from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

"Before he died, that was one of the things Pat told me he wanted to make clear, to make sure everyone knew," Robin Burns said Sunday. "Pat told me: 'Tell everyone I'm not upset I didn't get in. Everyone who got in (that year, Jimmy Devellano and the late Daryl 'Doc' Seaman in the builders' category, Dino Ciccarelli in the players' category as well as women players Cammi Granato and Angela James) deserved to get in.' Pat was happy for those who got in, especially the girls (Granato and James). He told me he was just happy to be nominated, to be considered. He was very emphatic about that. He said: 'Please, please tell everyone not to be mad.' Pat knew his friends and family were very upset and angry, but he wasn't. He was okay with it, he was at peace with it."

The truth is Pat Burns -- the larger than life ex-cop who won NHL coach of the year honours in three Original Six cities (Montreal, Toronto and Boston) - had too much reverence for the game to feel any other way. As belligerent or brusque as Burnsie could be behind the bench or when the microphones were thrust in his face, there was never a day when he didn't feel like he was the luckiest ex-cop in the world to be as deeply involved and successful in the game as he was.

That was his reward.

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