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Vancouver didn’t love Burrows because he could be, when he wanted to be, a troll’s troll.

It wasn’t the pest side of Burrows which endeared him to Canucks fans.

Vancouver didn’t love Burrows more because the rest of the world hated him. It was never an “us vs. them” thing at all.

They loved him more because they saw a side of him the rest of the world didn’t. They were vocal about it because they were trying to make you see what we saw.

People loved Burrows because he’s the greatest Vancouver underdog story ever told.

People love him because he turned himself from this undrafted mess who was trying to stick in the ECHL to the winger who made the Sedins two of the best players in the world for a year or three.

People love him because he scored the biggest goal in team history. People love him because he was everything Kelce was talking about. He was the guy analysts kept doubting and dismissing. Too slow. No skill. Can’t shoot. Can’t play.

He was always the Canucks’ hungry dog and as Kelce said “hungry dogs run faster.”

He was a bottom-six winger who became something great, especially in his best season when he finished 10th in the league in goals.

Just this week the Sedins were talking about trying to find a winger who plays with them like Burrows did.

They may go to the hall of fame, and if they make it, it will be, in large part, because of their Burrows years.

Rip Burrows all you want for kneeing Hall.

Hell, side with the ref who was terrible at his job and got squeezed out of the league because of it, if you wish.