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“For sure, I think so,” Burrows said before the first day of practices at Meadow Park Sports Centre. “I would have been surprised (to be back). But I’ve learned along the years, too, that things can change quickly for this organization, this team, this league. Some teams want to move in one direction, and then something happens and they change the other way.

“I felt at the end of the last year that they were maybe going to go in a different direction. But I’ve always been honest with them, always been a team guy. It was their decision to make and they decided to bring me back and I’m excited about this year.”

Burrows said “my phone never rang” as the June 30 buyout deadline approached and passed.

But Canuck general manager Jim Benning said that isn’t true.

“I phoned him about three times and left a message, but Burr never returns my calls,” Benning said. “I’m not sure if he was afraid that I was going to ask him to waive his no-trade clause. I saw his agent at the draft (June 24-25) and told him we were keeping Alex.

“He has been such a heart-and-soul guy for this team and done so much for this team over the years. You have to respect that.”

The Canucks bought out winger Chris Higgins after the draft — Higgins is at the Calgary Flames’ camp on a tryout and could play against Vancouver on Oct. 15 — but Benning insisted Friday that there was never a serious discussion in the organization about buying out Burrows, who had nine goals in 79 games last season.