from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,

At his peak with the Canucks, he averaged 28 goals a season over a five-year stretch, but he was about so much more than numbers. He burned for the game. He was willing to do anything and everything to make a difference. That didn’t make him the most likable character and there were times it was difficult to defend Burrows, but he was our Rudy and if the rest of the hockey world didn’t see the things we saw in Burrows, we didn’t care.

That might explain the reaction to Monday’s trade that sent Burrows to Ottawa for prospect Jonathan Dahlen. From a hockey point of view it was a good deal for the Canucks. But it also gave the faithful a chance to savour Burrows’ career here; to appreciate the player he became and those shimmering moments he provided.

In time, he will go up in the Canucks’ Ring of Honour and will be remembered in this town. But this is Burrows’ greatest triumph.

We tell our kids if they want something badly enough and they’re willing to work hard enough for it, they can do anything. We have a hard time believing that a lot of times, but then along comes someone like Burrows and he makes us believe it’s possible, that you can believe in the power of the dream.

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