Alexandre Burrows
Encyclopedia
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows (born April 11, 1981) is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...

 with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

 of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL). He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

. After a two-year career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...

 (QMJHL), he played in the minor leagues for three seasons. He was signed by the Canucks in 2005 from their American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...

. Burrows established himself as a checking forward with the Canucks in his first three NHL seasons before emerging as a scorer with two consecutive seasons of at least 20 goals and 50 points, beginning in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

.

Before making it to the NHL, Burrows also enjoyed a prolific ball hockey
Ball hockey
Ball hockey is a team sport and a variation of the sports of ice hockey and street hockey, where the game is played on foot in which players use sticks to direct a ball into their opposing team's net. When that occurs it is referred to as a "goal". At the end of the time allotted for the game the...

 career, competing in national and international tournaments in the summers. In 2005, he was named the International Ball Hockey Player of the Year. He has also been inducted into the Canadian and International Ball Hockey Halls of Fame.

Junior and minor leagues

Burrows played two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...

 (QMJHL) with the Shawinigan Cataractes
Shawinigan Cataractes
The Shawinigan Cataractes are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Shawinigan, Quebec. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruins until 1973, and were called the Shawinigan Dynamos from 1973–78.The Cataractes play their...

, beginning in 2000–01
2000–01 QMJHL season
The 2000–01 QMJHL season was the 32nd season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Sixteen teams played 72 games each in the schedule...

. He recorded 16 goals and 30 points over 63 regular season games, then added three points over 10 post-season games. The following season
2001–02 QMJHL season
The 2001–02 QMJHL season was the 33rd season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates the Luc Robitaille Trophy for the team that scored the most goals during the regular season. Sixteen teams played 72 games each in the schedule...

, he improved to 35 goals and 70 points over 64 games, third in team-scoring, behind Jonathan Bellemare
Jonathan Bellemare
Jonathan Bellemare is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played the centre position for the ASG Angers in France and HC Martigny of the National League B in Switzerland. Prior to his professional career in Europe, he played with the Shawinigan Cataractes and Hull Olympiques of...

 and Jason Pominville
Jason Pominville
Jason John Pominville is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey right winger and the captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

. He went on to lead his team in post-season scoring with nine goals and 20 points in 12 games as the Cataractes advanced to the Conference Finals, where they were eliminated in seven games by the Victoriaville Tigres
Victoriaville Tigres
The Victoriaville Tigres are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Victoriaville, Quebec. The team plays its home games at the Colisée Desjardins.-History:...

.

Undrafted by a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL) club, Burrows went professional in 2002–03 with the Greenville Grrrowl
Greenville Grrrowl
The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup....

 of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

, a third-tier minor league. Late in his professional rookie season, he transferred to the Baton Rouge Kingfish
Baton Rouge Kingfish
The Baton Rouge Kingfish were a minor professional ice hockey team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a member of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise arrived in Baton Rouge in 1996 after relocating from Erie, Pennsylvania, where they had played as the Erie Panthers since 1988 as one of the...

 and finished with a combined 32 points in 66 games between the two teams. The following season, in 2003–04, he returned to the South Division, as he was signed by the Columbia Inferno
Columbia Inferno
The Columbia Inferno are an ECHL team based in Columbia, South Carolina. The team is currently on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban Lexington County. They played their home games at the Carolina Coliseum. They planned on playing in a new arena during the...

. Early in the season, he was signed by Columbia's American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...

, on October 21, 2003, having been scouted by Moose general manager Craig Heisinger
Craig Heisinger
Craig Heisinger is a Canadian ice hockey executive. He is the assistant general manager and director of hockey operations for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and senior vice president of True North Sports and Entertainment. Heisinger is also the general manager of the St...

. He appeared in two AHL games for Manitoba before being sent back down to the ECHL. Shortly after his return, he was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount by the league for abusing officials during a game on October 24 against the Greensboro Generals
Greensboro Generals
The Greensboro Generals were an ECHL team that existed from 1999-2004. The franchise replaced the Greensboro Monarchs, who called the city home from 1989-1995....

. Later on in the season, he was named to the 2004 ECHL All-Star Game
ECHL All-Star Game
The ECHL All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that traditionally marks the midway point of the ECHL's regular season, with many of the league's star players playing against each other. The starting lineup for the two teams, including the starting goaltender, is voted on by the coaches,...

 for the Eastern Conference and recorded one assist. He went on to finish the season with 29 goals and 73 points, second in points among Columbia players to league-scoring champion Tim Smith
Tim Smith (ice hockey)
Tim Smith is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward with High1 of the Asia League Ice Hockey.-Playing career:Smith played major junior in the WHL for four seasons with the Spokane Chiefs and Swift Current Broncos...

.

In the subsequent off-season, Burrows was re-signed by the Moose on August 3, 2004. He was initially sent back down to the ECHL after a training camp both he and head coach Randy Carlyle
Randy Carlyle
Randolph Robert Carlyle is a former ice hockey defenceman and formely the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. He was raised in Azilda, just northwest of Sudbury, Ontario.-Career:...

 both described as disappointing. Following an injury to Wade Brookbank
Wade Brookbank
Wade Brookbank is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays both defence and wing currently playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League...

, he was recalled on October 29, 2004. He scored his first AHL goal with the Moose five days later, a game winning goal against goaltender David LeNeveu
David LeNeveu
David LeNeveu is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He currently plays for the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...

 of the Utah Grizzlies
Utah Grizzlies
The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :...

 in a 2–1 win. He finished the 2004–05 season
2004–05 AHL season
The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season...

 with Manitoba and posted 26 points over 72 games in a fourth-line
Line (ice hockey)
A line in ice hockey is a term used to describe a group of forwards that play in a group, or shift, during a game.A complete forward line consists of a left wing, a center, and a right wing, while a pair of defensemen who play together are called a "defensive pairing." Typically, a team dresses...

 role.

Vancouver Canucks

Having worked his way up from the ECHL, Burrows' energetic play in the minors earned him a two-way contract
Two-way contract
A two-way contract is a professional sports contract which stipulates that an athlete’s salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play in...

with the Moose's NHL affiliate, the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

, on November 8, 2005. He had appeared earlier in the Canucks' training camp for the 2005–06 season, but was sent back to the Moose. After recording 30 points in 33 games with the Moose, he was recalled by the Canucks on January 2, 2006. Eight days later, Burrows scored his first career NHL goal against Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...

 of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. He also added an assist as the Canucks won the game 4–3. Establishing himself on the Canucks roster, he added his first NHL career hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...

 on March 27, 2006, in a 7–4 win against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

. He finished with seven goals and 12 points over 43 games in his NHL rookie campaign. Burrows' ascension to the NHL has been attributed to his hard-working and abrasive style of play, generating momentum for his team and aggravating opposing players.

Burrows completed his first full campaign with the Canucks the following season in 2006–07. He contributed primarily on the team's penalty kill, which ranked first in the league. Burrows' average shorthanded ice time per game was second among team forwards, behind Ryan Kesler
Ryan Kesler
Ryan James Kesler is an American professional ice hockey center for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. Selected in the first round, 23rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Kesler has...

. He struggled to produce offensively, however, and recorded a career-low three goals and nine points in 81 games.

In 2007–08, Burrows formed an effective duo with center Ryan Kesler on the third line as defensive forwards, countering opposing teams' top players while contributing offensively, as well. During the season, he was fined an undisclosed amount by the league after spearing Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

 forward Aaron Downey
Aaron Downey
Aaron Downey is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward.- Playing career :Downey was one of the few players who was never drafted by an NHL team or a major junior team....

 at centre ice during the two teams' pre-game skate on February 23, 2008. He finished the campaign with 12 goals, 31 points and a team-high plus-minus of +11. He was voted by Canucks' fans to receive the team's Most Exciting Player Award and the Fred J. Hume Award
Fred J. Hume Award
The Fred J. Hume Award is a Vancouver Canucks team award given out at the end of each NHL season to the team's unsung hero, as decided by the Vancouver Canucks Booster Club. It was first given out after the Canucks' inaugural season in 1970–71 and was named after former Mayor of Vancouver Fred J...

, given to the team's "unsung hero" as voted by the Canucks Booster Club.

After remaining on the third line with Kesler at the start of the following season, head coach Alain Vigneault separated the two after the All-Star break, placing Burrows on the first line with Daniel
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...

 and Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...

, beginning on February 12, 2009, during a game against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....

. Burrows' crash-the-net style – skating hard to the opposing team's goalmouth for rebounds or tip-ins – combined well with the Sedins' cycling plays. Vigneault's line adjustments were precipitated by a losing streak in January, which Burrows was instrumental in breaking. The Canucks' winless streak had extended to eight games when Burrows broke a 3–3 tie with a shorthanded breakaway
Breakaway (ice hockey)
A breakaway is a situation in ice hockey in which a player with the puck has no defending players, except for the goaltender, between himself and the opposing goal, leaving him free to skate in and shoot at will . A breakaway is considered a lapse on the part of the defending team...

 goal with 82 seconds remaining in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...

. Shortly thereafter, the Canucks extended his contract with a four-year, $8 million deal on February 4, 2009, quadrupling his $525,000 salary. Following a game against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 on April 4, Burrows received a $2,500 fine from the league for punching Oilers enforcer Zach Stortini from the bench.

Late in the campaign, he was selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association
Professional Hockey Writers' Association
The Professional Hockey Writers' Association is a North American professional association for ice hockey journalists writing for newspapers, magazines and websites...

 as the Canucks' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...

, awarded for perseverance, dedication and sportsmanship. Burrows was not shortlisted for the award, however. Prior to the last game of the season, he received his second consecutive Most Exciting Player Award.

Playing in a more offensive role on the first line for the latter part of the season, Burrows finished the 2008–09 campaign
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

 with 51 points. His 28 goals broke Andrew Brunette
Andrew Brunette
Andrew Brunette is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Brunette grew up in the small community of Valley East, Ontario just outside of Sudbury...

's mark for the most in a single season by an ECHL alumnus (27 in 2006–07). In the subsequent first round of the 2009 playoffs
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...

, Burrows scored the series-winning goal in overtime
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...

 to sweep the St. Louis Blues. It was his second goal of the game. The Canucks advanced to meet the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

 in the second round, who defeated them in six games. Burrows' level of play was noticeably diminished in the Chicago series and it was revealed afterwards that he required surgery to remove bone chips in his left wrist. He finished the playoffs with three goals and an assist over 10 games.

The following season, Burrows recorded back-to-back hat tricks against the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 and Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....

 on January 5 and 7, 2010, respectively. It marked the first time an NHL player notched consecutive three-goal games since Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...

 in November 2007 and the first time a Canucks player did so since Petri Skriko
Petri Skriko
Petri Kalevi Skriko is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey player, best remembered for his seasons starring in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980s...

 in 1986. With six goals and an assist over two games, Burrows was named the NHL First Star of the Week on January 11, 2010.

NHL officials controversy

The night of his first star of the week selection, Burrows and the Canucks played a controversial game against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

. With the game tied 2–2 in the third period, Burrows was penalized twice by referee Stéphane Auger
Stéphane Auger
Stéphane Auger is a National Hockey League referee who wears uniform number 15. Auger began his career as an official at the age of 16 as a part time job in the winter. He began officiating provincial midget hockey and moved up to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before turning to the...

 – once for diving and the other for interference. The latter call was deemed questionable by media sources, including The Sports Network
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...

 (TSN) and the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...

. The interference penalty along with an additional penalty committed by Henrik Sedin resulted in Nashville's game-winning, 5-on-3 powerplay goal late in the game. With three seconds to go in regulation, Burrows skated by Auger and protested the interference penalty, resulting in an unsportsmanlike minor and a ten-minute misconduct.

Following the game, Burrows accused Auger of having a personal vendetta against him for a play against the Predators the previous month that had made him look bad. After Burrows had been hit into the boards by Nashville forward Jerred Smithson
Jerred Smithson
Jerred Smithson is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. Smithson scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs to beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2...

 during a game on December 8, 2009, Auger assessed Smithson with a five-minute major and a game misconduct. However, the league later rescinded because it was believed Burrows had embellished injury. Burrows claimed that Auger told him before the January 11 game: "you made me look bad [for calling the Smithson penalty] so I'm going to get you back tonight." He went on to tell reporters that Auger "should stay out for the rest of the year making calls like that ... We just blew two points because of his officiating tonight."

The following day, the NHL fined Burrows US$2,500 for publicly criticizing Auger and deemed that his claims "cannot be substantiated." Later that week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

 (CBC)'s Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...

telecast aired an 11-minute segment hosted by Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean
Ronald Harold "Ron" MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.-Early life and career:...

 and NHL vice-president Colin Campbell reviewing Burrows' past transgressions, spanning two years. The segment was widely criticized for being biased against Burrows and failing to illustrate both sides of the argument. Burrows' parents subsequently issued a formal letter of complaint to the CBC, accusing MacLean of "verbal assassination" and for displaying "no journalistic balance."

The following Saturday after the segment aired, the Canucks refused any interviews with the CBC before, during or after their game against the Chicago Blackhawks, which was broadcast on Hockey Night in Canada. The boycott was ordered by Canucks general manager Mike Gillis
Mike Gillis
Michael David Gillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.-Playing career:...

 after MacLean refused to apologize. CBC and Canucks representatives later agreed in a conference call
Conference call
A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party...

 to "move on" and team players were allowed to resume interviews.

Vancouver Canucks (cont'd)

Later in the 2009–10 season, Burrows left during a game against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 after being hit in the throat by a Jarret Stoll
Jarret Stoll
Jarret Stoll is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League...

 slapshot. He was not injured, however, and did not miss any games thereafter. He finished the season with a career-high 35 goals, 32 assists, 67 points and a +34 rating. His goals total ranked first on the Canucks. Fans voted him as recipient of the team's Most Exciting Player Award for the third consecutive season.

Burrows struggled to score in the playoffs, however. In 12 games, he scored three goals, two of which were into empty nets
Empty net goal
An empty net goal, or colloquially an empty netter , occurs in ice hockey when a team scores a goal into a net with no goaltender present...

, and notched three assists. The Canucks advanced to the second round past the Los Angeles Kings, where they were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks for the second consecutive year. It was revealed in the off-season that Burrows was suffering from a shoulder injury, which he later received surgery for.

Due to rehabilitation from the shoulder surgery, Burrows missed the first 10 games of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...

. Continuing to play with the Sedins upon his return, he recorded 48 points (26 goals and 22 assists) in 72 games, sixth in team-scoring. Winning the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...

, the Canucks entered the 2011 playoffs
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...

 as the first seed in the West and matched up against the Blackhawks for the third consecutive year. With a 3–0 lead in the series, the Canucks lost their next three games, resulting in a game seven. In the deciding game, Burrows scored two goals in a 2–1 overtime win, helping Vancouver eliminate Chicago. After defeating the Nasvhille Predators and San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in rounds two and three, the Canucks reached the Stanley Cup Finals
2011 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...

 for the first time in 17 years. Playing the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

, Burrows received much attention for biting opposing forward Patrice Bergeron
Patrice Bergeron
Patrice Bergeron is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...

 during a scrum at the end of the first period. While the two players were being held apart by a linesman, Bergeron put his finger in Burrows' mouth. The incident was reviewed by the league, but was ruled unsuspendable with "no conclusive evidence that [he] intentionally bit [Bergeron's] finger." The following game, Burrows scored his second overtime-winner of the playoffs, part of a three-point effort (two goals and an assist). Occurring 11 seconds into the extra period, it was the second-fastest goal scored from the start of an overtime game in Stanley Cup Finals history (Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 forward Brian Skrudland
Brian Skrudland
Brian Skrudland is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Dallas Stars.- Junior and minor pro :...

 scored nine seconds into overtime in Game 2 of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals
1986 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1986 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Calgary Flames in their first Final appearance and the Montreal Canadiens in their 32nd. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their twenty-third Stanley Cup, and their seventeenth in their...

 against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

).

Ball hockey career

Burrows began playing organized ball hockey
Ball hockey
Ball hockey is a team sport and a variation of the sports of ice hockey and street hockey, where the game is played on foot in which players use sticks to direct a ball into their opposing team's net. When that occurs it is referred to as a "goal". At the end of the time allotted for the game the...

 at the age of 19. In 2001, he won his first national championship with the Montreal Red Lites in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. Burrows went on to win the national championship in every year he played with the Red Lites. He was the tournament scoring leader in 2002 and 2003 and earned All-Star Team honours from 2002 to 2004. In 2005, Burrows scored two goals in a 5–2 win against the Toronto Midnight Express in the national final to capture his fifth consecutive Canadian title with the Red Lites. Burrows was named the Tournament MVP by the Canadian Ball Hockey Association (CBHA). He returned the following year to lead the Red Lites to a sixth consecutive title in 2006.

Burrows made his first appearance on the international stage in ball hockey when he was named to Canada's national ball hockey team for the 2003 World Championships in Sierre
Sierre
Sierre is the capital of the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of 14,355.It is situated on the French–German language border of the canton of Wallis...

, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. He helped Canada beat the Czech Republic 6–1 in the final. Tying for the lead in tournament scoring with five goals and 10 points, Burrows was named the Most Valuable Forward. Two years later, in 2005, he won his second World Championship in as many appearances with Canada in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

. He capped the season off by being named the 2005 International Player of the Year by the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF). The following year, he was voted in a Canadian poll as the country's greatest ball hockey player.

Burrows has credited ball hockey for his fitness and discipline which has carried over to the NHL. Following his first full season with the Canucks in 2006–07, Burrows retired from his ball hockey career. In 2010, he was inducted into the CBHA Hall of Fame, along with national teammate and goaltender Michel Perodeau. He is also a member of the ISBHF Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Burrows was born in Pincourt, Québec
Pincourt, Quebec
Pincourt is a municipality on the island of Île Perrot, off the western tip of the island of Montreal, Quebec. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 11,197. The town shares the island with the three other municipalities of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, Terrasse Vaudreuil and L'Île-Perrot,...

, to parents Rodney and Carole. His father emigrated from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, at 23, while his mother, a Québec native, is an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

 principal. Burrows has two sisters, as well – one older and one younger. He grew up speaking mostly French and attended French schools. He returns in the off-season to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

.

In July 2010, Burrows married his longtime girlfriend, Nancy Roy. On April 27, 2011, Nancy gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl named Victoria.
Burrows was the closest friend on the Canucks to former teammate Luc Bourdon
Luc Bourdon
Luc Bourdon was a Canadian professional Ice Hockey Defenceman who played for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, from 2006 until 2008...

, who died in a motorcycle accident in May 2008. In the hockey season following his death, Burrows occasionally celebrated goals with a bow-and-arrow mime, a gesture that Bourdon himself did after scoring during his junior career. He and his wife (girlfriend at the time) remained close to Bourdon's girlfriend, Charlene Ward.

In the 2009 off-season, Burrows was involved in an assault incident while playing in a summer ice hockey league. Police were called to an arena in Kirkland, Québec
Kirkland, Quebec
Kirkland is a town on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 20,491. It is named after Charles-Aimé Kirkland, a Quebec provincial politician....

, on July 21 after Burrows allegedly struck a goaltender, 19-year-old Koray Celik, in the face. No arrests, however, were made at the scene.

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

 
A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

 
Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

 
PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

GP G A Pts PIM
2000–01
2000–01 QMJHL season
The 2000–01 QMJHL season was the 32nd season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Sixteen teams played 72 games each in the schedule...

Shawinigan Cataractes
Shawinigan Cataractes
The Shawinigan Cataractes are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Shawinigan, Quebec. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruins until 1973, and were called the Shawinigan Dynamos from 1973–78.The Cataractes play their...

QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...

63 16 14 30 105 10 2 1 3 8
2001–02
2001–02 QMJHL season
The 2001–02 QMJHL season was the 33rd season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates the Luc Robitaille Trophy for the team that scored the most goals during the regular season. Sixteen teams played 72 games each in the schedule...

Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 64 35 35 70 184 10 9 10 19 20
2002–03 Greenville Grrrowl
Greenville Grrrowl
The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup....

ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

53 9 17 26 201
2002–03 Baton Rouge Kingfish
Baton Rouge Kingfish
The Baton Rouge Kingfish were a minor professional ice hockey team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a member of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise arrived in Baton Rouge in 1996 after relocating from Erie, Pennsylvania, where they had played as the Erie Panthers since 1988 as one of the...

ECHL 13 4 2 6 64
2003–04 Columbia Inferno
Columbia Inferno
The Columbia Inferno are an ECHL team based in Columbia, South Carolina. The team is currently on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban Lexington County. They played their home games at the Carolina Coliseum. They planned on playing in a new arena during the...

ECHL 64 29 44 73 194 4 2 0 2 28
2003–04
2003–04 AHL season
The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer....

Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...

AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

2 0 0 0 0
2004–05 Columbia Inferno ECHL 4 5 1 6 4
2004–05
2004–05 AHL season
The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season...

Manitoba Moose AHL 72 9 17 26 107 14 0 3 3 37
2005–06
2005–06 AHL season
The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals....

Manitoba Moose AHL 33 12 18 30 57 13 6 7 13 27
2005–06 Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

43 7 5 12 61
2006–07 Vancouver Canucks NHL 81 3 6 9 93 11 1 0 1 14
2007–08 Vancouver Canucks NHL 82 12 19 31 179
2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

Vancouver Canucks NHL 82 28 23 51 150 10 3 1 4 20
2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...

Vancouver Canucks NHL 82 35 32 67 121 12 3 3 6 22
2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...

Vancouver Canucks NHL 72 26 22 48 77 25 9 8 17 34
NHL totals 442 111 107 218 681 58 16 12 28 90


ECHL

Award Year
All-Star Game 2004

Vancouver Canucks

Award Year
Most Exciting Player Award  2008, 2009
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

 and 2010
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...

Fred J. Hume Award
Fred J. Hume Award
The Fred J. Hume Award is a Vancouver Canucks team award given out at the end of each NHL season to the team's unsung hero, as decided by the Vancouver Canucks Booster Club. It was first given out after the Canucks' inaugural season in 1970–71 and was named after former Mayor of Vancouver Fred J...

 (unsung hero)
2008

NHL

Award Year
First Star of the Week January 11, 2010

Ball hockey

Award Year
Canadian National Championship (Montreal Red Lites) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2003,
2004, 2005 and 2006
CBHA All-Star Team 2002, 2003 and 2004
World Championship (Canada) 2003 and 2005
CBHA MVP 2005
ISBHF International Player of the Year 2005
Canadian Ball Hockey Hall of Fame inductee 2010

External links

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