| abstract | - David James Burrows (born 11 January 1949 in Toronto, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs. He started his NHL career in 1971, and played through 1981. He is regarded one of the top defensive defensemen in NHL history. By 1980, after recovering well from a severely broken ankle, he found his love for the game was waning. He made a return trip to the Penguins fold to round out the 1980–81 campaign, his last in pro hockey. Preferring to leave on his own terms, he decided to retire before he was cut. Dave Burrows' hero while a young hockey player was Tim Horton, widely considered to be one of the very best defensive defensemen ever to play the game. Burrows had the opportunity to play with his idol for one year, when Horton joined the Penguins for the 1971–72 season. Burrows was noted for his ability to stop talented players of his era (such as Guy Lafleur), from moving in their offensive zones. Several efforts have been made to gain consideration for Burrows for inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. These efforts have, to date, failed, largely due to the current premium placed on offensive skills and statistics for defensemen. Burrows was inducted into the Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame in 1996, and is listed as a "starter", along with Larry Murphy.
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