Andre Burakovsky was a beloved, but kinda annoying teammate (I think in the best way?) during his time in Washington. Now he’s bringing his Burkie Chaos to Washington state.

After winning a second Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in June, Burakovsky hit the free agent market as one of the best wingers available and signed a five-year deal worth $5.5 million per season with the Seattle Kraken.

Not only was the deal Burakovsky’s biggest to date, but it also reunited the Swede with a few former Capitals teammates in Philipp Grubauer and Michal Kempny — both players from the Caps’ 2018 Stanley Cup team.

“I can’t get rid of Burky,” Grubauer joked after the first day of Training Camp. “He’s following me everywhere.”

Both players have played for the same three NHL franchises in the same order: Washington, Colorado, and Seattle.

Apparently, that familiarity and closeness have inspired a silly nickname. Burakovsky called Grubauer, a German native, “my little schnitzel” while speaking to Seattle media.

I’m sorry, Capitals/Avalanche Twitter, but Burakovsky referred to Grubauer as “my little schnitzel”

— Kate Shefte (@KateShefte) September 23, 2022

Schnitzel, of course, is a traditional German dish where meat is pounded thin and breaded before being fried. It creates a satisfying crunch when eaten.

As for the Kraken, they are essentially Washington West, sporting four former Caps.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all of them,” Kempny said. “Especially with Grubi and Burkie, we had a lot of great time in Washington, winning the Cup. Lot of great memories with them… Excited!”

Grubauer added, “Burkie, (was a) huge part of the Cup run in Washington, huge part in Colorado,” he said. “It’s time for him to make it three!”