Canucks & Beyond
Entries with the tag: alex+burrows
Burrows: The Unnatural
by Alanah McGinley on 11/05/08 at 01:52 PM ET
Comments (6)
While I personally almost never shut up about my appreciation of Alex Burrows, it often seems like most of the league (aside from Canucks fans obviously) has no idea who the guy is.
So you can imagine my surprise and delight at seeing this in the latest Sports Illustrated posting by Michael Farber, titled: The NHL’s 5 Stealth MVPs where Burrows weighed in at #4:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows,
“The Coach That Only Dogs Can Hear”
by Alanah McGinley on 10/27/08 at 09:10 AM ET
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Alex Burrows was my first and favorite current NHLer player interview. And Marc Crawford has been one of my favorite coaches.
Yet despite this synchronicity of goodness, that symbiosis all came down to this somewhat-disastrous exchange on HNIC after the game the other night. Fast forward the video to the 1 minute mark, and then cover your ears:
Filed in: dumb stuff | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, hnic, hockey+night+in+canada, marc+crawford, scott+oake,
Canucks Retire All Their Fans; Oilers are Confused Into Submission
by Alanah McGinley on 10/26/08 at 06:07 AM ET
Comments (13)
More about the big win momentarily. First up, the fuss about the number 7 this past week was finally sorted out Saturday night:
The Vancouver Canucks are pleased to announce the launch of the “7th Canuck” initiative to celebrate the passion of Canucks fans and their role in supporting the team over the years. Prior to each home game, one individual will act as an ambassador of Canucks fans and unveil the “7th Canuck” banner to symbolize the home-ice advantage Canucks fans provide to the team.
A great idea and a nice gesture—but there was still a bit of confusion out there.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: 7th+canuck, alex+burrows, jannik+hansen, jason+krog, kyle+wellwood, ryan+kesler,
Opening Night Lights Up Vancouver
by Alanah McGinley on 10/10/08 at 03:05 AM ET
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Last April, Vancouver finished the 2007-08 season with a dreary 7-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. This year they opened their new season by returning the favor, handing the Flames a 6-0 beating.
The pre-game ceremony honoring Luc Bourdon was emotional (as expected) and a well done affair by the Canucks. And Tom Cochrane’s Big League was the perfect tribute. (You can watch the video the Canucks produced here; to see the whole ceremony at GM Place, go here and fast forward about 2 minutes).
It was a bit of an emotional-overload transitioning from that to watching a hockey game, but once we did, what a great game it was. Here are some meandering observations:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, cbc, hnic, jannik+hansen, luc+bourdon, rick+rypien, sedins, steve+bernier,
Always a Burrows Fan
by Alanah McGinley on 09/11/08 at 03:31 PM ET
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Alex Burrows is open to talking about a contract extension but it’s liable to cost the team a few extra bucks this time. From Elliott Pap in the Vancouver Sun:
Burrows is scheduled to make a bargain basement $525,00 - and cap hit of only $483,000 - this season. It’s the third and final year of a deal he signed when he was a fringe player.
He moved beyond that status in 2007-08 with 31 points and a team-leading plus-11. His point total placed him sixth among Canuck forwards. His 19 assists were fifth best. His 179 penalty minutes easily topped all Vancouver skaters.
He’s big league now after battling his way up from minor league Greenville, Baton Rouge and Columbia in the U.S. south.
Burrows’s story is one of my favorites, his journey into the league seeming so unlikely only a few short years ago. But I also have another attachment to Burrows—he was the first NHL player I ever had the pleasure of interviewing in person.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, media,
Playoff Hockey in March
by Alanah McGinley on 03/13/08 at 01:38 PM ET
Comments (27)
[Updates below -- because Pronger is really just “misunderstood” and “the nicest boy”...]
[Video now added at bottom]
Shockingly, the always-wholesome, sweet-natured, Lady Byng -worthy Chris Pronger has been accused of a nefarious act. From TSN:
Anaheim Ducks defenceman Chris Pronger could face disciplinary action from the National Hockey League after stomping on Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler on Wednesday night.
The incident happened in the opening minute of the second period in Anaheim’s zone after a dump in from the blue line by Canucks defenceman Sami Salo.
Class act, that Pronger. But then, I shouldn’t really comment—the game was on Canucks PPV last night, and being the top-quality broadcast that it is, they provided no video of the incident. Tommy Larscheid had a verbal eruption while witnessing it from the broadcast booth, and then… nothing. But assuming the Ducks broadcast caught this on tape, there’s reason to believe Pronger might be in some trouble for once…
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, brad+isbister, chris+pronger, mattias+ohlund, playoffs, ryan+kesler, suspensions,
Dodging Bullets
by Alanah McGinley on 02/18/08 at 08:07 PM ET
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TSN reported earlier today that “Edmonton’s Steve Staios dodged a bullet” when the NHL decided not to suspend him for his slash on Alex Burrows, but simply leveled a fine.
A bit surprising… but then again, maybe it’s all relative. There were other incidents that night—perpetrated by the Canucks themselves, even—that could have easily been up for review, I thought.
Anyway, video of the Staios incident (and the ensuing chaos) is below:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, fights, steve+staios, suspension,
A Genuine “Pain in the Glass”
by Alanah McGinley on 02/01/08 at 01:11 PM ET
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TSN observes that Alex Burrows stands out these days:
The super-pest. The player everyone wants to have on their team, and the player nobody wants to face.
Who is the NHL’s biggest “Pain in the Glass” these days? It just might be Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks.
TSN goes to break down the chaos Burrows created in the Tampa game last night: 2 assists and 9 penalty minutes in just 14 minutes of work.
The article also takes a look at all the other troublemakers on their poll question. With that list, I didn’t even come close to voting for Burrows.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, pests, vancouver+canucks,
Getting a Handle on Things
by Alanah McGinley on 11/26/07 at 03:55 PM ET
Comments (8)
With Todd Bertuzzi playing in Vancouver for the first time since he left the team, the game tomorrow night is far less about Vancouver being tested by the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks, and far more about the return of the big guy.
Bertuzzi himself knows it’s a big deal as well. From the Vancouver Province:
“There’s no question it’s going to be weird for me, because I’ve never played against all the guys at once. Of course I did when I was (with the New York Islanders), but the team was so different and it’s so long ago it’s hard to remember and I don’t recall what it was like. So there’s no doubt it’s going to be different, hard to handle in some ways.”
Filed in: nhl general, playoff hockey | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, anaheim+ducks, minnesota+wild, todd+bertuzzi, vancouver+canucks,
“Be Ready for Anything”
by Alanah McGinley on 11/21/07 at 12:42 PM ET
Comments (8)
So said the Hulk, beating his chest for the media yesterday.
But first, about the Oilers. The dark powers of boys named Alice (shootout specialist extraordinaire) and his partner the WhoreCough, plus a temporarily functioning powerplay, was all it took to give Edmonton their second s/o win over Vancouver in a week. But neither loss should devastate a Canucks fan—great games, right? (Although Tony Gallagher had a serious difference of opinion on that subject a few days ago—but I’ll worry about agreeing with Gallagher when the earth shifts on its rotational axis...)
Anyway, with all the fuss from Derek Boogaard, threatening retaliation on Markus Naslund or the Sedins tonight, there’s a lot of posturing going on. And I like posturing, my favorite part so far being this promotional poster for the game, found in the Pioneer Press today:
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, derek+boogaard, marian+gaborik, markus+naslund, mattias+ohlund, minnesota+wild, vancouver+canucks,
Bieksa, Etc.
by Alanah McGinley on 11/13/07 at 10:01 PM ET
Comments (2)
Kevin Bieksa has been staying away from reporters, but finally broke his silence about his injury today. From Elliott Pap,
Too distraught initially to discuss his plight, Bieksa finally met reporters Tuesday at GM Place.
“I know I’m going to be out for a long time and miss a big chunk of the season so it’s been tough emotionally,” said Bieksa, the Canucks’ best blue-liner a year ago when he collected 42 points. “Physically, I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t had too much pain since maybe four or five days after the surgery.”
Bieksa received stitches both inside and outside the leg - they come out Thursday - and will wear a hard cast for four to six weeks at which time he will be re-assessed. He was told the surgery wasn’t considered major, even though the injury is.
There’s some discussion in the article about the possibility that the thinner socks being worn this season may have worsened the impact of Bieksa’s injury. It’s only speculation, but still a disturbing consideration.
In other Canucks-related news this week: Luc Bourdon’s looking good, Taylor Pyatt has a cold and Alex Burrows ate a sandwich.
Exciting stuff. Fortunately, they’re back in action tomorrow.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, kevin+bieksa, luc+bourdon, taylor+pyatt, vancouver+canucks,
Alexandre Burrows Impresses
by Alanah McGinley on 09/19/07 at 12:57 PM ET
Comments (3)
From Graham Kerr at the Globe & Mail,
It’s refreshing to observe a veteran NHL player, on a one-way contract, actually competing earnestly for his job in the pre-season.
That’s what checking winger Alexandre Burrows is doing with the Vancouver Canucks as he’s pressured for playing time by up-and-comers.
Burrows came out hustling, hitting and fighting in Vancouver’s first exhibition test Monday against the Anaheim Ducks, goading rising star Ryan Getzlaf of the Ducks into a fight that saw Burrows expelled while fans roared their approval.
Not a surprise and I’m a big fan of Burrows. But what I do find mildly odd is referring to the guy - with just 1 full NHL season under his belt - as a “veteran.” Nonetheless, he’s certainly fought a hard battle to get where he is.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: alex+burrows, vancouver+canucks,
