"You're talking about the Vatican if you're Catholic, you're talking the centre of the hockey universe, you're talking about one of the most important jobs in hockey running the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's a dream job."

Last week, the Maple Leafs celebrated the career of Wendel Clark with his very own night as an honouree. Today, a new era begins with Brian Burke Day.

The team's new GM will be unveiled here at 2 p.m. in a press conference at the Air Canada Centre, and I'll have my thoughts as things unfold this afternoon.

2:08 p.m.: Richard Peddie's speaking now. Says Cliff Fletcher couldn't make the presser as he had a scheduling conflict... which is unfortunate.

2:09 p.m.: Burke gets to the podium.

2:10 p.m.: "I couldn't be more excited to be here today; I couldn't be more exited at the job ahead."

Burke calls the Leafs GM job "one of the most important ones in hockey" and says "he's aware of the burden that comes with this tradition and this history.... to me it's daunting as it is exhilarating. Rebuilding this team is not going to be easy.

"It's going to take some time and some patience."

2:14 p.m.: Burke says he's going to build the team like he did in Anaheim, from the net out, and that the Leafs will be a tough team that no one likes to play against.

Adds that Fletcher "has a job here as long as he wants one." And others like Joe Nieuwendyk are going to get a chance to "belong and fit in."

2:16 p.m.: Also says that he doesn't like to trade players close to Christmas, and that if a move isn't made by Dec. 9, he will likely wait until after that point. Burke's going to evaluate the team starting today, however, and from the sound of things won't hesitate to really overhaul the team.

2:20 p.m.: "I don't think we profile as a team that he's going to sign with," Burke said about Sundin. "I think he's got $2 less than God already, so he doesn't need the dough."

2:21 p.m.: "Luke Schenn looks like the real deal to me ... to me, all you can do is applaud Luke Schenn."

I believe he also said that he liked the move Fletcher made to get Mikhail Grabovski and that the Ducks had wanted to acquire him as well.

2:23 p.m.: Press conference ends. For some reason there weren't a lot of questions from the assembled media.

The video of the presser should be up on the team's official site soon.