Burke Leaving the Pond

The worst-kept secret in NHL management appears to be coming to fruition as Anaheim Ducks General Manager Brian Burke has stepped down, replaced by Bob Murray, the Ducks' Senior VP of Hockey Operations.

It has long been suspected that Burke is en route to becoming the next general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Currently, Cliff Fletcher holds that position on an interim basis.

Leafs' CEO Richard Peddle only added to the hype on Wednesday.

"Obviously Cliff is in the job right now, but it was never imagined that he would be our long-term GM," Peddie told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com. "His contract states that. He's very accepting and positive about that. He's here to serve the Leaf Nation as long as we want him there. And he's done a great job. "We had imagined that our search [for a permanent GM] would begin again in the spring. When I get back to Toronto I'll chat with some of my board members and decide our next steps."

Burke acknowledged the decision to step down was a difficult one.

"It was a tough decision. These people have been great to me," Burke said. "But I'm doing this for family reasons." Burke has stated publicly that he would like to return to the East Coast, where he has children from his first marriage.

The move was prompted by a meeting last week between Burke and Ducks' CEO Michael Schulman, during which Burke turned down a contract extension by the Ducks. The decision was made to hand the reins to Murray and allow Burke to seek employment elsewhere under good terms with the Ducks. While Burke's contract officially runs through the end of the NHL season, he is considered an unrestricted free agent and can negotiate with any team.