Brendan Burke

Brendan Gilmore Burke (December 8, 1988 – February 5, 2010) was an athlete and student manager at Miami University for the RedHawks men's ice hockey team. He gained international recognition in November 2009 for coming out as gay, becoming a pioneer in advocating against homophobia in professional sports, particularly in hockey. As the youngest son of Brian Burke, former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and executive of various NHL teams, his coming out sparked discussions about homophobia in sports. Tragically, Burke was killed in a car crash on February 5, 2010. His memory and contributions to LGBT awareness in hockey have been honored by various hockey teams.