NHL veteran Brent Burns made hockey fans do a shocking double-take after arriving at the Colorado Avalanche media day looking nearly unrecognizable.
Burns, 41, sported tidy facial hair and a new set of pearly veneers — a stark contrast from the hockey star’s iconic scraggly beard and missing teeth look fans have come to expect amid his 23-year career.
“Am I being tricked ??? Is that actually Brent burns???” one fan reacted via X in response to a photo shared by Avalanche reporter Bailey Curtis.
Another person wrote, “I have tears rolling down my face at work. That is not Brent Burns. Imposter.”
“Don’t know how to process Hot Brent Burns so I will be ignoring it at this time,” another fan joked. One commented, “It’s like when your dad shaves his mustache for the first time 😭😭😭 who is this man.”
Pete Blackburn, cohost of the “What Chaos” hockey podcast, wrote via X, “The fact that he just chose not to look like this for the last 15 years is kind of insulting.”
Fresh look for Brent Burns heading into this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/Tkrp11ySvh
— Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) September 16, 2026
Burns signed a one-year contract extension with the Avalanche in June. Last season with the Avalanche, Burns played in his 1,500th career NHL game, becoming just the 23rd player in league history to reach that milestone.
The veteran defenseman told reporters on Wednesday that he “never even thought about” retirement.
Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said the team wanted to bring back Burns because “he was outstanding for us.”
“He fit perfectly,” Sakic, 57, said in June. “The type of player that we wanted at times in the playoffs. We thought he was one of our most consistent players, never mind just [defensemen].”
The general manager added, “He brings his leadership. I thought he had a really good year last year. He looked a little fatigued at the end, but I thought the way he played in the playoffs, he brought energy, passion, physicality, and he’s a guy we wanted to bring back for that leadership in the dressing room. Great guy, great guy for the dressing room.”
The Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. Vegas ultimately lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Colorado opens training camp ahead of the 2026-2027 season on Thursday, September 17.
Prior to signing with the Avalanche ahead of last season, Burns had played for the Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and the Carolina Hurricanes.
