Article content

One day, Alex Burrows is your worst enemy: a weasel, a rat, a fill-in-the-blanks thorn in your side who will do and say just about anything to rattle you and throw you off.

The next day, he’s sitting two locker stalls away, suddenly on your side in the good fight to a playoff spot and beyond.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or From foe to friend: Once-hated Alex Burrows welcomed by Senators Back to video

At least that was the scenario for Ottawa Senators veteran Chris Kelly on Wednesday as the uberpest Burrows practised with the team for the first time since Monday’s trade that sent prospect Jonathan Dahlen to the Vancouver Canucks.

Kelly, then with the Boston Bruins, and Burrows, then with Vancouver, went head-to-head in the nasty 2011 Stanley Cup final.

“Hate is a strong word,” said Kelly, who rehashed some of the bitterness, including the fact Burrows scored 11 seconds into overtime in Game 2. “I think you’ve got to realize guys are doing their job and they’re trying to find a way that brings them the most success. Not everyone plays the game the exact same. Certain guys have to do certain things.”