Canucks: 1 year ago today, Burrows joined Ring of Honour
On this day one year ago, the career of Alex Burrows was celebrated by the Vancouver Canucks as he was inducted into their Ring of Honour.
For the entire Vancouver Canucks organization, December 3rd, 2019 was a very special night. On this night, the great pest of the Canadian west coast, Alex Burrows was inducted into the Ring of Honour at Rogers Arena.
With big names like Orland Kurtenbach, Kirk McLean, Thomas Gradin, Harold Snepsts, Pat Quinn and Mattias Ohlund, already up there, Burrows became the seventh Canuck added to the list and fit right in next to some of Vancouver’s most memorable players of the past.
As someone who was in attendance for that game, I could tell you that the mood across the stands was electric. The respect for such a player who gave his heart and soul to the Canucks was matched by loud cheers and continuous applause.
The things he sacrificed during his playing days here were undeniable. Every shift, every pass, every goal was a blessing.
All the way up from an AHL grinder to riding shotgun with the two best passers in the league at the time, Burrows became a lock on the Canucks top line as his chemistry with Henrik and Daniel Sedin was unimaginable.
He was a spark plug that ignited a fire across Canucks Nation and he was a vital piece to a Canucks team that won back-to-back President Trophies. He was the guy who’d risk it all for glory and for his teammates. Win at all costs.
At the end of it all, he wasn’t enough for the Canucks to lift the Stanely Cup. But Burrows bled, he scratched, he crawled and he bit fingers all in the name of the game. And because of him, the Canucks finally slayed the dragon. It’s the ultimate goal for over 50 years of Canucks history and it belongs to Burrows.
Spending 12 years in a Vancouver Canucks uniform as someone who went undrafted, Burrows proved every single person wrong. In 892 games with the Canucks he racked up a total of 418 points.
Not only was he the best linemate to ever skate on the wing of the Sedins, but he was an incredible penalty killer. When he wasn’t playing on the top line, he was an excellent complement to Ryan Kesler. Their dynamic duo worked well offensively, but they’ll always be remembered as really tough players to play against.
Burrows, joined by his wife and kids, gave a very well thought out speech upon his return to Vancouver. After that, he and his family watched as his picture and big smile were shown above the ice surface, forever watching over the latest players on the Canucks roster.
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Burrows is now enjoying retirement as an assistant coach of the AHL’s Laval Rocket hockey club. His picture now rests above the seats at Rogers Arena giving the current players someone to look up to. He’s a shining example of what it means to be a Canuck.