For Brent Burns, World Cup is just another fascinating experience
Brent Burns excites, well, easily.
Mere mention of the word "adventure" prompts a rush of fond memories. His eyes light up, a big smile appears from the bushy beard he swears is regularly maintained, and the NHL's most interesting, off-the-wall personality starts regaling with stories of his cross-country summer travels.
But like an eager kid rushing to get the words out, Burns gets momentarily hung up on the minutiae.
"We spent a little over two months in the RV," he began, in conversation with theScore. "Grand Canyon was amazing. The two-to-three days spent in the Rockies were unreal, driving through the mountains. I learned that you have to take air out of every tire. We had an air mattress; air sac blew going over the mountains. So you learn a few things. I brought a bunch of bags of chips from Canada back. All blew up over the Rockies. It sucked. Still rattled about that. My ketchup chips, my all-dressed chips.
"I'm going to have to reload while I'm here."
Burns' lesson in barometric pressure does well to encapsulate his refreshing spirit. Everything is fun. Everything is a worthwhile experience. Everything, and everyone, is fascinating. There is always something to learn, and a story to pass along.
And as Burns explains, his time in Toronto for the World Cup of Hockey - as a member of Team Canada - offers an environment just as stimulating as his voyages, along with the people, places, and things discovered along the way.
"One of the really cool things about getting to do these things is experiencing different coaches, different ways they look at hockey, and playing with different guys that you've played against. That's always one of my highlights," he said.
The inquisitive San Jose Sharks defenseman has taken a particular interest in Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock.
"His passion for hockey and exuberance at the rink is great," Burns said. "I like his little speeches before games, how he gets the boys going. I always thought he was more of a tactician, but there's so much more to him than that. He's cognizant about getting you to play loose, and playing your game within the details of his. He's been great."
Of course, there's much more to discover in the Canadian room, so Burns has been sourcing information from other elite talents, and the temporary teammates he'll soon compete with again on a nightly basis in the NHL.
Burns mentioned picking the brain of Jonathan Toews, the normally guarded Chicago Blackhawks captain who's recently opened up about the eccentricities of his lifestyle, and the holistic, evangelical training that goes into achieving "total human optimization." No wonder Toews has piqued Burns' interest.
But learning isn't limited to his conversations. Always the observer, Burns acquires information through different means, and with Team Canada, he's picking up nuances that make the greatest hockey players so uniquely special.
"Sid is the best player in the world and it's for a reason," Burns said. "You see Doughts (Drew Doughty), he's another elite defenseman. There aren't many better than him, if any. You get to watch a guy like him, how he prepares, and what he does at practice.
"You take things from everybody. Go down the list."
The reptile-farming, loud suit-wearing, beard oil-applying, military historian, and jiu jitsu practitioner - who got his first tattoo at age 11 - doesn't hide the fact that he's different. But at the crux of it, Burns is just like the other 22 players on Team Canada, and across the various rosters in Toronto for the World Cup.
He understands that everyone has their likes, dislikes, curiosities, profound interests, and eagerness to learn about things others find mundane. And like all professionals, Burns requires an avenue to escape every now and then.
"Some guys play guitar, some guys meditate, some guys do yoga. Whatever it is they do, they get away from the game and enjoy life," he said.
"I just have a couple different things I like to do."