ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The famed bushy beard of Brent Burns was neatly groomed. His hair, too. When he smiled, front teeth gleamed in the gap where he once had none.
It's a fresh look as the 41-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenseman embarks on his 23rd NHL season. But he's still the colorful character they refer to “Burnsy,” the one who's still up for the grind as he chases his first Stanley Cup title. The one who took a young player under his wing this summer and invited him into his house.
The one who doesn't focus on the possibility of breaking the league's all-time ironman streak, which, health willing, could happen in February.
“I’m trying to figure out what stick I’m going to use tomorrow, what I’m going to eat tonight,” said Burns, who has played in 1,007 straight regular-season games and sits 57 away from tying the mark of Phil Kessel. “I don’t really think about all the other stuff.”
Retirement didn't even really cross his mind after the Avalanche were swept by Vegas in the Western Conference Final. He signed another one-year deal in late June and was right back to training.
His superpower, according to teammate Brock Nelson, is his ability to stay young at heart.
“I don't think he strikes anybody as a 41-year-old. He still seems like an 18-, 19-year-old kid,” the 34-year-old Nelson said. “Just having fun, always laughing and having a good time.”
This summer, the Burns family hosted T.J. Hughes, a 24-year-old forward out of the University of Michigan. They didn't want him living out of a suitcase at a hotel.
“He’s just such an unbelievable guy,” said Burns, whose kids frequently engaged Hughes in every high-energy activity they could. "Just a great human being off the ice. So driven, which has really helped push me.
“Watching him, what he can do, and getting to see him off the ice and meet his family, just really cheering for him to do well.”
Hughes moved out of the Burns household at the urging of Burns.
“He’s got to get some rest,” cracked Burns, who had 12 goals and 23 assists last season as he averaged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game. “He’s playing mini-sticks all day long, and my little one’s got him on the trampoline for two hours a day. I said, 'You've got to get some sleep.'”
Kessel's consecutive games streak stands at 1,064 and took place from Nov. 3, 2009, to April 13, 2023. Should Burns remain in the lineup, he could tie the mark on Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay and break it two days later in front of the home crowd against Columbus.
“I’m not going to be the guy that breaks that streak,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I've got way too much respect for him, for what he’s done in his career, and for what he’s doing for us on a daily basis. He’s proven to me that he deserves to be in our lineup. I’m hoping that he can stay healthy and get it. I wish him the best of luck, and I just hope his health holds up.”
Bednar added that Burns returned this season in “phenomenal condition.”
“It’s not just the beard that’s making him look younger — or lack of a beard — I think he’s in great condition.”
But there's another factor that goes into keeping the streak going: good fortune. That's why he doesn't fret about it.
“There’s just too much that can happen,” said Burns, whose streak began on Nov. 21, 2013, while with San Jose. “If you start thinking about that, (expletive) will happen. I’m not really lying, I don’t really think about it.
"Just trying to stay afloat most of the time — and figure out what’s for dinner.”
He embraces the grind of a long season, which he still relishes.
“I must,” he said, referring to his longevity.
As for his groomed beard, he said, “it's a little different, for sure.” But he found an advantage: The trim makes him more aerodynamic on the ice to keep up with the youngsters.
“You’ve got to enjoy the fun things, the (expletive) things, the mundane things," Burns said. "You’ve got to enjoy being at the rink. It’s not easy. It’s not all great. Some hard days, hard work. But I think when you’re with a group that loves to work and we just naturally have fun doing it, it definitely helps, too.
“I think that’s an important part, just to enjoy that process.”
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, right, collects the puck as San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren pursues in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring a goal against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Nov. 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns smiles at his teammates at the end of the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, March 20, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)
Arsenal slumped to a first loss of its Premier League title defense — and it was a heavy one at Brighton.
After four straight wins for the champions, the 3-0 defeat at Amex Stadium on Saturday came somewhat out of nowhere, and conceding the third goal from a corner — typically an area of strength for Arsenal — summed up an unusually sloppy performance from Mikel Arteta’s team.
Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas scored in the first half with shots from outside the penalty area, before Chema Andres completed the win with a header at the back post from Gross’ corner.
“There are certain basics that you need to accomplish in football, especially in the Premier League, that we were very far from," said Arteta, who described it as a “big lesson.”
“The amount of technical errors that we did, and we didn’t respect any principle of play that you have to, to get out of man-to-man situations. That put us always on the back foot.”
The victory will have been especially sweet for Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, who said “only one team tried to play football” after his team’s narrow home loss to Arsenal last season.
Arsenal has often struggled against Brighton, which was the last team to inflict such a heavy defeat on the Gunners in any competition — winning 3-0 at Emirates Stadium in May 2023.
It completed a brilliant week for Brighton, which beat Coventry 5-0 in the league last weekend and came from two goals down in midweek to beat Manchester United 3-2 away in the English League Cup.
“We have to have the belief to compete with the best teams in the league,” Hurzeler said.
Manchester City — the other team to win its first four games — can now move three points clear in the standings by beating Sunderland on Sunday.
Fresh off a $400 million summer spend, Tottenham remains without a win in five league games this season after losing 3-2 at home to Aston Villa.
Johan Manzambi, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who starred for Switzerland at the World Cup, made his first start for Villa and scored the opening goal against the run of play in first-half-stoppage time. He set up another for fellow new signing Nicolas Jackson, before Emi Buendia’s long-range strike in the 79th sent Villa on its way to a first league win of the campaign.
Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke grabbed late consolations for Spurs — its first league goals this season — but it is now two losses and three defeats in the league for Roberto De Zerbi's team, which also lost in the English League Cup this week.
After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the 20-team Premier League, Tottenham’s leadership oversaw a huge squad rebuild in the offseason in a show of confidence in De Zerbi.
There’s been no payback so far in terms of results and De Zerbi — a combustible Italian coach — is under growing pressure heading into a long international break.
To make matters worse for Tottenham, World Cup-winning Spain right back Pedro Porro was forced off midway through the first half with an injury.
Fast starts helped Newcastle and Everton claim wins over promoted teams.
Newcastle scored twice in the first seven minutes — through Lewis Hall and Joe Willock — to set up a 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten Hull.
Thierno Barry's 11th-minute goal was enough for Everton to beat Ipswich 1-0.
Nottingham Forest hosted Coventry later.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gives instructions during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Brighton players celebrate after third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Tottenham Hotspur's manager Roberto De Zerbi reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro sits injured during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Aston Villa's Johan Manzambi celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Aston Villa's Johan Manzambi celebrates as he scores the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
