Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Watch CBC’s Ron MacLean apologize to Alex Burrows

Ron MacLean - Hockey Night In Canada

Kind of a surreal moment on Hockey Night in Canada yesterday when host Ron MacLean spent roughly two minutes apologizing to Vancouver winger Alex Burrows.

For those that missed it, here’s the video:

Burrows and MacLean have had a contentious relationship dating back to last year, stemming from the Burrows-Stephane Auger incident. MacLean was roundly criticized (primarily by Vancouverites) for his anti-Burrows stance on the matter, some of which is displayed here:

Then, on last week’s episode of Coach’s Corner, the topic of MacLean’s *alleged* dislike of Burrows came up again. This time it was Don Cherry insinuating the host had a problem with the Canucks winger allegedly opening the bench gate door when Ottawa’s Jesse Winchester was hit by Maxim Lapierre:

(FF to the 1:54 mark)

The real smoking gun was this exchange:

Cherry: I know you don’t like Burrows and I know you have a history with him.
MacLean: I don’t even know about this.
Cherry: You said he opened the gate on purpose.
MacLean: No, no that’s what they say on the show.
Cherry: Ya, ya they said, and I’m saying, I know you don’t…
MacLean: But I don’t know if he did it, I haven’t seen it.
Cherry: What do you mean you didn’t see it? You wanted me to show it.
MacLean: I didn’t see it when it happened. No, no I’m just saying…
Cherry: Anyhow, yes you did, you have a history with Burrows.

MacLean issued his apology prior to the Canucks-Leafs game...and Burrows proceeded to notch two points and earn first star honors in a 5-3 win.

“I just felt good, and confident and I felt like I could make plays,” Burrows said following the game. “We had so time in their zone, especially early when we weren’t scoring. I was sniffing for tips and rebounds, and when I feel like that, you know it’s going to come sooner or later.

“I know the (HNIC) has their opinions and I know they have a job to do. If they feel some nights I’m wrong, they have to say it. It’s never affected me. But it has affected my parents, a little bit more, and the people who know me.”

The line of the night, though, came from Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault.

“I really liked Henk’s line, and especially the way Alex played tonight,” he said. “I think he had something to prove to Ron MacLean.

“I’m just kidding about that. We don’t care about Ron.”