Alex Burrows facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Burrows
Burrows with the Vancouver Canucks in October 2015
Born	(1981-04-11) April 11, 1981 (age 44) Pincourt, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	197 lb (89 kg; 14 st 1 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Vancouver Canucks Ottawa Senators
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2002–2018
Medal record Representing Canada Ball hockey World Championships Gold 2003 Switzerland Gold 2005 United States

Alexandre Ménard-Burrows (born April 11, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He currently works as a player development consultant for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Alex played most of his career as a left winger for the Vancouver Canucks. He was known for his energetic and sometimes annoying style of play, but he also became a very skilled player. What makes his story special is that he was never drafted by an NHL team. He worked his way up from a lower league called the ECHL.

Before playing in the NHL, Burrows was also a fantastic ball hockey player. He competed in many national and international tournaments. In 2005, he was named the International Ball Hockey Player of the Year. He is now in both the Canadian and International Ball Hockey Hall of Fame.

Playing Career

Starting in Junior and Minor Leagues

When he was young, Burrows played in the 1995 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. This is a big tournament for young hockey players.

He played two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the Shawinigan Cataractes. In his first season (2000–01), he scored 16 goals and 30 points. The next season (2001–02), he got even better, scoring 35 goals and 70 points. He also led his team in playoff scoring with 21 points in 12 games.

Since no NHL team drafted him, Burrows turned professional in 2002. He joined the Greenville Grrrowl in the ECHL, which is a third-tier minor league. He later moved to the Baton Rouge Kingfish.

In the 2003–04 season, he played for the Columbia Inferno in the ECHL. He was noticed by the Manitoba Moose, an American Hockey League (AHL) team. The AHL is a step below the NHL. He played two games for the Moose before returning to the ECHL. He finished that season with 29 goals and 73 points for Columbia. He was also chosen for the 2004 ECHL All-Star Game.

Burrows continued to play for the Manitoba Moose in the 2004–05 season. He scored his first AHL goal in November 2004. He ended the season with 26 points in 72 games.

Time with the Vancouver Canucks (2005–2017)

Burrows' hard work in the minor leagues paid off. The Vancouver Canucks, the NHL team linked to the Moose, signed him to a contract in November 2005. He had attended their training camp earlier but was sent back to the Moose.

After scoring 30 points in 33 games for the Moose, he was called up to the Canucks. He made his NHL debut on January 2, 2006. Eight days later, he scored his first NHL goal against Ed Belfour of the Toronto Maple Leafs. On March 27, 2006, he scored his first NHL hat-trick. He finished his first NHL season with 7 goals and 12 points in 43 games. Burrows became known for his tough and energetic style of play.

Burrows with the Vancouver Canucks in March 2009

In the 2006–07 season, Burrows played his first full year with the Canucks. He was very important for the team's penalty kill, which was the best in the league. However, he didn't score many points, with only 3 goals and 9 points in 81 games.

During the 2007–08 season, Burrows played well with centre Ryan Kesler. They were a strong defensive pair who also scored points. Burrows finished the season with 12 goals and 31 points in all 82 games. Canucks fans voted him as the team's "Most Exciting Player" and "Unsung Hero."

In the 2008–09 season, Canucks coach Alain Vigneault moved Burrows to the first line. He played with star brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Burrows' style of going hard to the net fit perfectly with the Sedins' passing game. Fans even started calling him the "third Sedin." This new line helped the Canucks turn their season around.

The Canucks gave Burrows a new four-year, $8 million contract in February 2009. He had a great season, scoring 28 goals and 51 points in 82 games. This was the most goals ever by a player who came from the ECHL. In the playoffs, Burrows scored the winning goal in overtime to help the Canucks sweep the St. Louis Blues.

Burrows prior to a game in January 2013

In the 2009–10 season, Burrows scored back-to-back hat tricks in January 2010. This was a rare achievement in the NHL. He was named the NHL First Star of the Week. He had a career-high season with 35 goals, 32 assists, and 67 points in 82 games. His 35 goals were the most on the Canucks. He won the "Most Exciting Player Award" for the third year in a row.

Burrows missed the first ten games of the 2010–11 season due to shoulder surgery. When he returned, he continued to play with the Sedins. He scored 26 goals and 48 points in 72 games. The Canucks had a fantastic season, winning the Presidents' Trophy for the first time.

In the 2011 playoffs, the Canucks faced the Chicago Blackhawks. In a thrilling Game 7, Burrows scored both Canucks goals, including the overtime winner, to beat the defending champions. The Canucks then defeated the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 17 years.

In the Finals against the Boston Bruins, Burrows scored another overtime winner in Game 2. This was his second overtime goal of the playoffs, tying an NHL record. The Canucks led the series but eventually lost to the Bruins in seven games. Burrows finished the playoffs with 9 goals and 8 assists for 17 points in 25 games.

In the 2011–12 season, Burrows played his 500th NHL game. He scored 28 goals and 52 points, helping the Canucks win their second straight Presidents' Trophy. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Kings.

On March 16, 2013, Burrows scored a goal just six seconds into a game against the Detroit Red Wings. This set a new Canucks record for the fastest goal to start a game. He finished the shorter 2012–13 season with 13 goals and 24 points.

The 2013–14 season was tough for Burrows due to injuries. He broke his foot early in the season and later broke his jaw. He only played 49 games and scored 5 goals and 15 points. The Canucks also missed the playoffs that year.

In the 2014–15 season, Burrows played on the second line for the first half of the year. He later rejoined the Sedins. He ended the season with 18 goals and 33 points in 70 games. The Canucks made the playoffs but lost in the first round.

Burrows in the Canucks' commemorative Vancouver Millionaires jersey in March 2015

Burrows played 79 games in the 2015–16 season, scoring 9 goals and 22 points. There was talk that the Canucks might end his contract early, but they decided not to.

Time with the Ottawa Senators (2017–2018)

On February 27, 2017, Burrows was traded to the Ottawa Senators. He immediately signed a two-year contract extension with them. In his first game for the Senators on March 2, 2017, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win. He played 15 games in the 2017 playoffs before getting injured. The Senators were eliminated in seven games by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Burrows' first full season in Ottawa (2017–18) was not as strong, with 6 goals in 71 games. In February 2018, he was suspended for ten games for an incident during a game. The Senators later decided to buy out his contract, which meant he became a free agent.

Post-Playing Career

On July 6, 2018, Alex Burrows announced his retirement as a player. He then joined the Laval Rocket, the American Hockey League (AHL) team linked to the Montreal Canadiens, as an assistant coach. In February 2021, he became an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens. Starting in July 2024, Burrows moved into a player development role for the Canadiens.

International Play

After his seventh NHL season, Burrows was invited to play for the Canadian national team at the 2012 IIHF World Championship. He was the oldest player on the team at 31. He scored his first international goal against Finland and later earned "player of the game" honors against Kazakhstan. He also played for Canada at the 2014 World Championship.

Ball Hockey Career

Burrows started playing organized ball hockey when he was 19. He won his first national championship in 2001 with the Montreal Red Lites. He continued to win the national championship every year he played with them. He was a top scorer and an All-Star player. In 2005, he won his fifth straight Canadian title and was named the Tournament MVP. He won a sixth title in 2006.

Burrows first played for Canada's national ball hockey team at the 2003 World Championships in Switzerland. Canada won the final, and Burrows was named the Most Valuable Forward. In 2005, he won his second World Championship with Canada. He was named the 2005 International Player of the Year.

Burrows believes that ball hockey helped him stay fit and disciplined for his NHL career. He retired from ball hockey after his first full season with the Canucks. In 2010, he was inducted into the Canadian Ball Hockey Hall of Fame and is also in the International Ball Hockey Hall of Fame.

Alex Burrows is now the president of The Alex Burrows Tour. This group organizes large ball hockey tournaments across Canada. These tournaments are open to everyone and bring together many players.

In February 2020, Alex Burrows also helped start the Ligue Nationale Hockey Balle, a professional ball hockey league.

Personal Life

Burrows in January 2010

Burrows was born in Pincourt, Québec. His father came from England, and his mother is a school principal from Québec. Alex has two sisters. He grew up speaking mostly French.

In July 2010, Burrows married his longtime girlfriend, Nancy Roy. They have three children: Victoria (born 2011), Lexie (born 2013), and Jacob (born 2015). They live in Montreal during the off-season.

Burrows was very close to his former Canucks teammate Luc Bourdon, who passed away in 2008. After Bourdon's death, Burrows sometimes celebrated goals with a bow-and-arrow gesture, which was Bourdon's celebration.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards

ECHL

Vancouver Canucks

NHL

Ball hockey