Son of Leafs GM dies in snowy crash

WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. (The Star Press) - Brendan Burke – the youngest son of Leaf general manager Brian Burke – has been killed in a car accident in Indiana.

Brendan Burke, 21, and Mark A. Reedy, 18, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., died at the scene of a two-vehicle accident in Wayne County, Ind., around 2:50 p.m. Friday. Heavy snow was falling at the time.

Investigators said Burke was driving eastbound on U.S. Highway 35 in a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee when the vehicle slid sideways into an oncoming 1997 Ford truck driven by Michael Moreland, 24, of Lynn, Ind. Moreland was not hurt.

The father-son relationship made headlines throughout Canada and the North American sporting culture in November when Brian Burke revealed to the media that his son was gay.

The public admission of homosexuality by Brendan Burke, a former goalie working with a top-ranked university hockey program, was widely credited with nudging hockey toward overcoming its sometimes homophobic culture.

In a statement MLSE president and CEO Richard Peddie said: "On behalf of the entire Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Brian Burke. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burke family during this extremely difficult time."