CANUCKS CORNER

By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor

t’s been a long, hard journey for Vancouver

Canucks winger Alex Burrows, but it appears

that everything is about to pay off for the 27-
year-old.

Burrows recently put pen to paper on a four-
year contract extension with the Canucks that will
pay him $2 million per season. That’s a long way
from playing for the Baton Rouge Kingfish of the
ECHL just a few years ago.

Alex Burrows was never supposed to get past
the ECHL, a league where forward prospects go to
die. And when he began suiting up for the AHL’s
Manitoba Moose full time in 2004, he was never
projected to get off their fourth line and out of the
press box. The critics said that he would never, ever
make the NHL. Sure enough, he did that too. They
all said that he would never be more than a fourth
line grinder in the best league in the world, but look
at him now. He’s been Vancouver’s best forward for
months now and is playing on the team’s first line
with Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

 

Garth

McLennan
sports editor

     
 

 

Burrows is now in the middle of his fourth
season with Vancouver and his best one yet. He has
a career best 19 goals with 17 assists for 36 points
in 65 games so far this season, plus 107 penalty
minutes, which is good enough for second on the
team behind Shane O’Brien.

Burrows has been red hot lately, with 11 points
in his last ten games. So far in his NHL career he’s
played 271 games, which is 271 more than anyone
thought he would. He’s notched 41 career goals,
47 total assists and 88 career points. Burrows’
contributions to the team go beyond stats though.
He brings an invaluable edge and incredible energy
whenever he steps on the ice, and he’s one of the
best agitating forwards in hockey.

Unlike Matt Cooke or Sean Avery though,
Burrows backs up what he says on the ice. He isn’t
afraid to go toe-to-toe with much larger opponents
on a regular basis and dish out punishing body
checks. Burrows, who has been the league’s best
bargain as Vancouver’s lowest-paid player with a
cap hit of just $483,000, has been absolute money
for the Canucks.

 

He has a Canuck-best three shorthanded goals,
has been dynamite in shootouts and has a penchant
for scoring just when the team needs him to. He’s
been terrific defensively with a +13 rating and is
one of the team’s best penalty killers. Already this
season he has a new career best in shots on goal
with 138 so far.

While Burrows sits behind the Sedins, Ryan
Kesler and Pavol Demitra in points for fifth on
the team, the numbers can be a little deceiving.
Burrows, who gets little power play time, is second
on the team in even strength goals with 16. Since
the New Year began, Burrows has more goals than
any other Canuck with 11. Ryan Kesler is next with
ten. The Sedins have just seven apiece.

Alex Burrows won’t be the lowest-paid Canuck
next season, but for what he’s worth to the club,
he still won’t be making enough. He’s easily a
candidate for team MVP and most exciting player
this season and at the rate he’s going, a Selke
Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward isn’t
out of the question either.

 

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