career, he could probably do so for as long as he wants. At some point when Don Cherry steps aside, Burke would be the logical replacement — because he has the same larger than life persona necessary to fill that role. With Cherry, it’s his suits. With Burke, it’s his untied ties. On TV, you need a schtick and Burke has been developing his for quite some time.

Of course, stepping into Cherry’s shoes would be the broadcasting equivalent of being the general manager replacing Sam Pollock in Montreal. Ideally, you want to position yourself to be the replacement for the replacement.