Welcome to the Vancouver Lexicon. Its purpose is to pin down the patois of the City of Vancouver by recording its toponyms, nicknames, slang terms, personalities, places, and other Van-centric things. Full A-Z here.

Dragonslayer | sports, nickname | An honorific bestowed upon Alexandre Burrows, a former NHL player and member of the Vancouver Canucks’ Ring of Honour. Burrows earned the unofficial title during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he scored the sudden death overtime goal against the Chicago Blackhawks, the same team – er, dragon – that had knocked the Canucks out of the post-season in the previous two years.

The goal remains one of the most memorable moments – an exorcism, really – in the team’s half-century of existence. The title comes from commentator John Shorthouse, who was calling the game. After Burrows slapped the rolling puck that went top shelf, stick side on Chicago goalie Corey Crawford, he screamed “They’ve slayed the dragon!” What’s often overlooked is that in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins (a series that the Canucks would ultimately lose in Game 7) the “Dragonslayer” would also score the game-winner in overtime with a nifty, high effort wraparound.

Usage: “I don’t think the Dragonslayer will ever have to pay for a drink in Vancouver for the rest of his life, and for good reason…”

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