Being Burky 

There’s a lot to like about Andre Burakovsky on the ice, but, he’s a big part of the Seattle Kraken off the ice, too.

Since returning from an upper-body injury sustained in October, when “Burky” is in the locker room, you can feel the mood lift. Whether it’s a chirp lobbied across the lockers or his mischievous smirk on display, ask any of his teammates about number 95, and before a single word is said, there’s a smile.

“He’s a blast,” Alexander Wennberg said. “Every guy has their own character but it's always a good laugh with him.”

Wennberg and Burakovsky have become good friends over the past two seasons. They didn’t just connect over their shared Swedish heritage, they live near each other and will share rides to games.

On those trips, there’s always a “lot of laughs.”

What’s so funny? According to Wennberg, it’s hard to explain. 

“He's a funny guy (speaking English), but in Swedish it's even more funny,” Wennberg said. “Sometimes you laugh with him, sometimes you laugh at him, but I think it's a give and take between us. He’s a jokester.”

Walking around the locker room, not every player has a Burky story to share – at least with media – but there’s strong agreement that having the 28-year-old around is definitely enjoyable.

“He makes everybody laugh,” Jared McCann said. “He's a goofy guy…who just loves to have fun.”

McCann knows Burakovsky’s sense of humor well – he sits next to the two-time Stanley Cup winner in the locker room. But one thing McCann didn’t know, however, was how good the fellow forward would be with bookkeeping-like tasks.

Or not.

You see, every NHL team has a “fine master,” a designated player in charge of the “team fund.” Responsibilities include keeping track of light-hearted infractions such as being late, falling during warm-ups, or other in-team guidelines. Any financial penalty is then collected and used to pay for things like team dinners.

Burakovsky fills that role for the Kraken…to varying degrees of success his teammates jest.

“When we first met Andre, we thought he's good with financial stuff like that,” McCann said laughingly. “He made it sound like he was!”

When asked, Burakovsky quickly agreed to take on the job of fine master, but apparently, he keeps forgetting to collect on any penalties levied. Of course, maybe that’s more reason the Swede has endeared himself so much to his teammates.

“I’m not sure asking him was the best idea,” McCann said tongue firmly in cheek. “He doesn't remember very well to collect from people.”

But as players share their stories about the teammate nicknamed the “Mayor of Malmo,” one thing is clear, when he’s around, the vibes are better, the energy is lighter, and there’s certainly going to be some positive energy – the kind of stuff that strengthens bonds teammate to teammate.

Burakovsky is deadly serious on the ice, but when he’s with his teammates, his “goofball” personality is a favorite to the people he shares a locker room with.