Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke came to the defence of embattled Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel over his refusal to speak to the media after Saturday night's 6-2 blowout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

"Why should Phil Kessel have to talk to these pukes every day?" Burke said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning at the Prime Time Sports Management Conference in Toronto.

Burke served as Maple Leafs' president and general manager from 2008 to 2013 and acquired Kessel from the Boston Bruins in 2009.

Following the Leafs' loss in Buffalo, TSN Radio 1050's Jonas Siegel approached Kessel for comment, but the 27-year-old brusquely refused.

The 59-year-old Burke had his own notoriously testy relationship with Toronto media and feels that Kessel is currently the target of undue scorn. Burke cited Anaheim Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin, a Leaf from 2009 to 2011, as a player who couldn't cope with the media crush in the city.

"It's a miracle some nights that these guys don't drill these guys," Burke said of the Leafs and the media. "There's a hailstorm after every loss and they don't care whether they get it right or not."

For his part, Kessel addressed the controversy on Monday.

"I think I've talked a decent amount," Kessel told reporters. "I'll come out sometimes to talk, but sometimes I don't. But I don't have too much to say about losses like that."

Kessel and his Maple Leafs return to action on Tuesday night when they play host to the Nashville Predators.