Burns took the Canadiens job in 1988 and immediately delivered, guiding Montreal to a 53-18-9 record and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in his rookie season, which earned him the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year. Over four seasons behind the bench he pushed the Canadiens to at least the second round of the playoffs every year, establishing the demanding, defense-first reputation that defined the rest of his coaching career. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014, four years after his death.