Bruins Hire Burns to Restore an Original

BOSTON — Pat Burns is fast becoming the “Original Six” fix-it man.

The fiery French Canadian who revived the Toronto Maple Leafs and led the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup finals in his first year with them was hired Wednesday to bring the Boston Bruins back from the NHL cellar.

Boston had the league’s worst record (26-47-9 under Steve Kasper) last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in 30 years.

“I think we have to make these players believe that being a Bruin is very important,” Burns said. “This is a hockey hotbed. Growing up as a kid, the Bruins were something you had to respect. . . . Getting a chance to be part of another Original Six team, for me, it’s really something.”

Burns becomes only the second man to lead half of the NHL’s traditional teams, joining Dick Irvin, who coached the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto before joining the Canadiens in 1940. The other “Original Six” teams are the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.

Over his four years in Montreal, Burns, 45, was the NHL’s winningest coach, posting a 174-104-42 record. In 1992-93, he took over a Toronto franchise that hadn’t been above .500 in 13 years and led the Maple Leafs to consecutive appearances in the conference finals.