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Burke: ‘We all know the Canucks started it’

Brian Burke

Flames GM Brian Burke addressed law students at the University of Calgary in a public lecture earlier this week, but still managed to squeeze in some hockey talk.

“I’m not happy with the [$25,000] fine that Coach Hartley received,” said Burke, per UToday. “Especially since we all know the Canucks started it.”

Burke, who was at the university speaking about breaking into the world of sports law (and to be fair, may have delivered the comment tongue-in-cheek), previously issued a statement saying he disagreed with Hartley’s fine, which came as a result from Saturday’s opening-faceoff line brawl between the Canucks and Flames.

“I am perplexed by this fine,” Burke said, per Calgary’s Twitter account. “I stand behind Bob Hartley completely in this regard and remain confident that he acted properly in every aspect of this game.”

The NHL dinged Hartley for “conduct prejudicial to or against the welfare of the League.”

“We are holding Mr. Hartley responsible for the actions of Flames’ right wing Kevin Westgarth, who took the game’s opening face-off and attempted to instigate a premeditated fight with an unwilling opponent — the Canucks’ Kevin Bieksa,” the league said in a statement.

Canucks head coach John Tortorella, who tried to go after Hartley during the first intermission, was suspended 15 days for his actions.