The defenseman does the same thing before most games: skate, get out of the rink fast, eat, recover, sleep, get back to the rink early. It's one of the reasons he has continued to play at a high level as he approaches his 38th birthday March 9.
"I've kind of got a crazy routine," he said in the loading dock. "I'm usually down to the last couple minutes. I'm in a rush to get through the game day."
But Burns said that every once in a while it's special to break the routine, to stop and savor the moment, to share it with family, friends and fans.
He'll be a main attraction when the Hurricanes play their first outdoor game, hosting the Washington Capitals in the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS2), across the parking lot from PNC Arena. A sellout crowd of about 57,000 is expected.
"I think it's just a great thing," he said. "You see how far this city's come with supporting our hockey. PNC Arena] is one of the best buildings to play in. It's so loud every night. The support before the games, the tailgating, I still love it, coming in and just seeing the setups. It's going to be cool. It's a fun event."
***[RELATED: [Complete coverage of NHL Stadium Series | Brind'Amour still face of Hurricanes]*
Burns has played in an NHL outdoor game once before. He scored for the San Jose Sharks in a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stadium Series before 70,205 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 21, 2015.
The goal was one of many highlights in his 11 seasons in San Jose. He helped the Sharks make the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games; won the Norris Trophy in 2016-17, when he was voted the NHL's best defenseman; and was a Norris finalist in 2015-16 and 2018-19.
After Carolina acquired him in a trade July 13, Burns quickly found a new home in Raleigh. General manager Don Waddell said he arrived in days, bought a house and moved his family in their RV until the house was ready.
When he showed up to training camp, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Adonis finished second in fitness testing.
"He was all-in from Day One, and you can just see the life that he brings," Waddell said. "He's like a 21-year-old kid. He's got so much energy. I think he fits what we needed -- bigger body back there, power play, play with [defense partner] Jaccob Slavin. I can't say enough good things about him. He's fit in better than I could have even imagined. We're so fortunate to have him."
Coach Rod Brind'Amour said much the same thing.
"He's like a 21-year-old," Brind'Amour said. "He just wants to get better all the time. He's in there, like, 'What do I got to do differently? How do I get better? How do I adapt to what we're trying to do?' And he's got his ways of doing things, and you don't want to take that way. But he's always trying to get better. That's what makes him successful, and that's why he's still playing at a high level."
Burns leads the Hurricanes in average ice time (23:17) and their defensemen with 40 points (11 goals, 29 assists) in 54 games this season, helping Carolina (36-10-8) rank second in the NHL standings behind the Boston Bruins. After having two assists in a 6-2 win against the Canadiens on Thursday, he has 12 points (six goals, six assists) over his past 13 games; the Hurricanes have gone 11-1-1.
