Off the ice, Burns has been active in his local and national communities, winning the NHL's Foundation Player of the Year award in 2015 and he was a finalist for ESPN's 2016 Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award. Burns has also been heavily involved with United Heroes League (formerly Defending the Blue Line, which has provided over $3 million worth of hockey equipment, game tickets, cash grants, and access to summer camps to military families across the United States and Canada.
The six-foot-five, 230-pound native of Barrie, Ontario was originally selected by the Minnesota Wild in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft. He was acquired by San Jose from Minnesota on June 24, 2011.