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The Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs have hired 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Brian Burke, as a senior hockey operations adviser and promoted former NHL star Gary Roberts, who is now vice-president of hockey operations.
Brantford Bulldogs President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Spencer Hyman made the announcement Friday morning.
Burke was president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2008 to 2013, general manager of the Vancouver Canucks from 1998 to 2004 and also worked in management with the Hartford Whalers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Burke will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in a ceremony this fall.
Roberts had a long career in the NHL including a Stanley Cup win with the Calgary Flames, where he played from 1987 to 1996. He also played for the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Roberts, widely regarded as the top performance, health and wellness mind in the game joined the Bulldogs prior to the 2025-26 season as a Sr. Advisor & Director of Player Development,” the Bulldogs said in an email.
The Bulldogs played in Hamilton from 2015 to 2023 before moving to Brantford after the arena in Hamilton began its $300-million renovations. In January 2025, the team’s owners, Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family, announced the Bulldogs would stay in nearby Brantford, Ont.