Sean Burke was drafted 24th overall in the 1985 Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He made his NHL debut after the 1988 Olympics with a 10-1-0 mark in the stretch drive and helped the franchise make the playoffs for the first time in eleven years (first time in New Jersey). In the playoffs, Sean pushed the team to the Wales Conference finals with a 9-2 record. In 1988-89, Sean played 62 games and posted three shutouts. That year, he also participated in the mid-season All-Star Game. After the Devils missed the post-season that year, Sean helped the Devils make the playoffs in 1989-90 with a franchise-best 83 points. Sean went 22-22-6 with a 3.60 goals-against average. In 1990-91, Sean played 35 games with a 3.59 GAA behind partner Chris Terreri.
After spending a year with the Canadian national team and signing with an IHL team, Sean's rights were traded with Eric Weinrich on August 28, 1992 to the Hartford Whalers for Bobby Holík, a second-round draft pick and future considerations. Sean then signed with the Whalers and won the team's Three Star Award of Excellence in 1992-93. In 1993-94, Sean won his second Three Star Award of Excellence and first Mark Kravitz Award as team MVP voted his teammates. He was also the runner-up for the King Clancy Trophy for his excellent play and humanitarian contributions. In January, Sean set a club record by posting 187:58 minutes of consecutive shutout hockey at home (including two shutouts on January 5 and January 8).
In the shortened 1994-95 season, Sean again won the Whalers' Three Star Award of Excellence and Mark Kravitz Award. He also posted a career low 2.68 GAA and won NHL Player of the Week honours on February 20. In 1995-96, Sean won his fourth Three Star Award of Excellence and third Mark Kravitz Award. He posted a 28-28-6 record and tied a then franchise record with four shutouts. In 1996-97, he won his fifth Three Star Award of Excellence and fourth Mark Kravitz Award. He went 22-22-6, posted a 2.69 GAA and recorded four shutouts. In 1997-98, Sean moved with the franchise to Carolina (now the Hurricanes) and played 25 games before being traded with Geoff Sanderson and Enricco Ciccone to the Vancouver Canucks for Kirk McLean and Martin Gélinas. On Sean's departure, he was the Hartford/Carolina franchise's all-time leader in games by a goaltender (281) and minutes played (15,893).
Sean played 16 games with the Canucks and was then traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Garth Snow on March 4, 1998. In the stretch run with the Flyers, Sean posted a 7-3-0 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and one shutout. The following season, Sean signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers (September 12) and went 21-24-14 with three shutouts. In 1999-2000, Sean opened the season with his 200th career win on October 2 against the Capitals. Seven weeks later on November 19, Sean was traded with a fifth-round draft pick to the Phoenix Coyotes for Mikhail Shtalenkov and a fourth-round draft pick. Sean played 35 games with the Coyotes and posted a 17-14-3 record with a 2.55 GAA and three shutouts.
In 2000-01, Sean went 25-22-13 and posted a 2.27 GAA with a 92.2 save percentage in 62 games for the Coyotes. He won NHL Player of the Month honours in October and then played in the mid-season All-Star Game in February.
On October 6, 2001, the night the Oilers retired Jari Kurri's sweater number 17, Sean stopped 35 of 40 shots to earn third-star honours in a 6-2 loss to the Oilers.
