Pavel Bure
Encyclopedia
Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey
right winger
. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League
(NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks
, Florida Panthers
and New York Rangers
. Trained in the Soviet Union, where he was known as "Pasha", he played three seasons with the Central Red Army team
before his NHL career.
Selected 113th overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft
by Vancouver, he began his NHL career in 1991–92 and won the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the league's best rookie, then helped the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals
in 1994
. After seven seasons with the Canucks, Bure was dealt to the Panthers, where he won back-to-back Rocket Richard Trophies as the league's leading goal-scorer (he also led the league in goal scoring with Vancouver in 1993–94, before the trophy's inauguration). Bure struggled with knee injuries throughout his career, resulting in his retirement in 2005 as a member of the Rangers, although he had not played since 2003. He averaged better than a point a game in his NHL career (779 points with 437 goals in 702 NHL games).
Internationally, Bure competed for the Soviet Union and Russia. As a member of the Soviet Union, he won two silver medals and a gold in three World Junior Championships
, followed by a gold and a silver medal in the 1990
and 1991 World Championships
, respectively. After the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, Bure competed for Russia in two Winter Olympics, winning silver at the 1998 Games
in Nagano and bronze at the 2002 Games
in Salt Lake City. Following Bure's retirement in 2005, he was named the general manager for Russia's national team at the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
.
to Vladimir
and Tatiana Bure in 1971. At age 12, his parents separated, and Bure remained with his mother. Vladimir Bure, a Russian swimming legend, had dreams of Pavel becoming a professional swimmer, but Pavel aspired to play hockey at an early age. He attended his first tryout with the CSKA Moscow
hockey school at the age of six despite his limited skating ability. Until that point, Bure had only played hockey on the streets with a ball. After Bure failed to impress in his first tryout, his father told him that if he did not show significant improvement within two months, he would withdraw him from the hockey school. By age 11, he was named the best forward in his league. Around that time, in July 1982, Bure was selected as one of three young Russian players to practice with Wayne Gretzky
and Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak
in a taped television special. By the time he was 14 years old, he was named to the Central Red Army's junior team.
In December 1986, he embarked on a tour of Canada, spanning from Ottawa
to Vancouver
, with the Soviet national midget team. Nearly five years before Bure made his NHL
debut with the Vancouver Canucks
in 1991 at the Pacific Coliseum
, he played his first game at his future home rink as part of the tour. Bure also earned another opportunity to meet Gretzky, as well as defenceman Paul Coffey
, when his team stopped in Edmonton
to play at the Northlands Coliseum.
. He was invited to the senior club's training camp for the 1987–88 season and, although he was deemed too young and not yet ready for the Soviet League, Bure earned minimal playing time filling in for absent regulars. He made his debut in September 1987 when the club briefly lost several players to the 1987 Canada Cup
; Bure played in five games that season. He scored his first professional goal for CSKA Moscow while playing on the fourth line in his senior club debut.
Bure joined the club full-time in 1988–89 and amassed 17 goals, a Soviet League record for rookies. The record-setting mark stood for 18 years before New York Rangers
prospect Alexei Cherepanov
scored 18 goals in 2006–07. Bure added 9 assists for 26 points to earn the league's rookie of the year honours. His individual success helped CSKA Moscow capture their thirteenth consecutive Soviet championship
and twelfth consecutive IIHF European Cup
in 1989 (they repeated as European champions the following year).
As a member of the Moscow
-based club, Bure joined a lineup that featured several future NHL players, including linemates Sergei Fedorov
and Alexander Mogilny
, as well as Igor Larionov
, Slava Fetisov
, Sergei Makarov
, and Vladimir Konstantinov
. The combination of Bure, Fedorov and Mogilny formed a promising combination for head coach
Viktor Tikhonov
, with expectations to replace the previous top Soviet line, the K-L-M combination of Vladimir Krutov
, Larionov and Makarov. The trio was short-lived, as Mogilny defected
to play for the Buffalo Sabres
in 1989 and Fedorov joined the Detroit Red Wings
the following year.
In his third and final season with the Red Army, Bure tied for the lead in team-scoring with Valeri Kamensky
, tallying 46 points. His 35 goals was second in the league, one goal behind Ramil Yuldashev
of Sokil Kyiv. Bure turned down a three-year contract extension in August 1991, which resulted in him being left off the roster of the Soviet team for the Canada Cup.
by the Vancouver Canucks
, following his rookie season with CSKA Moscow. The pick was controversial, as the Canucks had chosen him seemingly a year ahead of his eligible draft season. At the age of 18, he was available to be chosen in the first three rounds of the draft, but in order to be selected any later than that, he would had to have played in at least two seasons (with a minimum of 11 games per season) for his elite-level European club, the Central Red Army. However, the Canucks' head scout at the time, Mike Penny, discovered that Bure had played in additional exhibition and international games to make him an eligible late-round draft choice a year early.
Several other teams either had similar knowledge or had pursued Bure, but there was confusion as to the legitimacy of the extra games. The Detroit Red Wings had inquired to league vice president Gil Stein as to Bure's supposed availability prior to their fifth-round pick, but were told that he was not eligible. Winnipeg Jets general manager Mike Smith
claimed he travelled to Moscow prior to the draft and made a offer to the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation
. The deal involved a transfer fee to be paid to the Soviets over three years, after which time, Bure would join the Jets as a 21-year-old. Smith did not have any plans to draft Bure in 1989, however, as he believed Bure was ineligible.
General manager Pat Quinn
originally intended to draft Bure in the eighth round, but after receiving word that the Edmonton Oilers
had similar intentions, he selected him in the sixth. Detroit's European scout Christer Rockstrom immediately began protesting, while several other unidentified team representatives reportedly stormed the Met Center stage in Minnesota
, where the draft was being held, following the announcement of Bure's draft. The Hartford Whalers
and Washington Capitals
then filed formal complaints to the league, resulting in an investigation into the selection. After the pick was deemed illegal by league president John Ziegler in a press release on May 17, 1990, the Canucks appealed the decision, procuring game sheets proving Bure's participation in the additional games with the help of recent Soviet acquisition Igor Larionov. It was not until the eve of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft
, in which Bure would have been re-entered, that the draft choice was upheld.
Although Larionov and Fetisov had successfully spearheaded the rebellion against Soviet ice hockey officials in the late 1980s that led to the allowance of Soviet players to join the NHL, Bure's transfer to the Canucks met with resistance. Soviet authorities forbade the Canucks to contact Bure personally. During the 1991 World Junior Championships
, he told the Toronto Sun
in an interview that he was hesitant to defect for fears that the Soviets would make things difficult for his younger brother Valeri Bure
, who was 15 at the time and playing in the junior league.
Bure left Moscow with his father and brother on September 6, 1991, temporarily staying in Los Angeles
. His mother arrived shortly afterwards. The Canucks began negotiating a contract with Bure, but before one could be finalized, the issue of his existing contract with the Central Red Army had to be settled. The Canucks management and officials from the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation met in late-October 1991 in a Detroit court, where they bartered for a cash settlement. After the Canucks offered $200,000, Bure stood up in the courtroom to offer an additional $50,000, bringing the total to $250,000. The Russian officials accepted, and Canucks management paid the full $250,000. Bure signed a four-year contract worth a reported $2.7 million with an $800,000 signing bonus soon thereafter. The deal made Bure the Canucks' second highest paid player behind team captain
Trevor Linden
, who had just recently signed a four-year, $3.7 million contract.
. He played his first game for the Canucks on November 5, 1991, in a 3–3 tie against the Winnipeg Jets. Despite being kept off the scoresheet in his NHL debut, Bure showcased his talent and speed with several end-to-end rushes, carrying the puck past several defenders from near his defensive zone to the opposing net. Following the game, Vancouver Sun columnist
Iain MacIntyre compared him to a rocket, calling him "the fastest Soviet creation since Sputnik". MacIntyre's comments are credited for having laid the groundwork for Bure's moniker as the "Russian Rocket". It took Bure until his third game, a 6–0 win against the New York Islanders
, to record his first point, an assist on a Cliff Ronning
goal. He scored his first two NHL goals in the next game on November 12 against Daniel Berthiaume
of the Los Angeles Kings
in an 8–2 win. He scored 34 goals and 60 points in 65 games that season, including 22 goals in his final 23 games. In the last game of the regular season, Bure scored a goal to tie Ivan Hlinka
's 1981–82 team mark for most points by a rookie. Bure's addition to the Canucks lineup bolstered a core that featured Linden and goaltender Kirk McLean
, a Vezina Trophy
nominee in 1989 and 1992 as the league's best goaltender, and helped the Canucks to their first of two consecutive Smythe Division
titles.
As the Canucks opened the 1992 playoffs
against the Winnipeg Jets, Bure recorded his first NHL hat trick
in game six to help force a seventh and deciding game. Vancouver won the series to advance to the second round, but were then eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers. Bure finished his first Stanley Cup playoffs with 6 goals and 10 points in 13 post-season games. At the end of the season, Bure was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
as rookie of the year over Detroit Red Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidström
. His 60 points were second among first-year players to Tony Amonte
's 69 points with the Rangers, although Bure played in 14 fewer games. When accepting the award, he thanked Canucks linemate Igor Larionov
for his guidance. On arriving in Vancouver, the former Red Army teammate took Bure into his North Vancouver home for two weeks before Bure moved into his own downtown apartment. The two also roomed together on the road. Bure's Calder Trophy, along with head coach
Pat Quinn's Jack Adams Award
as the league's top coach, marked the first major individual NHL awards in Canucks team history. Despite being distinguished as the league's top rookie, however, Bure was left off the NHL All-Rookie Team
, making him the only Calder recipient to not be named to the lineup. He was left off the All-Rookie Team because he split his time playing both left and right wing. When it came to voting for the players, Bure had the most total votes, but not enough at either position to claim a spot.
Bure improved on his rookie season in 1992–93 for his first of two consecutive 60-goal seasons. In the third game of the season, Bure scored a career-high four goals against the Winnipeg Jets. His three goals and one assist in the second period set a pair of Canucks records for most goals and points in a period, in addition to the team mark for most goals overall in a game (for which he is tied with several players). Furthermore, Bure scored two of his goals on the penalty kill to set a fourth team record for most short handed goals in one contest. Bure appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game that season in 1993, being named to the Clarence Campbell Conference
Team as the lone Canucks representative. He scored two goals in his All-Star debut in a 16–6 loss to the Wales Conference
. Shortly after the All-Star break, Bure established a new franchise record for goals in a season during a 5–1 win over the Quebec Nordiques
, surpassing Tony Tanti
's 45-goal mark. The next month, on March 1, Bure reached the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career, scoring against Grant Fuhr
of the Buffalo Sabres in a neutral-site game in Hamilton, Ontario
. On March 9, Bure recorded two assists in a 7–2 win against the New Jersey Devils
to surpass Patrik Sundström
's franchise record of 91 points. This record stood until it was broken by Henrik Sedin
's 112 points in 2009–10
. Bure finished the season with 110 points in 83 games and became the first Canuck named to the NHL First All-Star Team
.
Bure suffered his first career injury early in the 1993–94 season, pulling his groin
on October 23, 1993, against the San Jose Sharks
. Despite the injury, Bure was allowed to play the next night against the Sharks. He had to be helped off the ice after his first shift because he re-injured his groin. Although he missed eight games with the injury, Bure led the league in goal-scoring by repeating his 60-goal feat from the previous season. In doing so, he became the eighth player in NHL history to record back-to-back 60-goal seasons. He finished the season with 19 goals and 30 points in 16 games to earn player of the month honours for March. The scoring burst was just one point shy of Stan Smyl
's 31-point March in 1983 for the most productive month by a Canucks player. Bure's 154 NHL goals at that point in his career put him behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy
for the most in any NHL player's first three seasons.
Entering the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
as the seventh seed, the Canucks went on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals
. In the seventh game of the opening round series against the Calgary Flames
, Bure scored one of the most significant and well-known goals in Canucks history. After receiving a breakaway pass from defenceman Jeff Brown, he deked and scored on Flames goalie Mike Vernon in the second overtime to win the series. The Canucks advanced past Calgary with three consecutive overtime wins after having been down 3–1 in the series. In game two of the second round against the Dallas Stars
, Bure knocked enforcer Shane Churla
to the ice with an elbow to the jaw. The hit came after Bure had been cross-checked from behind by defenceman Craig Ludwig
and hit in the head by Churla while he was still on his knees on the ice. Bure also scored two goals in the game to help Vancouver to a 3–0 win. Although Bure was not initially penalized for the play, he later received a $500 fine from the league.
After defeating Dallas in five games, the Canucks eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs
in the Campbell Conference Finals to meet the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals. With the series tied 1–1, Bure was ejected in game three after delivering a high stick to Rangers defenceman Jay Wells
. Bure's stick caught Wells beneath the eye, drawing blood and resulting in a five-minute major and a game misconduct. With Bure out of the game, the Canucks lost the contest 5–1. A 4–2 loss in game four put the Canucks at the brink of defeat in the series. When Vancouver won game five in New York
on the strength of Bure's two goals, and game six in Vancouver, the series was pushed to seven games. In the deciding game, the Rangers ended Vancouver's playoff run by a 3–2 score to capture the Stanley Cup
. Bure finished with a team-high 16 goals and 31 points in 24 games, second in playoff scoring only to Conn Smythe
winner Brian Leetch. Bure's points total also remained the highest by any Russian player until Evgeni Malkin
of the Pittsburgh Penguins
recorded 36 in 2009
.
In the subsequent off-season, the Canucks announced they had re-signed Bure to a five-year, US$
24.5 million contract on June 16. The deal was reported to have been signed prior to game three of the Stanley Cup Finals against New York. It also obtained Bure's marketing rights and put his father, Vladimir, on the team payroll as a fitness and marketing consultant. The average annual salary of US$4.9 million made Bure the league's third highest-paid player, behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux
. Bure and the Canucks had, in fact, entered into contract negotiations at the beginning of the 1993–94 season, although two years remained in his original deal. Neither side could come to an initial agreement; one of the major factors was the Canucks' demands for the contract to be in Canadian dollar
s on account of the American exchange rate. Numerous accusations were made in the media during the Canucks' playoff run that Bure threatened not to play if a contract could not be agreed upon. A Toronto Star
article published before the first game of the Finals on May 31, 1994, claimed that Bure had signed a five-year, US $30 million contract that, if the Canucks had not agreed to, would have seen him pull out of game five of the Conference Finals against the Maple Leafs. The article was followed by two additional claims in the following two days in the Vancouver-based newspaper The Province
and Toronto Sun
. The Toronto Sun held that the contract was a five-year, US$22.5 million deal, and that it was signed prior to either game six or seven of the opening round against the Flames after Bure's agent, Ron Salcer, told general manager Quinn that Bure would not play if the deal was not made. As the story continued well into the next season, Pat Quinn appeared in a segment on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC)'s Hockey Night in Canada
with host Ron MacLean
on March 27, 1995, publicly denying the claims.
Due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout, Bure spent single-game stints with HC Spartak Moscow
of the Russian Super League and EV Landshut of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He joined a team of Russian NHL players organized by Slava Fetisov that returned to Russia to play a five-game charity tour against local clubs. On the team, Bure was reunited with former Central Red Army linemates Mogilny and Fedorov. When the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) and owners came to an agreement on January 12, 1995, NHL play was set to resume. However, there were unresolved contract issues, as Salcer claimed that the Canucks promised they would pay Bure's full salary despite the lockout, which cancelled nearly half of the 1994–95 season. Bure held out for four days as a result (the amount claimed to be owing was US$1.7 million), before the two sides reached an agreement that the Canucks would put the disputed amount in escrow
and would continue discussions. He soon reported to Vancouver and went on to tally 43 points in 44 games of the shortened season. He spent the season with a rotation of linemates, taking turns being centred by Trevor Linden, Cliff Ronning
and rookie Michael Peca
. Bure had lacked a consistent linemate since he was centred by fellow Soviets Igor Larionov
and Anatoli Semenov
in each of his first two seasons. Nevertheless, in the 1995 playoffs
, Bure set franchise records for most goals and points in a series with 7 and 12 respectively in a seven-game series victory against the St. Louis Blues (Mikael Samuelsson
later tied Bure's goal-scoring record in 2010
against the Los Angeles Kings
). The Canucks, however, failed to defend their Clarence Campbell Bowl title, being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks
in round two. In the fourth and final playoff game against the Blackhawks, Bure left the contest early in the third period with a rib injury. The Canucks' elimination in 1995 marked the last time Bure appeared in the post-season with the club. He finished with a career playoff total of 66 points with the Canucks, including 34 goals, which remained the highest club total until Linden tied the mark in 2007
.
At the start of the 1995–96 season, Bure changed his jersey number from 10 to 96. The switch commemorated the day on which he first landed in North America from Moscow, on September 6, 1991 (9th month, 6th day). He had originally requested to wear the number when he first joined the Canucks, but was not permitted by head coach Pat Quinn, who did not approve of high jersey numbers. After the Canucks made a deal with the Buffalo Sabres to reunite Bure with Alexander Mogilny, the jersey number was deemed acceptable because of Mogilny's number 89.
Early in the season, Bure sustained the first of what were to be several serious knee injuries during his career. On November 9, 1995, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Bure received a hit from defenceman Steve Smith
in the first period, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) in his right knee. Requiring arthroscopic surgery
, in which tendon
was removed from his hamstring
to repair the ACL, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Without Bure, the Canucks managed to make the 1996 playoffs
on the strength of an offence led by Linden and Mogilny, but were defeated in six games of the opening round by the Colorado Avalanche
, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Bure returned to the Canucks lineup with his knee fully recovered in the 1996–97 season. Competing for Russia in an exhibition match for the 1996 World Cup
in August, he had suffered another setback with a bruised kidney and was sidelined for three weeks, but was able to recover in time for the NHL season. In the season opener against the Calgary Flames, on October 5, 1996, Bure was pushed into the boards head-first by rookie defenceman Todd Simpson
. Although Bure continued to play and did not miss any games soon thereafter, head coach Tom Renney
admitted that Bure was still experiencing headaches a couple of weeks after the hit. As Bure's play dropped early in the season, speculation began that he was playing injured. After Bure went eight games without a goal, Renney claimed that Bure was not playing with a head injury, but instead had injured his shoulder in a game against the New York Rangers on November 23. Nevertheless, Bure continued to play. With under a month left in the season, he received another hit, this time from defenceman Aaron Miller
of the Colorado Avalanche during a game on March 3, 1997. He left the game and did not return for the remainder of the season. Afterwards, Bure admitted that he was playing with a neck injury, having sustained whiplash
from the first game against Calgary, but did not want to take himself out of the lineup after having missed 62 games the previous season. With Bure's reduced playing capacity, he managed 55 points in 63 games, well below his usual pace, and the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first time since Bure joined the team.
In the off-season, the Canucks made another significant move, signing Rangers captain Mark Messier
during free agency on July 26, 1997. Despite finally having a high-profile centre to play with, reports in the media began soon thereafter that Bure was requesting to be traded, starting with an article published by The Province on August 26, 1997, by Tony Gallagher
. Bure and the Canucks opened the season with two games against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
in Tokyo
– an event organized by the league to market hockey for the upcoming 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano. After two injury-plagued seasons with the number 96 on his jersey, Bure switched back to his familiar number 10, explaining that "I'm not superstitious, but the last two seasons have been bad memories." Although the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second straight year, he returned his previous form in 1997–98, scoring 51 goals and notching his third 50-goal season, his first since 1993–94. His 90 points made him third in the NHL, behind Peter Forsberg
and Jaromír Jágr
. Bure scored his last goal as a Canuck, and his 254th with the team, in the final game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The total left him just eight goals shy of Stan Smyl's all-time franchise record of 262 goals, which was later surpassed by Trevor Linden and Markus Näslund
.
Following the 1997–98 season, Bure told newly appointed general manager Brian Burke in a meeting on July 5, 1998, that he would not play for the Canucks again, despite still having a year left in his contract worth USD $8 million. Bure then went public with the declaration the following month, stating that he intended to leave the club for "personal reasons". Bure did not report to the club the following season. He instead went back to his hometown Moscow to practice with his former Central Red Army club. During this time, Belarus
ian president Alexander Lukashenko
offered Bure a tax-free US$4 million salary to play in Belarus, which Bure turned down.
, with Bret Hedican
, Brad Ference
, and Vancouver's third-round choice in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
(Robert Fried) for Ed Jovanovski
, Dave Gagner
, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes
, and Florida's first-round choice in the 2000 draft (Nathan Smith). Talks between general managers Burke and Bryan Murray had begun in late-December, with the two meeting at the 1999 World Junior Championships
in Winnipeg
. After the trade was completed, Bure explained in a joint-interview with the Toronto Sun and The Province that he felt he was alienated by Canucks management ever since arriving in North America from Moscow. He cited having stayed in Los Angeles
for two weeks before any Canucks representative came down to see him, in addition to several bitter contract negotiations. Bure also claimed that the constant allegations of him threatening not to play during the 1994 playoff run were planted by someone within Canucks management.
Meeting the Panthers in New York for a game against the Islanders, Bure debuted with his new club on January 20, 1999. He played on an all-Russian line with Viktor Kozlov
and Oleg Kvasha
and scored two goals to help the Panthers to a 5–1 win. In his first six games with the club, Bure scored eight goals and three assists for eleven points. Less than a month into his Panthers debut, he suffered a strained right knee while kicking a loose puck during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 5. Despite the injury, the Panthers announced three days later that Bure had signed to a five-year, US$47.5 million deal (with an option for a sixth year at US$10.5 million), the most lucrative in team history.
After being out of the lineup for nearly three weeks, Bure returned to appear in five more games, but was sidelined once more for the rest of the season with a knee injury that he suffered on March 3 after a collision with defenceman Adam Foote
in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. After initial arthroscopic surgery revealed that his right ACL was not functioning, Bure underwent further reconstructive surgery on March 29. Due to his holdout from Vancouver and the two injuries in Florida, Bure appeared in just 11 games that season, but managed to record 13 goals and 3 assists for 16 points.
In his first full season as a Panther, in 1999–2000, he led the league in goal-scoring to capture his first of two consecutive Rocket Richard Trophies with a 58-goal season. It marked the second time Bure led the league in goal scoring, but his first Rocket Richard Trophy as the award had just been inducted the previous season. Combined with 36 assists, his 94 points came within two of Art Ross Trophy
winner Jaromír Jágr
as the league's leading point-scorer. His 58 goals and 94 points both set franchise records. Bure helped Florida to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference
to earn their first post-season berth in three seasons. They were, however, swept in the opening round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. It was Bure's final appearance in the NHL playoffs. At the end of the season, he was listed as a nominee for the Hart Memorial Trophy
as the league's most valuable player. He finished as the second runner-up with 11 first-place votes, behind Jágr (18 first-place votes) and award-winner Chris Pronger
(25 first-place votes). He was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team for the first time, finishing second in balloting for right wingers behind Jágr (he also mistakenly received a first-place ballot as a left winger). Bure also finished fourth in balloting for the Lady Byng Trophy as the league's most sportsmanlike player.
Bure was set to make his much-anticipated return to Vancouver to play the Canucks on November 5, 1999, but was instead kept out of the lineup due to a broken finger suffered in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. The injury came after having missed five games to a groin injury, which also kept him out of a home game against the Canucks. During the season, he was also named to the 2000 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto
, where he recorded an assist and the 11th hat trick in the history of the All-Star Game. Of Bure's three goals, two were assisted by his brother Valeri
, who played on the same line with Bure, along with Bure's Panthers linemate, Viktor Kozlov. Helping lead the World team to a 9–4 victory over North America, Bure was named the All-Star Game MVP.
Bure repeated as league scoring champion in 2000–01 with 59 goals, reaching the 50-goal plateau for the fifth and final time in his career, as well as bettering his franchise single-season goal-scoring record. Without much secondary scoring, however (the second leading scorer on the team was Viktor Kozlov with 37 points), the Panthers missed out on the playoffs, finishing 12th place in the East. Bure set a league record that season by scoring 29.5% of his team's total goals over the course of the season. He was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, behind Jágr in the right wing position for the second consecutive year.
Prior to the 2001–02 season, the Panthers acquired Valeri Bure from the Calgary Flames in a trade, reuniting the two brothers under the same team. Bure suffered a setback in the pre-season, however, re-injuring his groin. After the season began, he was sidelined for seven games in November and December due to a concussion. He sustained the head injury during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 19, 2001, after he was checked into the glass by forward Darcy Tucker
. Several days after returning to the lineup, on December 16, 2001, Bure reached the 700-point mark with two assists and an empty net goal
in a 3–1 win over the New York Islanders. At the trading deadline, Bure was dealt to the New York Rangers. During his 56 games for the Panthers that season, he led the team in scoring for the third consecutive season with 49 points.
(Lee Falardeau
) for Igor Ulanov
, Filip Novak
, as well as the Rangers' first and second-round choices in the 2002 draft (Petr Tatíček
and Rob Globke
, respectively) and a fourth-round choice in the 2003 draft
. The Rangers had shown interest in Bure when he was originally shopped by the Canucks in 1997. After losing their initial bid for Bure, Wayne Gretzky, who retired the same season Bure was dealt to Florida, announced prior to the 1999–2000 season that he would have extended his career had the Rangers been able to pull the trade off. Bure made his Rangers debut against the Vancouver Canucks the day after his trade on March 19, scoring a goal in a 3–1 loss to his former team. He scored 12 goals and 20 points in 12 games upon being traded, up from his pace with Florida that season. Between the two teams, he finished the season with 34 goals and 69 points.
Bure suffered another knee injury in a 2002–03 pre-season matchup with the New Jersey Devils on September 24, 2002. Combined with a case of strep throat, the injury caused him to miss the first three games of the regular season. Bure returned to the lineup to record 14 goals and 21 points in his first 27 games, including two goals and an assist in his first game back, before suffering a knee-on-knee collision with Buffalo Sabres forward Curtis Brown in a game on December 6, 2002. After undergoing surgery 10 days later, it was revealed that there was no damage to the ACL as previously feared, but instead a tear to the meniscus
in his left knee, which was repaired. Bure returned that season to appear in 39 games, managing 19 goals and 30 points.
Bure did not play in 2003–04 due to lingering effects of the knee injury, even after two operations. He failed a pre-season physical and was declared medically unable to play. Left with Bure's fully insured US$10 million salary (which would be reimbursed to the team by 80 percent), the Rangers consequently left him unprotected in the NHL's Waiver Draft. He was unclaimed.
Bure remained inactive for another season due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. After the NHL resumed play for the 2005–06 season, Bure announced his retirement from professional hockey at a press conference
in Moscow on November 1, 2005, due to complications with his chronically injured knee. At the same time, it was announced that Bure would be the general manager of Russia's ice hockey team
for the 2006 Winter Olympics
.
, an under-17 tournament (now known as the World U-17 Hockey Challenge
) held in Quebec City
, where he earned a gold medal. That same year, he competed in his first of two consecutive European Junior Championships.
The following year, Bure debuted at the world under-20 level as a 17-year-old at the 1989 World Junior Championships
in Anchorage, Alaska
. The top line of CSKA Moscow
teammates Bure, Alexander Mogilny
and Sergei Federov led the Soviet Union to a gold medal. Bure's eight goals tied him for the tournament lead with Jeremy Roenick
of the United States, in addition to a team-high 14 points. He was named to the Tournament All-Star Team and earned Best Forward honours.
Bure competed in his second World Juniors the following year in 1990
, winning a silver medal in Helsinki
, Finland, while scoring seven goals in seven games. Later that year, he made his senior debut with the Soviet national team as a 19-year-old at the 1990 World Championships
in Switzerland
.
He scored two goals and four assists in ten games to help the Soviets to a gold medal finish, winning all three games in the medal round. Despite winning the overall tournament, the Soviets finished with a silver in the European Championship, which took into account only games played amongst European teams during the tournament. Nevertheless, each Soviet player was awarded $10,000 for winning the overall tournament, which Bure used to buy a new Lada
. Several months later, in July, Bure took part in his third international tournament of the year at the 1990 Goodwill Games
in Seattle. Bure scored four goals and an assist in five games, and the Soviets captured the gold medal by defeating the United States in the final.
In 1991
, Bure appeared in his third and final World Junior Championships. Having won their first four games, the Soviets required only a win in their the second-to-last-game against Finland to clinch the gold medal. After the Finns built a 4–0 lead, Bure led a 5-goal comeback in which he scored his team's final three goals for a natural hat trick. Nevertheless, the Soviets gave up a goal in the final minute of the game to set up a gold medal match against Canada
.
Although Bure finished the tournament as the leading scorer with 12 goals in 7 games, the Soviets fell to Canada 3–2 to settle for silver. He finished his three-year World Junior career with a tournament-record 27 goals, to go with 39 points, in 21 games. Bure later competed in the 1991 World Championships
for his second international appearance of the year. He improved on his previous year's total with 11 points in 11 games, tied for the team lead with Valeri Kamensky
, and helped the Soviets to a bronze medal finish. Bure was named to the tournament's Second All-Star Team. The 1991 team marked the last World Championships that the Soviets played as the USSR, giving way to the union's dissolution later that year.
Prior to the dissolution, Bure was set to represent the Soviet Union at the 1991 Canada Cup
several months later in Canada
. However, after turning down a three-year contract with his Russian club, CSKA Moscow, he was left off the final roster. Further controversy ensued five years later in the inaugural 1996 World Cup
(the successor tournament to the Canada Cup
). Bure had recently recovered from reconstructive surgery
to his right knee and had begun practicing with the Russian national team, when he refused to sign a petition organized by national team veteran Slava Fetisov. With the Russian Ice Hockey Federation
dealing with internal corruption, the petition called for the ouster of a select few Russian ice hockey officials. In response, Bure explained, "I do not sign petitions. I believe I should work – play hockey. Petitions to the federation or to Olympic committees do not interest me." Despite the controversy, Bure did not play in the tournament as a result of a bruised kidney suffered in an exhibition game against the United States.
Two years later, Bure made his Olympic debut with Russia at the 1998 Winter Games
in Nagano. He helped his team to the gold medal game after an Olympic record five-goal game in Russia's 7–4 semi-final win against Finland, two of which came on breakaways
. Playing the Czech Republic in the final, however, Bure and the Russians were shutout by goaltender Dominik Hašek
and lost the gold medal by a 1–0 score. He finished with a tournament-high nine goals to be named the top forward and, while recording no assists, placed third in point-scoring with nine points in six games.
After the Panthers were eliminated in the 2000 playoffs
, Bure was added to the Russian roster for the 2000 World Championships
, held in Saint Petersburg
. The Russians were not able to make the medal rounds, suffering upset defeats to both Latvia and Belarus. In six games, Bure managed four goals and an assist. Two years later, Bure made his second Olympic appearance at the 2002 Games
in Salt Lake City, playing with a fractured hand
. Attempting to make his second straight trip to the gold medal game, Bure and the Russians knocked out the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals 1-0, but lost in the semi-finals to the United States by 3–2. Bure finished his final international tournament as a player with two goals and an assist in six games to go with a bronze medal, having defeated Belarus in the bronze medal
game.
. He promised to put an end to the Russian Hockey Federation's history of internal conflict and player boycotts, stating, "You won't see such a mess with the national team that you've seen here before", and that "You won't see grouchy players here anymore. Only those who really want to play for Russia will be called into the team." As general manager, Bure chose the team for the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
. The Russians failed to win a medal after they were shutout by the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game. Leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, former Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak
was named Bure's successor as Olympic general manager on October 12, 2009.
conditioning coach Peter Twist noticed during Bure's rehabilitation period following his first major knee injury in 1995, that his skating style was particularly unique in comparison to typical North American players. He explained, "Most players skate on their inside edge and push off at a 45-degree angle, but Bure starts on his outer edge and rolls over to his inside edge and pushes back straighter on his stride ... he gets more power and force in his stride to get up to top speed quicker."
Bure's skating was also complemented by his ability to deke out defenders and goaltenders at top speeds, making him capable of routinely starting end-to-end rushes. However, several knee injuries and consequent reconstructive surgeries compromised the speed that defined Bure's game, ultimately leading to his retirement in 2005.
Bure won the Canucks' Most Exciting Player Award, as voted by the fans, a team record five times (tied with Tony Tanti
) from 1992–1995 and once more in 1998. Canucks teammate and captain
Trevor Linden
, who had played with Bure for seven seasons, said following Bure's retirement, "I don't know if I've ever seen or played with a player that's brought people out of their seats like that." During the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals
, New York Rangers
coach
Mike Keenan
, who later coached Bure for one-and-a-half seasons in Vancouver, called him "perhaps the most electrifying forward in the league".
Bure has been described as a pure goal scorer and is statistically among the top players in NHL history in that regard. In addition to having reached the 50-goal mark in his career five times and the 60-goal mark twice, his .623 goals per game average is third among the top 100 goal scorers in NHL history, behind Mike Bossy
and Mario Lemieux
.
Bure comes from an athletic family; his father Vladimir, who is of Swiss descent (his side of the family originated from Furna, Switzerland), was an Olympic swimmer
who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1968
, 1972
, and 1976 Olympic Games
. He won four medals, including a bronze medal for the 100-metre race in the 1972 Games, in which he lost the gold medal by half a second to American swimming legend Mark Spitz
. Bure retained his father as his personal trainer well into his playing career, before severing ties with him in 1997. Bure's paternal grandfather, Valeri Bure, also competed for the Soviet Union in the Olympics as a goalkeeper for the national water polo
team. Named after their grandfather, Bure's younger brother, Valeri Bure
, was also a hockey player, spending 10 years in the NHL. The two siblings played with each other briefly as members of the Florida Panthers
, as well as on the Russian national team.
In addition to athleticism, nobility ran in the family. Bure was named after his great-grandfather, a watchmaker to Tsar Alexander III
. Bure's family made precious watches for the tsars from 1815–1917; as craftspersons of the imperial family, they were granted noble status. After Bure sustained his first serious knee injury in 1995, he pursued the watchmaking business during his rehabilitation period in an attempt to revive the family business. Fifty replicas of the same watches his ancestors sold to the Russian imperial family were made and priced at US $30,000 each. Bure presented three of the gold replicas to Russian President Boris Yeltsin
, Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin
and Moscow mayor Yuriy Luzhkov
.
Shortly after arriving in North America
from Moscow with his father and brother on September 6, 1991 (his mother Tatiana arrived two months later), Bure married an American fashion model in a civil ceremony
five days later. The model was later revealed to be Jayme Bohn. The marriage was allegedly set up by Bure's agents as a preventative measure against deportation in the event Bure and the Canucks could not come to terms with a contract. Bure derived no immigration benefit from the marriage, which was dissolved the following year. Bohn became a costume designer in the film and television industry. Bure later obtained his permanent residence visa ("green card") as an alien "with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics".
After being linked to girlfriend Dahn Bryan, a model and actress, early in his NHL career, Bure shared a relationship with tennis star and fellow Russian Anna Kournikova
. The two met in 1999 when Kournikova was still linked to Bure's former Russian teammate Sergei Fedorov
. Bure and Kournikova were reported to have been engaged in 2000 after a reporter took a photo of them together in a Florida
restaurant where Bure supposedly asked Kournikova to marry him. As the story made headlines in Russia, where they were both heavily followed in the media as celebrities, Bure and Kournikova both denied any engagement. Kournikova, 10 years younger than Bure, was 18 years old at the time. The following year, Kournikova and Fedorov were married in Moscow. They were soon divorced, however, and Kournikova later married pop star Enrique Iglesias
in 2003.
In 2002, Bure sued the Russian newspaper the eXile
for publishing an article stating that he broke up with Kournikova on account of her having two vaginas. Although the newspapers' editorial staff claimed the story was a mere joke, the court ruled in favour of Bure in the amount of 500,000 ruble
s (US$17,770). Furthermore, the eXile was obligated to print another article refuting the previous story. Two years later, on December 27, 2004, the Russian cosmetics chain Arbat Prestige published a story in their free promotional paper that Bure had bragged about Kournikova losing her virginity to him. Shortly thereafter, on January 31, 2005, Bure sued Arbat Prestige for 300 million rubles (US$10.65 million) in a court in Moscow. He also demanded Arbat Prestige print a retraction and apology in a future paper, similar to the suit against the eXile. The court ruled in favour of Bure in November 2005. The amount was, however, reduced from 300 million to approximately 320,000 rubles.
Bure married 23-year-old model Alina Khasanova on October 10, 2009. Bure and Khasanova had known each other for four years after meeting in Turkey
. The wedding was held in Moscow for over 300 guests at a restaurant. Pravda
reported the couple had officially married on October 10, 2008, in Miami.
During Bure's playing career, much speculation surrounded Russian NHL players and their potential ties to the Russian mafia
as both victims and associates. As Soviet players began defecting to the NHL, many cases of extortion began surfacing that the Russian mafia was targeting the players' families still living in Russia. Former teammate Alexander Mogilny
was a victim of such an extortion attempt in 1994, while Bure was reported to have made payments totaling in the thousands of dollars to Russian extortionists in 1993. Three years later, however, in 1996, American sports network ESPN
aired reports alleging Bure was a potential associate to the Russian mafia on account of his relationship with friend and business partner Anzor Kikalishvili, known to both Russian and American police as a suspected criminal and possible Russian mob boss. Bure was revealed to hold a position as vice president in the sports company Twenty First Century Association, owned by Kikalishvili, and reportedly believed by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation
to be a mafia front worth at least US$100 million in illicit funds. While Bure did not deny his business and personal relationships with Kikalishvili, he refuted reports that Kikalishvili was involved in any criminal activity. Speculation resurfaced in 1999, as Bure was included in an investigation aired by CBC
documentary series fifth estate
that made several supposed associations between Soviet NHL players and the Russian mafia. An allegation arose that Bure's former Red Army teammate Slava Fetisov used a company of which he was president to launder money
for Vyacheslav Ivankov
, considered to be the "Russian godfather" in North America. Bure's relationship with Kikalishvili continued to be questioned. Bure denied Kikalishvili's involvement in any criminal activity, dismissing the allegations as "rumours".
During his stay with the Canucks, Bure lived in a mansion on Vancouver's Southwest Marine Drive. He purchased the $1 million, 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) residence in 1994 after having lived in an apartment in Downtown Vancouver overlooking False Creek
. He spent numerous off-seasons during this time in Los Angeles.
Nearly a year after his retirement, on October 31, 2006, Bure filed another suit after being kicked off a British Airways
flight by the pilot, having been mistaken for a rowdy soccer fan. Despite an official apology from the airline company in June 2007, Bure took the issue to court, suing British Airways for 20 million rubles. In late-August 2007, the Tver Court of Moscow ruled in favour of Bure in the total amount of 67,000 rubles.
adoes not include 1988 Quebec Esso Cup (U17)
bdoes not include penalty minutes for the 1991 Goodwill Games
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Trained in the Soviet Union, where he was known as "Pasha", he played three seasons with the Central Red Army team
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...
before his NHL career.
Selected 113th overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft
1989 NHL Entry Draft
The 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Some believe that the Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft was the most successful ever, with 5,721 total NHL games played by the players selected.-Selections by round:...
by Vancouver, he began his NHL career in 1991–92 and won the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as the league's best rookie, then helped the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
in 1994
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. After seven seasons with the Canucks, Bure was dealt to the Panthers, where he won back-to-back Rocket Richard Trophies as the league's leading goal-scorer (he also led the league in goal scoring with Vancouver in 1993–94, before the trophy's inauguration). Bure struggled with knee injuries throughout his career, resulting in his retirement in 2005 as a member of the Rangers, although he had not played since 2003. He averaged better than a point a game in his NHL career (779 points with 437 goals in 702 NHL games).
Internationally, Bure competed for the Soviet Union and Russia. As a member of the Soviet Union, he won two silver medals and a gold in three World Junior Championships
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
, followed by a gold and a silver medal in the 1990
1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated....
and 1991 World Championships
1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :...
, respectively. After the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, Bure competed for Russia in two Winter Olympics, winning silver at the 1998 Games
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
in Nagano and bronze at the 2002 Games
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
in Salt Lake City. Following Bure's retirement in 2005, he was named the general manager for Russia's national team at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
Early life
Bure was born in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
to Vladimir
Vladimir Bure
Vladimir Valeryevich Bure is a retired Soviet Olympic swimmer and a fitness coach for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Bure is the father of NHL players Pavel and Valeri Bure.-USSR:...
and Tatiana Bure in 1971. At age 12, his parents separated, and Bure remained with his mother. Vladimir Bure, a Russian swimming legend, had dreams of Pavel becoming a professional swimmer, but Pavel aspired to play hockey at an early age. He attended his first tryout with the CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...
hockey school at the age of six despite his limited skating ability. Until that point, Bure had only played hockey on the streets with a ball. After Bure failed to impress in his first tryout, his father told him that if he did not show significant improvement within two months, he would withdraw him from the hockey school. By age 11, he was named the best forward in his league. Around that time, in July 1982, Bure was selected as one of three young Russian players to practice with Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM is a former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national ice hockey team. Considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, he was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Centennial All-Star Team in a...
in a taped television special. By the time he was 14 years old, he was named to the Central Red Army's junior team.
In December 1986, he embarked on a tour of Canada, spanning from Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, with the Soviet national midget team. Nearly five years before Bure made his NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
debut with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in 1991 at the Pacific Coliseum
Pacific Coliseum
Pacific Coliseum is an indoor arena, at Hastings Park, in Vancouver, British Columbia.Completed in 1968, at the former site of the Pacific National Exhibition, the arena currently holds 16,281, for ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713....
, he played his first game at his future home rink as part of the tour. Bure also earned another opportunity to meet Gretzky, as well as defenceman Paul Coffey
Paul Coffey
Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
, when his team stopped in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
to play at the Northlands Coliseum.
Central Red Army (1987–1991)
Bure began his professional hockey career at age 16, playing for the Central Red Army teamHC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...
. He was invited to the senior club's training camp for the 1987–88 season and, although he was deemed too young and not yet ready for the Soviet League, Bure earned minimal playing time filling in for absent regulars. He made his debut in September 1987 when the club briefly lost several players to the 1987 Canada Cup
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
; Bure played in five games that season. He scored his first professional goal for CSKA Moscow while playing on the fourth line in his senior club debut.
Bure joined the club full-time in 1988–89 and amassed 17 goals, a Soviet League record for rookies. The record-setting mark stood for 18 years before New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
prospect Alexei Cherepanov
Alexei Cherepanov
Alexei Andreyevich Cherepanov was a Russian professional ice hockey winger who played for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League . The New York Rangers of the National Hockey League drafted Cherepanov with their first selection, seventeenth overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft...
scored 18 goals in 2006–07. Bure added 9 assists for 26 points to earn the league's rookie of the year honours. His individual success helped CSKA Moscow capture their thirteenth consecutive Soviet championship
Russian Open Championship
The Russian Open Hockey Championship , also known as the Championship of Russia in ice hockey , is an annual ice hockey award and national title, bestowed by the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia to the professional hockey organization judged to have the best performing team in Russia.The Russian...
and twelfth consecutive IIHF European Cup
IIHF European Champions Cup
The IIHF European Champions Cup was an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation , which took place during a long weekend in early January. The winner was considered the official club champion of Europe by the IIHF...
in 1989 (they repeated as European champions the following year).
As a member of the Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
-based club, Bure joined a lineup that featured several future NHL players, including linemates Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
and Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
, as well as Igor Larionov
Igor Larionov
Igor Nikolayevich Larionov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player, known as The Professor. Along with Viacheslav Fetisov, he was instrumental in breaking the barrier that stopped Soviet players from joining the National Hockey League . He primarily played the centre position, and is...
, Slava Fetisov
Viacheslav Fetisov
Viacheslav "Slava" Alexandrovich Fetisov is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman...
, Sergei Makarov
Sergei Makarov
Sergei Mikhailovich Makarov is a Russian former ice hockey right wing and two-time Olympic gold medalist, regarded as one of the greatest players to play the sport...
, and Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club CSKA Moscow...
. The combination of Bure, Fedorov and Mogilny formed a promising combination for head coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
Viktor Tikhonov
Viktor Tikhonov
Viktor Vasilyevich Tikhonov is a Russian former ice hockey player and coach. He was the coach of the Soviet team when it was the most dominant team in the world...
, with expectations to replace the previous top Soviet line, the K-L-M combination of Vladimir Krutov
Vladimir Krutov
Vladimir Yevgenyevich Krutov born June 1, 1960) is a former Soviet hockey forward. Together with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov, he was part of the famed KLM Line...
, Larionov and Makarov. The trio was short-lived, as Mogilny defected
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
to play for the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in 1989 and Fedorov joined the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
the following year.
In his third and final season with the Red Army, Bure tied for the lead in team-scoring with Valeri Kamensky
Valeri Kamensky
Valeri Viktorovich Kamensky is a retired Russian hockey player. Before the NHL, he started his career with Khimik Voskresensk in the Soviet Championship League and also played for CSKA Moscow...
, tallying 46 points. His 35 goals was second in the league, one goal behind Ramil Yuldashev
Ramil Yuldashev
Ramil Yuldashev is a retired Ukrainian ice hockey winger who played the majority of his career in the Soviet Championship League with Salavat Yulayev Ufa and Sokil Kyiv. He led the league in scoring in 1990–91 with 36 goals and 56 points in 46 games. He played four games for the Soviet Union in...
of Sokil Kyiv. Bure turned down a three-year contract extension in August 1991, which resulted in him being left off the roster of the Soviet team for the Canada Cup.
Transfer to the NHL (1989–1991)
Bure was selected 113th overall in the 6th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft1989 NHL Entry Draft
The 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Some believe that the Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft was the most successful ever, with 5,721 total NHL games played by the players selected.-Selections by round:...
by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, following his rookie season with CSKA Moscow. The pick was controversial, as the Canucks had chosen him seemingly a year ahead of his eligible draft season. At the age of 18, he was available to be chosen in the first three rounds of the draft, but in order to be selected any later than that, he would had to have played in at least two seasons (with a minimum of 11 games per season) for his elite-level European club, the Central Red Army. However, the Canucks' head scout at the time, Mike Penny, discovered that Bure had played in additional exhibition and international games to make him an eligible late-round draft choice a year early.
Several other teams either had similar knowledge or had pursued Bure, but there was confusion as to the legitimacy of the extra games. The Detroit Red Wings had inquired to league vice president Gil Stein as to Bure's supposed availability prior to their fifth-round pick, but were told that he was not eligible. Winnipeg Jets general manager Mike Smith
Mike Smith (ice hockey b. 1945)
Michael A. Smith is an American hockey executive who was best known for his stints as general manager of the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks teams in the National Hockey League...
claimed he travelled to Moscow prior to the draft and made a offer to the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation
Ice Hockey Federation of Russia
The Ice Hockey Federation of Russia is the governing body overseeing ice hockey in Russia.- History :The federation was founded on November 12, 1991 as "Ice Hockey Federation of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic / Ice Hockey Federation of Russia" established during the existence of...
. The deal involved a transfer fee to be paid to the Soviets over three years, after which time, Bure would join the Jets as a 21-year-old. Smith did not have any plans to draft Bure in 1989, however, as he believed Bure was ineligible.
General manager Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (ice hockey)
John Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
originally intended to draft Bure in the eighth round, but after receiving word that the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
had similar intentions, he selected him in the sixth. Detroit's European scout Christer Rockstrom immediately began protesting, while several other unidentified team representatives reportedly stormed the Met Center stage in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, where the draft was being held, following the announcement of Bure's draft. The Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
and Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
then filed formal complaints to the league, resulting in an investigation into the selection. After the pick was deemed illegal by league president John Ziegler in a press release on May 17, 1990, the Canucks appealed the decision, procuring game sheets proving Bure's participation in the additional games with the help of recent Soviet acquisition Igor Larionov. It was not until the eve of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft
1990 NHL Entry Draft
The 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft was the 28th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Vancouver Canucks at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 16, 1990...
, in which Bure would have been re-entered, that the draft choice was upheld.
Although Larionov and Fetisov had successfully spearheaded the rebellion against Soviet ice hockey officials in the late 1980s that led to the allowance of Soviet players to join the NHL, Bure's transfer to the Canucks met with resistance. Soviet authorities forbade the Canucks to contact Bure personally. During the 1991 World Junior Championships
1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 15th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada...
, he told the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
in an interview that he was hesitant to defect for fears that the Soviets would make things difficult for his younger brother Valeri Bure
Valeri Bure
Valeri Vladimirovich Bure is a retired professional ice hockey right winger from Russia. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League...
, who was 15 at the time and playing in the junior league.
Bure left Moscow with his father and brother on September 6, 1991, temporarily staying in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. His mother arrived shortly afterwards. The Canucks began negotiating a contract with Bure, but before one could be finalized, the issue of his existing contract with the Central Red Army had to be settled. The Canucks management and officials from the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation met in late-October 1991 in a Detroit court, where they bartered for a cash settlement. After the Canucks offered $200,000, Bure stood up in the courtroom to offer an additional $50,000, bringing the total to $250,000. The Russian officials accepted, and Canucks management paid the full $250,000. Bure signed a four-year contract worth a reported $2.7 million with an $800,000 signing bonus soon thereafter. The deal made Bure the Canucks' second highest paid player behind team captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden
Trevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
, who had just recently signed a four-year, $3.7 million contract.
Vancouver Canucks (1991–1999)
Due to the court proceedings, Bure's Canucks debut in 1991–92 was delayed until a month into the season. Garnering much attention in Vancouver, his first practice with the club on November 3, 1991, was attended by approximately 2,000 fans at Britannia Ice Rink in East VancouverEast Vancouver
East Vancouver is a region within the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Geographically, East Vancouver is bordered to the north by Burrard Inlet, to the south by the Fraser River, and to the east by the city of Burnaby...
. He played his first game for the Canucks on November 5, 1991, in a 3–3 tie against the Winnipeg Jets. Despite being kept off the scoresheet in his NHL debut, Bure showcased his talent and speed with several end-to-end rushes, carrying the puck past several defenders from near his defensive zone to the opposing net. Following the game, Vancouver Sun columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
Iain MacIntyre compared him to a rocket, calling him "the fastest Soviet creation since Sputnik". MacIntyre's comments are credited for having laid the groundwork for Bure's moniker as the "Russian Rocket". It took Bure until his third game, a 6–0 win against the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, to record his first point, an assist on a Cliff Ronning
Cliff Ronning
Clifford John Ronning is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 7th round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 134th overall...
goal. He scored his first two NHL goals in the next game on November 12 against Daniel Berthiaume
Daniel Berthiaume
Daniel J. Berthiaume is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played six seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
of the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in an 8–2 win. He scored 34 goals and 60 points in 65 games that season, including 22 goals in his final 23 games. In the last game of the regular season, Bure scored a goal to tie Ivan Hlinka
Ivan Hlinka
Ivan Hlinka was a Czech professional ice hockey player and coach. He was one of the most important figures in Czech ice hockey.-Playing career:...
's 1981–82 team mark for most points by a rookie. Bure's addition to the Canucks lineup bolstered a core that featured Linden and goaltender Kirk McLean
Kirk McLean
Kirk Alan McLean is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
, a Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
nominee in 1989 and 1992 as the league's best goaltender, and helped the Canucks to their first of two consecutive Smythe Division
Smythe Division
The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
titles.
1992 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 18, after the conclusion of the 1991–92 NHL season...
against the Winnipeg Jets, Bure recorded his first NHL hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in game six to help force a seventh and deciding game. Vancouver won the series to advance to the second round, but were then eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers. Bure finished his first Stanley Cup playoffs with 6 goals and 10 points in 13 post-season games. At the end of the season, Bure was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as rookie of the year over Detroit Red Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain...
. His 60 points were second among first-year players to Tony Amonte
Tony Amonte
Anthony Lewis Amonte is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and the Calgary Flames, all of the National Hockey League...
's 69 points with the Rangers, although Bure played in 14 fewer games. When accepting the award, he thanked Canucks linemate Igor Larionov
Igor Larionov
Igor Nikolayevich Larionov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player, known as The Professor. Along with Viacheslav Fetisov, he was instrumental in breaking the barrier that stopped Soviet players from joining the National Hockey League . He primarily played the centre position, and is...
for his guidance. On arriving in Vancouver, the former Red Army teammate took Bure into his North Vancouver home for two weeks before Bure moved into his own downtown apartment. The two also roomed together on the road. Bure's Calder Trophy, along with head coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
Pat Quinn's Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as the league's top coach, marked the first major individual NHL awards in Canucks team history. Despite being distinguished as the league's top rookie, however, Bure was left off the NHL All-Rookie Team
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
, making him the only Calder recipient to not be named to the lineup. He was left off the All-Rookie Team because he split his time playing both left and right wing. When it came to voting for the players, Bure had the most total votes, but not enough at either position to claim a spot.
Bure improved on his rookie season in 1992–93 for his first of two consecutive 60-goal seasons. In the third game of the season, Bure scored a career-high four goals against the Winnipeg Jets. His three goals and one assist in the second period set a pair of Canucks records for most goals and points in a period, in addition to the team mark for most goals overall in a game (for which he is tied with several players). Furthermore, Bure scored two of his goals on the penalty kill to set a fourth team record for most short handed goals in one contest. Bure appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game that season in 1993, being named to the Clarence Campbell Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
Team as the lone Canucks representative. He scored two goals in his All-Star debut in a 16–6 loss to the Wales Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
. Shortly after the All-Star break, Bure established a new franchise record for goals in a season during a 5–1 win over the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, surpassing Tony Tanti
Tony Tanti
Tony Tanti is a retired professional ice hockey player. He was a left winger and played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks...
's 45-goal mark. The next month, on March 1, Bure reached the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career, scoring against Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
of the Buffalo Sabres in a neutral-site game in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. On March 9, Bure recorded two assists in a 7–2 win against the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
to surpass Patrik Sundström
Patrik Sundström
Patrik Sundström is a retired professional ice hockey centre, who played in the NHL for ten seasons.- Playing career :Sundström was drafted 175th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
's franchise record of 91 points. This record stood until it was broken by Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
's 112 points in 2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
. Bure finished the season with 110 points in 83 games and became the first Canuck named to the NHL First All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
.
Bure suffered his first career injury early in the 1993–94 season, pulling his groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
on October 23, 1993, against the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Despite the injury, Bure was allowed to play the next night against the Sharks. He had to be helped off the ice after his first shift because he re-injured his groin. Although he missed eight games with the injury, Bure led the league in goal-scoring by repeating his 60-goal feat from the previous season. In doing so, he became the eighth player in NHL history to record back-to-back 60-goal seasons. He finished the season with 19 goals and 30 points in 16 games to earn player of the month honours for March. The scoring burst was just one point shy of Stan Smyl
Stan Smyl
Stanley Philip Smyl is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship twice in 1977 and 1978...
's 31-point March in 1983 for the most productive month by a Canucks player. Bure's 154 NHL goals at that point in his career put him behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
for the most in any NHL player's first three seasons.
Entering the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
as the seventh seed, the Canucks went on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. In the seventh game of the opening round series against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Bure scored one of the most significant and well-known goals in Canucks history. After receiving a breakaway pass from defenceman Jeff Brown, he deked and scored on Flames goalie Mike Vernon in the second overtime to win the series. The Canucks advanced past Calgary with three consecutive overtime wins after having been down 3–1 in the series. In game two of the second round against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, Bure knocked enforcer Shane Churla
Shane Churla
Shane Churla is a former Canadian ice hockey right winger. He was drafted in the sixth round, 110th overall, by the Hartford Whalers in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft...
to the ice with an elbow to the jaw. The hit came after Bure had been cross-checked from behind by defenceman Craig Ludwig
Craig Ludwig
Craig Lee Ludwig is an American former professional hockey player. He played defense in the National Hockey League from 1983–1999 and was renowned for his shot-blocking ability...
and hit in the head by Churla while he was still on his knees on the ice. Bure also scored two goals in the game to help Vancouver to a 3–0 win. Although Bure was not initially penalized for the play, he later received a $500 fine from the league.
After defeating Dallas in five games, the Canucks eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the Campbell Conference Finals to meet the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals. With the series tied 1–1, Bure was ejected in game three after delivering a high stick to Rangers defenceman Jay Wells
Jay Wells
Gordon Jay Wells is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was nicknamed "The Hammer" for his tough, physical play.-Playing career:...
. Bure's stick caught Wells beneath the eye, drawing blood and resulting in a five-minute major and a game misconduct. With Bure out of the game, the Canucks lost the contest 5–1. A 4–2 loss in game four put the Canucks at the brink of defeat in the series. When Vancouver won game five in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on the strength of Bure's two goals, and game six in Vancouver, the series was pushed to seven games. In the deciding game, the Rangers ended Vancouver's playoff run by a 3–2 score to capture the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Bure finished with a team-high 16 goals and 31 points in 24 games, second in playoff scoring only to Conn Smythe
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
winner Brian Leetch. Bure's points total also remained the highest by any Russian player until Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
recorded 36 in 2009
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
.
In the subsequent off-season, the Canucks announced they had re-signed Bure to a five-year, US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
24.5 million contract on June 16. The deal was reported to have been signed prior to game three of the Stanley Cup Finals against New York. It also obtained Bure's marketing rights and put his father, Vladimir, on the team payroll as a fitness and marketing consultant. The average annual salary of US$4.9 million made Bure the league's third highest-paid player, behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
. Bure and the Canucks had, in fact, entered into contract negotiations at the beginning of the 1993–94 season, although two years remained in his original deal. Neither side could come to an initial agreement; one of the major factors was the Canucks' demands for the contract to be in Canadian dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
s on account of the American exchange rate. Numerous accusations were made in the media during the Canucks' playoff run that Bure threatened not to play if a contract could not be agreed upon. A Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
article published before the first game of the Finals on May 31, 1994, claimed that Bure had signed a five-year, US $30 million contract that, if the Canucks had not agreed to, would have seen him pull out of game five of the Conference Finals against the Maple Leafs. The article was followed by two additional claims in the following two days in the Vancouver-based newspaper The Province
The Province
The Province is a daily, tabloid format newspaper published in British Columbia by Postmedia. It has been a daily newspaper since 1898.According to a recent NADbank survey, The Provinces average weekday readership was 520,100, making it British Columbia's most read newspaper...
and Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
. The Toronto Sun held that the contract was a five-year, US$22.5 million deal, and that it was signed prior to either game six or seven of the opening round against the Flames after Bure's agent, Ron Salcer, told general manager Quinn that Bure would not play if the deal was not made. As the story continued well into the next season, Pat Quinn appeared in a segment on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC)'s Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
with host Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean
Ronald Harold "Ron" MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.-Early life and career:...
on March 27, 1995, publicly denying the claims.
Due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout, Bure spent single-game stints with HC Spartak Moscow
HC Spartak Moscow
HC Spartak is a professional ice hockey team based in Moscow, Russia. They are members of the Bobrov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League .-History:One of the sections of the Spartak Moscow sports club, HC Spartak Moscow was established in 1946...
of the Russian Super League and EV Landshut of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He joined a team of Russian NHL players organized by Slava Fetisov that returned to Russia to play a five-game charity tour against local clubs. On the team, Bure was reunited with former Central Red Army linemates Mogilny and Fedorov. When the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) and owners came to an agreement on January 12, 1995, NHL play was set to resume. However, there were unresolved contract issues, as Salcer claimed that the Canucks promised they would pay Bure's full salary despite the lockout, which cancelled nearly half of the 1994–95 season. Bure held out for four days as a result (the amount claimed to be owing was US$1.7 million), before the two sides reached an agreement that the Canucks would put the disputed amount in escrow
Escrow
An escrow is:* an arrangement made under contractual provisions between transacting parties, whereby an independent trusted third party receives and disburses money and/or documents for the transacting parties, with the timing of such disbursement by the third party dependent on the fulfillment of...
and would continue discussions. He soon reported to Vancouver and went on to tally 43 points in 44 games of the shortened season. He spent the season with a rotation of linemates, taking turns being centred by Trevor Linden, Cliff Ronning
Cliff Ronning
Clifford John Ronning is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 7th round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 134th overall...
and rookie Michael Peca
Michael Peca
Michael Anthony "Mike" Peca is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League . He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple...
. Bure had lacked a consistent linemate since he was centred by fellow Soviets Igor Larionov
Igor Larionov
Igor Nikolayevich Larionov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player, known as The Professor. Along with Viacheslav Fetisov, he was instrumental in breaking the barrier that stopped Soviet players from joining the National Hockey League . He primarily played the centre position, and is...
and Anatoli Semenov
Anatoli Semenov
Anatoli Anatolievich Semenov is a retired professional ice hockey centre who was a star in the Soviet Union during the 1980s and later spent parts of 8 seasons in the National Hockey League.-Soviet Union:...
in each of his first two seasons. Nevertheless, in the 1995 playoffs
1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series...
, Bure set franchise records for most goals and points in a series with 7 and 12 respectively in a seven-game series victory against the St. Louis Blues (Mikael Samuelsson
Mikael Samuelsson
Mikael Samuelsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
later tied Bure's goal-scoring record in 2010
2010 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
). The Canucks, however, failed to defend their Clarence Campbell Bowl title, being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in round two. In the fourth and final playoff game against the Blackhawks, Bure left the contest early in the third period with a rib injury. The Canucks' elimination in 1995 marked the last time Bure appeared in the post-season with the club. He finished with a career playoff total of 66 points with the Canucks, including 34 goals, which remained the highest club total until Linden tied the mark in 2007
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
.
At the start of the 1995–96 season, Bure changed his jersey number from 10 to 96. The switch commemorated the day on which he first landed in North America from Moscow, on September 6, 1991 (9th month, 6th day). He had originally requested to wear the number when he first joined the Canucks, but was not permitted by head coach Pat Quinn, who did not approve of high jersey numbers. After the Canucks made a deal with the Buffalo Sabres to reunite Bure with Alexander Mogilny, the jersey number was deemed acceptable because of Mogilny's number 89.
Early in the season, Bure sustained the first of what were to be several serious knee injuries during his career. On November 9, 1995, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Bure received a hit from defenceman Steve Smith
James Stephen Smith
James Stephen Smith , better known as Steve Smith, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He played in the National Hockey League from 1984–85 to 2000–01...
in the first period, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
(ACL) in his right knee. Requiring arthroscopic surgery
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a joint is performed using an arthroscope, a type of endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision...
, in which tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
was removed from his hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
to repair the ACL, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Without Bure, the Canucks managed to make the 1996 playoffs
1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1996. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a...
on the strength of an offence led by Linden and Mogilny, but were defeated in six games of the opening round by the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Bure returned to the Canucks lineup with his knee fully recovered in the 1996–97 season. Competing for Russia in an exhibition match for the 1996 World Cup
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
in August, he had suffered another setback with a bruised kidney and was sidelined for three weeks, but was able to recover in time for the NHL season. In the season opener against the Calgary Flames, on October 5, 1996, Bure was pushed into the boards head-first by rookie defenceman Todd Simpson
Todd Simpson
Todd Simpson is an ice hockey player. Currently, he plays for the Hannover Scorpions in the German DEL league.Simpson's younger brother, Kent Simpson, is also a professional ice hockey player....
. Although Bure continued to play and did not miss any games soon thereafter, head coach Tom Renney
Tom Renney
Thomas Renney is a Canadian ice hockey Head Coach for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . He has previously coached the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks....
admitted that Bure was still experiencing headaches a couple of weeks after the hit. As Bure's play dropped early in the season, speculation began that he was playing injured. After Bure went eight games without a goal, Renney claimed that Bure was not playing with a head injury, but instead had injured his shoulder in a game against the New York Rangers on November 23. Nevertheless, Bure continued to play. With under a month left in the season, he received another hit, this time from defenceman Aaron Miller
Aaron Miller
Aaron Michael Miller is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. Over the course of his fourteen year career in the National Hockey League, Miller played for four teams: the Quebec Nordiques, who eventually relocated and became the Colorado Avalanche, the Los Angeles Kings, and the...
of the Colorado Avalanche during a game on March 3, 1997. He left the game and did not return for the remainder of the season. Afterwards, Bure admitted that he was playing with a neck injury, having sustained whiplash
Whiplash (medicine)
Whiplash is a non-medical term describing a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck associated with extension. The term "whiplash" is a colloquialism...
from the first game against Calgary, but did not want to take himself out of the lineup after having missed 62 games the previous season. With Bure's reduced playing capacity, he managed 55 points in 63 games, well below his usual pace, and the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first time since Bure joined the team.
In the off-season, the Canucks made another significant move, signing Rangers captain Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
during free agency on July 26, 1997. Despite finally having a high-profile centre to play with, reports in the media began soon thereafter that Bure was requesting to be traded, starting with an article published by The Province on August 26, 1997, by Tony Gallagher
Tony Gallagher
Tony Gallagher is a British newspaper editor.-Career:Gallagher attended Finchley Catholic High School and Bristol University and then City University London before becoming a journalist at the Southern Evening Echo in Southampton and then South West News press agency back in Bristol...
. Bure and the Canucks opened the season with two games against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
– an event organized by the league to market hockey for the upcoming 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano. After two injury-plagued seasons with the number 96 on his jersey, Bure switched back to his familiar number 10, explaining that "I'm not superstitious, but the last two seasons have been bad memories." Although the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second straight year, he returned his previous form in 1997–98, scoring 51 goals and notching his third 50-goal season, his first since 1993–94. His 90 points made him third in the NHL, behind Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
and Jaromír Jágr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
. Bure scored his last goal as a Canuck, and his 254th with the team, in the final game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The total left him just eight goals shy of Stan Smyl's all-time franchise record of 262 goals, which was later surpassed by Trevor Linden and Markus Näslund
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
.
Following the 1997–98 season, Bure told newly appointed general manager Brian Burke in a meeting on July 5, 1998, that he would not play for the Canucks again, despite still having a year left in his contract worth USD $8 million. Bure then went public with the declaration the following month, stating that he intended to leave the club for "personal reasons". Bure did not report to the club the following season. He instead went back to his hometown Moscow to practice with his former Central Red Army club. During this time, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian president Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
offered Bure a tax-free US$4 million salary to play in Belarus, which Bure turned down.
Florida Panthers (1999–2002)
Bure held out well into the 1998–99 season until he was traded on January 17, 1999, to the Florida PanthersFlorida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, with Bret Hedican
Bret Hedican
Bret Michael Hedican is a retired American professional ice hockey player and a two-time US Olympian.-Playing career:Hedican was drafted 198th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. A product of St. Cloud State University, Hedican made his NHL debut in the 1991–92 season with...
, Brad Ference
Brad Ference
Brad Ference is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player.-Playing career:Ference was drafted in the first round, 10th overall, of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks...
, and Vancouver's third-round choice in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
(Robert Fried) for Ed Jovanovski
Ed Jovanovski
Edward Jovanovski is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman of Macedonian descent, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
, Dave Gagner
Dave Gagner
David R. Gagner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current Director of Player Development for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . He is now a color commentator on Hockey Night in Canada, and a studio analyst for NHL on the Fly.- Player :Weekes' career began with the Owen...
, and Florida's first-round choice in the 2000 draft (Nathan Smith). Talks between general managers Burke and Bryan Murray had begun in late-December, with the two meeting at the 1999 World Junior Championships
1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
-Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-5th place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final ranking:-Scoring leaders:-Pool B:Played at Szekesfehervar and Dunaujvaros, Hungary from December 27 to January 3. Two groups of four played round robins, and then the top three played each of the top three teams...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. After the trade was completed, Bure explained in a joint-interview with the Toronto Sun and The Province that he felt he was alienated by Canucks management ever since arriving in North America from Moscow. He cited having stayed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for two weeks before any Canucks representative came down to see him, in addition to several bitter contract negotiations. Bure also claimed that the constant allegations of him threatening not to play during the 1994 playoff run were planted by someone within Canucks management.
Meeting the Panthers in New York for a game against the Islanders, Bure debuted with his new club on January 20, 1999. He played on an all-Russian line with Viktor Kozlov
Viktor Kozlov
Viktor Nikolayevich Kozlov is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Oleg Kvasha
Oleg Kvasha
Oleg "The Chosen One" Kvasha is a Russian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and scored two goals to help the Panthers to a 5–1 win. In his first six games with the club, Bure scored eight goals and three assists for eleven points. Less than a month into his Panthers debut, he suffered a strained right knee while kicking a loose puck during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 5. Despite the injury, the Panthers announced three days later that Bure had signed to a five-year, US$47.5 million deal (with an option for a sixth year at US$10.5 million), the most lucrative in team history.
After being out of the lineup for nearly three weeks, Bure returned to appear in five more games, but was sidelined once more for the rest of the season with a knee injury that he suffered on March 3 after a collision with defenceman Adam Foote
Adam Foote
Adam David Vernon Foote is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as a stay-at-home defenceman....
in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. After initial arthroscopic surgery revealed that his right ACL was not functioning, Bure underwent further reconstructive surgery on March 29. Due to his holdout from Vancouver and the two injuries in Florida, Bure appeared in just 11 games that season, but managed to record 13 goals and 3 assists for 16 points.
In his first full season as a Panther, in 1999–2000, he led the league in goal-scoring to capture his first of two consecutive Rocket Richard Trophies with a 58-goal season. It marked the second time Bure led the league in goal scoring, but his first Rocket Richard Trophy as the award had just been inducted the previous season. Combined with 36 assists, his 94 points came within two of Art Ross Trophy
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
winner Jaromír Jágr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
as the league's leading point-scorer. His 58 goals and 94 points both set franchise records. Bure helped Florida to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
to earn their first post-season berth in three seasons. They were, however, swept in the opening round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. It was Bure's final appearance in the NHL playoffs. At the end of the season, he was listed as a nominee for the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the league's most valuable player. He finished as the second runner-up with 11 first-place votes, behind Jágr (18 first-place votes) and award-winner Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
(25 first-place votes). He was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team for the first time, finishing second in balloting for right wingers behind Jágr (he also mistakenly received a first-place ballot as a left winger). Bure also finished fourth in balloting for the Lady Byng Trophy as the league's most sportsmanlike player.
Bure was set to make his much-anticipated return to Vancouver to play the Canucks on November 5, 1999, but was instead kept out of the lineup due to a broken finger suffered in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. The injury came after having missed five games to a groin injury, which also kept him out of a home game against the Canucks. During the season, he was also named to the 2000 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where he recorded an assist and the 11th hat trick in the history of the All-Star Game. Of Bure's three goals, two were assisted by his brother Valeri
Valeri Bure
Valeri Vladimirovich Bure is a retired professional ice hockey right winger from Russia. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League...
, who played on the same line with Bure, along with Bure's Panthers linemate, Viktor Kozlov. Helping lead the World team to a 9–4 victory over North America, Bure was named the All-Star Game MVP.
Bure repeated as league scoring champion in 2000–01 with 59 goals, reaching the 50-goal plateau for the fifth and final time in his career, as well as bettering his franchise single-season goal-scoring record. Without much secondary scoring, however (the second leading scorer on the team was Viktor Kozlov with 37 points), the Panthers missed out on the playoffs, finishing 12th place in the East. Bure set a league record that season by scoring 29.5% of his team's total goals over the course of the season. He was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, behind Jágr in the right wing position for the second consecutive year.
Prior to the 2001–02 season, the Panthers acquired Valeri Bure from the Calgary Flames in a trade, reuniting the two brothers under the same team. Bure suffered a setback in the pre-season, however, re-injuring his groin. After the season began, he was sidelined for seven games in November and December due to a concussion. He sustained the head injury during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 19, 2001, after he was checked into the glass by forward Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played most of his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens...
. Several days after returning to the lineup, on December 16, 2001, Bure reached the 700-point mark with two assists and an empty net goal
Empty net goal
An empty net goal, or colloquially an empty netter , occurs in ice hockey when a team scores a goal into a net with no goaltender present...
in a 3–1 win over the New York Islanders. At the trading deadline, Bure was dealt to the New York Rangers. During his 56 games for the Panthers that season, he led the team in scoring for the third consecutive season with 49 points.
New York Rangers (2002–2003)
The New York Rangers acquired Bure on March 18, 2002, along with Florida's second-round pick in the 2002 draft2002 NHL Entry Draft
The 2002 NHL Entry Draft was held June 22–23 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. 291 players were drafted in total: 35 from the OHL; 23 from the QMJHL; 43 from the WHL; 41 from the NCAA; 6 from U.S high schools and 110 from outside North America....
(Lee Falardeau
Lee Falardeau
Lee Falardeau is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL. He was selected by the New York Rangers in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.-Playing career:...
) for Igor Ulanov
Igor Ulanov
Igor S. Ulanov is a former National Hockey League defenceman. Ulanov was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the tenth round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft...
, Filip Novak
Filip Novak
Filip Novák is a Czech professional ice hockey player. Novak currently plays for UHC Dynamo in the Kontinental Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, as well as the Rangers' first and second-round choices in the 2002 draft (Petr Tatíček
Petr Taticek
Petr Tatíček is a Czech professional ice hockey centre who played for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. He is currently playing for HC Davos in Switzerland's National League A....
and Rob Globke
Rob Globke
Robert Frederick Globke is an American ice hockey player for the Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Globke graduated from the University of Notre Dame and from Southfield Christian School.-Transactions:...
, respectively) and a fourth-round choice in the 2003 draft
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...
. The Rangers had shown interest in Bure when he was originally shopped by the Canucks in 1997. After losing their initial bid for Bure, Wayne Gretzky, who retired the same season Bure was dealt to Florida, announced prior to the 1999–2000 season that he would have extended his career had the Rangers been able to pull the trade off. Bure made his Rangers debut against the Vancouver Canucks the day after his trade on March 19, scoring a goal in a 3–1 loss to his former team. He scored 12 goals and 20 points in 12 games upon being traded, up from his pace with Florida that season. Between the two teams, he finished the season with 34 goals and 69 points.
Bure suffered another knee injury in a 2002–03 pre-season matchup with the New Jersey Devils on September 24, 2002. Combined with a case of strep throat, the injury caused him to miss the first three games of the regular season. Bure returned to the lineup to record 14 goals and 21 points in his first 27 games, including two goals and an assist in his first game back, before suffering a knee-on-knee collision with Buffalo Sabres forward Curtis Brown in a game on December 6, 2002. After undergoing surgery 10 days later, it was revealed that there was no damage to the ACL as previously feared, but instead a tear to the meniscus
Meniscus (anatomy)
In anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
in his left knee, which was repaired. Bure returned that season to appear in 39 games, managing 19 goals and 30 points.
Bure did not play in 2003–04 due to lingering effects of the knee injury, even after two operations. He failed a pre-season physical and was declared medically unable to play. Left with Bure's fully insured US$10 million salary (which would be reimbursed to the team by 80 percent), the Rangers consequently left him unprotected in the NHL's Waiver Draft. He was unclaimed.
Bure remained inactive for another season due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. After the NHL resumed play for the 2005–06 season, Bure announced his retirement from professional hockey at a press conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
in Moscow on November 1, 2005, due to complications with his chronically injured knee. At the same time, it was announced that Bure would be the general manager of Russia's ice hockey team
Russian national ice hockey team
The Russian men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of Russia and are controlled by the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia. They are currently rated number one in the IIHF World Ranking; with 3980 points...
for the 2006 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
.
International play
Prior to joining the NHL in 1991, Bure competed in several junior international tournaments for the Soviet Union. The first was the 1988 Quebec Esso Cup1988 Quebec Esso Cup
The 1988 Quebec Esso Cup was an international under-17 ice hockey tournament held in Quebec, Canada. It was the second installment of what is now known as the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. The USSR, led by Pavel Bure, took their first ever gold medal in the tournament, while the Swedish team...
, an under-17 tournament (now known as the World U-17 Hockey Challenge
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, originally known as the Quebec Esso Cup, is an international ice hockey tournament held annually in Canada. The tournament does not operate during years in which the Canada Winter Games are held. As such, the World Under-17 Challenge is held three out of every...
) held in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, where he earned a gold medal. That same year, he competed in his first of two consecutive European Junior Championships.
The following year, Bure debuted at the world under-20 level as a 17-year-old at the 1989 World Junior Championships
1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 13th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The Soviet Union won the gold medal, its eleventh, and ultimately final, championship...
in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
. The top line of CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...
teammates Bure, Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
and Sergei Federov led the Soviet Union to a gold medal. Bure's eight goals tied him for the tournament lead with Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
of the United States, in addition to a team-high 14 points. He was named to the Tournament All-Star Team and earned Best Forward honours.
Bure competed in his second World Juniors the following year in 1990
1990 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1990 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 14th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held mainly in Helsinki, Finland...
, winning a silver medal in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland, while scoring seven goals in seven games. Later that year, he made his senior debut with the Soviet national team as a 19-year-old at the 1990 World Championships
1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated....
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
He scored two goals and four assists in ten games to help the Soviets to a gold medal finish, winning all three games in the medal round. Despite winning the overall tournament, the Soviets finished with a silver in the European Championship, which took into account only games played amongst European teams during the tournament. Nevertheless, each Soviet player was awarded $10,000 for winning the overall tournament, which Bure used to buy a new Lada
Lada
Lada is a trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. All AvtoVAZ vehicles are currently sold under the Lada brand, though this was not always so; Lada was originally AvtoVAZ's export brand for models it sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market...
. Several months later, in July, Bure took part in his third international tournament of the year at the 1990 Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
in Seattle. Bure scored four goals and an assist in five games, and the Soviets captured the gold medal by defeating the United States in the final.
In 1991
1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 15th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada...
, Bure appeared in his third and final World Junior Championships. Having won their first four games, the Soviets required only a win in their the second-to-last-game against Finland to clinch the gold medal. After the Finns built a 4–0 lead, Bure led a 5-goal comeback in which he scored his team's final three goals for a natural hat trick. Nevertheless, the Soviets gave up a goal in the final minute of the game to set up a gold medal match against Canada
Canada national junior hockey team
The Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January...
.
Although Bure finished the tournament as the leading scorer with 12 goals in 7 games, the Soviets fell to Canada 3–2 to settle for silver. He finished his three-year World Junior career with a tournament-record 27 goals, to go with 39 points, in 21 games. Bure later competed in the 1991 World Championships
1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :...
for his second international appearance of the year. He improved on his previous year's total with 11 points in 11 games, tied for the team lead with Valeri Kamensky
Valeri Kamensky
Valeri Viktorovich Kamensky is a retired Russian hockey player. Before the NHL, he started his career with Khimik Voskresensk in the Soviet Championship League and also played for CSKA Moscow...
, and helped the Soviets to a bronze medal finish. Bure was named to the tournament's Second All-Star Team. The 1991 team marked the last World Championships that the Soviets played as the USSR, giving way to the union's dissolution later that year.
Prior to the dissolution, Bure was set to represent the Soviet Union at the 1991 Canada Cup
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
several months later in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. However, after turning down a three-year contract with his Russian club, CSKA Moscow, he was left off the final roster. Further controversy ensued five years later in the inaugural 1996 World Cup
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
(the successor tournament to the Canada Cup
Canada Cup (ice hockey)
The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
). Bure had recently recovered from reconstructive surgery
Reconstructive surgery
Reconstructive surgery is, in its broadest sense, the use of surgery to restore the form and function of the body, although Maxillo-Facial Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons and Otolaryngologists do reconstructive surgery on faces after trauma and to reconstruct the head and neck after cancer.Other...
to his right knee and had begun practicing with the Russian national team, when he refused to sign a petition organized by national team veteran Slava Fetisov. With the Russian Ice Hockey Federation
Ice Hockey Federation of Russia
The Ice Hockey Federation of Russia is the governing body overseeing ice hockey in Russia.- History :The federation was founded on November 12, 1991 as "Ice Hockey Federation of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic / Ice Hockey Federation of Russia" established during the existence of...
dealing with internal corruption, the petition called for the ouster of a select few Russian ice hockey officials. In response, Bure explained, "I do not sign petitions. I believe I should work – play hockey. Petitions to the federation or to Olympic committees do not interest me." Despite the controversy, Bure did not play in the tournament as a result of a bruised kidney suffered in an exhibition game against the United States.
Two years later, Bure made his Olympic debut with Russia at the 1998 Winter Games
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
in Nagano. He helped his team to the gold medal game after an Olympic record five-goal game in Russia's 7–4 semi-final win against Finland, two of which came on breakaways
Breakaway (ice hockey)
A breakaway is a situation in ice hockey in which a player with the puck has no defending players, except for the goaltender, between himself and the opposing goal, leaving him free to skate in and shoot at will . A breakaway is considered a lapse on the part of the defending team...
. Playing the Czech Republic in the final, however, Bure and the Russians were shutout by goaltender Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
and lost the gold medal by a 1–0 score. He finished with a tournament-high nine goals to be named the top forward and, while recording no assists, placed third in point-scoring with nine points in six games.
After the Panthers were eliminated in the 2000 playoffs
2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, and concluded in June. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions ...
, Bure was added to the Russian roster for the 2000 World Championships
2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :...
, held in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. The Russians were not able to make the medal rounds, suffering upset defeats to both Latvia and Belarus. In six games, Bure managed four goals and an assist. Two years later, Bure made his second Olympic appearance at the 2002 Games
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
in Salt Lake City, playing with a fractured hand
Fracture
A fracture is the separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress.The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures , or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal...
. Attempting to make his second straight trip to the gold medal game, Bure and the Russians knocked out the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals 1-0, but lost in the semi-finals to the United States by 3–2. Bure finished his final international tournament as a player with two goals and an assist in six games to go with a bronze medal, having defeated Belarus in the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
game.
General manager
Upon the announcement of his retirement in 2005, Bure was named Russia's Olympic general manager, succeeding Viacheslav FetisovViacheslav Fetisov
Viacheslav "Slava" Alexandrovich Fetisov is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman...
. He promised to put an end to the Russian Hockey Federation's history of internal conflict and player boycotts, stating, "You won't see such a mess with the national team that you've seen here before", and that "You won't see grouchy players here anymore. Only those who really want to play for Russia will be called into the team." As general manager, Bure chose the team for the 2006 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. The Russians failed to win a medal after they were shutout by the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game. Leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, former Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM is a former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national ice hockey team. Considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, he was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Centennial All-Star Team in a...
was named Bure's successor as Olympic general manager on October 12, 2009.
Playing style
Trained in the Soviet Union under the CSKA Moscow hockey program, Bure's playing style reflected the speed, skill and puck possession that the Soviets held at a premium. The most prevalent aspect of Bure's game was his skating speed and acceleration, which earned him his nickname as the "Russian Rocket". He was able to use his quickness to separate himself from defenders, scoring many of his goals on breakaways. Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
conditioning coach Peter Twist noticed during Bure's rehabilitation period following his first major knee injury in 1995, that his skating style was particularly unique in comparison to typical North American players. He explained, "Most players skate on their inside edge and push off at a 45-degree angle, but Bure starts on his outer edge and rolls over to his inside edge and pushes back straighter on his stride ... he gets more power and force in his stride to get up to top speed quicker."
Bure's skating was also complemented by his ability to deke out defenders and goaltenders at top speeds, making him capable of routinely starting end-to-end rushes. However, several knee injuries and consequent reconstructive surgeries compromised the speed that defined Bure's game, ultimately leading to his retirement in 2005.
Bure won the Canucks' Most Exciting Player Award, as voted by the fans, a team record five times (tied with Tony Tanti
Tony Tanti
Tony Tanti is a retired professional ice hockey player. He was a left winger and played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks...
) from 1992–1995 and once more in 1998. Canucks teammate and captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden
Trevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
, who had played with Bure for seven seasons, said following Bure's retirement, "I don't know if I've ever seen or played with a player that's brought people out of their seats like that." During the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
, New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
, who later coached Bure for one-and-a-half seasons in Vancouver, called him "perhaps the most electrifying forward in the league".
Bure has been described as a pure goal scorer and is statistically among the top players in NHL history in that regard. In addition to having reached the 50-goal mark in his career five times and the 60-goal mark twice, his .623 goals per game average is third among the top 100 goal scorers in NHL history, behind Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
and Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
.
Personal life
Swimming at the Summer Olympics
Swimming has been a sport at every modern Summer Olympics. It has been open to women since 1912. Along with track & field athletics and gymnastics it is one of the most popular spectator sports at the Games and the one with the largest number of events....
who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1968
Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 468 participants from 51 countries competing. The United States dominated the competition, winning 52 of 87 medals.-Medal table:-Men's events:...
, 1972
Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 532 participants from 52 countries competing....
, and 1976 Olympic Games
Swimming at the 1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montréal, Canada, 26 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 471 participants from 51 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:...
. He won four medals, including a bronze medal for the 100-metre race in the 1972 Games, in which he lost the gold medal by half a second to American swimming legend Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....
. Bure retained his father as his personal trainer well into his playing career, before severing ties with him in 1997. Bure's paternal grandfather, Valeri Bure, also competed for the Soviet Union in the Olympics as a goalkeeper for the national water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
team. Named after their grandfather, Bure's younger brother, Valeri Bure
Valeri Bure
Valeri Vladimirovich Bure is a retired professional ice hockey right winger from Russia. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League...
, was also a hockey player, spending 10 years in the NHL. The two siblings played with each other briefly as members of the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, as well as on the Russian national team.
In addition to athleticism, nobility ran in the family. Bure was named after his great-grandfather, a watchmaker to Tsar Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
. Bure's family made precious watches for the tsars from 1815–1917; as craftspersons of the imperial family, they were granted noble status. After Bure sustained his first serious knee injury in 1995, he pursued the watchmaking business during his rehabilitation period in an attempt to revive the family business. Fifty replicas of the same watches his ancestors sold to the Russian imperial family were made and priced at US $30,000 each. Bure presented three of the gold replicas to Russian President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
, Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin
Viktor Chernomyrdin
Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin was the founder and the first chairman of the Gazprom energy company, the longest serving Prime Minister of Russia and Acting President of Russia for a day in 1996. He was a key figure in Russian politics in the 1990s, and a great contributor to the Russian...
and Moscow mayor Yuriy Luzhkov
Yuriy Luzhkov
Yury Mikhaylovich Luzhkov is a Russian politician who was the Mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010. He was also vice-chairman and one of the founders of the ruling United Russia party....
.
Shortly after arriving in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from Moscow with his father and brother on September 6, 1991 (his mother Tatiana arrived two months later), Bure married an American fashion model in a civil ceremony
Civil ceremony
A civil registrar ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the UK, this person is normally called a registrar...
five days later. The model was later revealed to be Jayme Bohn. The marriage was allegedly set up by Bure's agents as a preventative measure against deportation in the event Bure and the Canucks could not come to terms with a contract. Bure derived no immigration benefit from the marriage, which was dissolved the following year. Bohn became a costume designer in the film and television industry. Bure later obtained his permanent residence visa ("green card") as an alien "with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics".
After being linked to girlfriend Dahn Bryan, a model and actress, early in his NHL career, Bure shared a relationship with tennis star and fellow Russian Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova is a Russian retired professional tennis player. Her beauty and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide, despite the fact that she never won a WTA singles title. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name...
. The two met in 1999 when Kournikova was still linked to Bure's former Russian teammate Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
. Bure and Kournikova were reported to have been engaged in 2000 after a reporter took a photo of them together in a Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
restaurant where Bure supposedly asked Kournikova to marry him. As the story made headlines in Russia, where they were both heavily followed in the media as celebrities, Bure and Kournikova both denied any engagement. Kournikova, 10 years younger than Bure, was 18 years old at the time. The following year, Kournikova and Fedorov were married in Moscow. They were soon divorced, however, and Kournikova later married pop star Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
in 2003.
In 2002, Bure sued the Russian newspaper the eXile
The eXile
The eXile was a Moscow-based English-language biweekly free tabloid newspaper, aimed at the city's expatriate community, which combined outrageous, sometimes satirical, content with investigative reporting...
for publishing an article stating that he broke up with Kournikova on account of her having two vaginas. Although the newspapers' editorial staff claimed the story was a mere joke, the court ruled in favour of Bure in the amount of 500,000 ruble
Ruble
The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. Currently, the currency units of Belarus, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, and, in the past, the currency units of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union, are named rubles, though they all are...
s (US$17,770). Furthermore, the eXile was obligated to print another article refuting the previous story. Two years later, on December 27, 2004, the Russian cosmetics chain Arbat Prestige published a story in their free promotional paper that Bure had bragged about Kournikova losing her virginity to him. Shortly thereafter, on January 31, 2005, Bure sued Arbat Prestige for 300 million rubles (US$10.65 million) in a court in Moscow. He also demanded Arbat Prestige print a retraction and apology in a future paper, similar to the suit against the eXile. The court ruled in favour of Bure in November 2005. The amount was, however, reduced from 300 million to approximately 320,000 rubles.
Bure married 23-year-old model Alina Khasanova on October 10, 2009. Bure and Khasanova had known each other for four years after meeting in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The wedding was held in Moscow for over 300 guests at a restaurant. Pravda
Pravda
Pravda was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991....
reported the couple had officially married on October 10, 2008, in Miami.
During Bure's playing career, much speculation surrounded Russian NHL players and their potential ties to the Russian mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
as both victims and associates. As Soviet players began defecting to the NHL, many cases of extortion began surfacing that the Russian mafia was targeting the players' families still living in Russia. Former teammate Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
was a victim of such an extortion attempt in 1994, while Bure was reported to have made payments totaling in the thousands of dollars to Russian extortionists in 1993. Three years later, however, in 1996, American sports network ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
aired reports alleging Bure was a potential associate to the Russian mafia on account of his relationship with friend and business partner Anzor Kikalishvili, known to both Russian and American police as a suspected criminal and possible Russian mob boss. Bure was revealed to hold a position as vice president in the sports company Twenty First Century Association, owned by Kikalishvili, and reportedly believed by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
to be a mafia front worth at least US$100 million in illicit funds. While Bure did not deny his business and personal relationships with Kikalishvili, he refuted reports that Kikalishvili was involved in any criminal activity. Speculation resurfaced in 1999, as Bure was included in an investigation aired by CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
documentary series fifth estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
that made several supposed associations between Soviet NHL players and the Russian mafia. An allegation arose that Bure's former Red Army teammate Slava Fetisov used a company of which he was president to launder money
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
for Vyacheslav Ivankov
Vyacheslav Ivankov
Vyacheslav Kirillovich Ivankov was a notorious member of the Russian Mafia who was believed to have connections with Russian state intelligence organizations and their organized crime partners. He has operated in both the Soviet Union and the United States...
, considered to be the "Russian godfather" in North America. Bure's relationship with Kikalishvili continued to be questioned. Bure denied Kikalishvili's involvement in any criminal activity, dismissing the allegations as "rumours".
During his stay with the Canucks, Bure lived in a mansion on Vancouver's Southwest Marine Drive. He purchased the $1 million, 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) residence in 1994 after having lived in an apartment in Downtown Vancouver overlooking False Creek
False Creek
False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city. It was named by George Henry Richards during his Hydrographic survey of 1856-63. Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end. False Creek is...
. He spent numerous off-seasons during this time in Los Angeles.
Nearly a year after his retirement, on October 31, 2006, Bure filed another suit after being kicked off a British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
flight by the pilot, having been mistaken for a rowdy soccer fan. Despite an official apology from the airline company in June 2007, Bure took the issue to court, suing British Airways for 20 million rubles. In late-August 2007, the Tver Court of Moscow ruled in favour of Bure in the total amount of 67,000 rubles.
Regular season and playoffs
Bolded numbers indicate season/ playoff leader| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1987–88 | CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army... |
Soviet | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | CSKA Moscow | Soviet | 32 | 17 | 9 | 26 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | CSKA Moscow | Soviet | 46 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | CSKA Moscow | Soviet | 44 | 35 | 11 | 46 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
65 | 34 | 26 | 60 | 30 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 14 | ||
| 1992–93 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 83 | 60 | 50 | 110 | 69 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 8 | ||
| 1993–94 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 76 | 60 | 47 | 107 | 86 | 24 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 40 | ||
| 1994–95 | Spartak Moscow HC Spartak Moscow HC Spartak is a professional ice hockey team based in Moscow, Russia. They are members of the Bobrov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League .-History:One of the sections of the Spartak Moscow sports club, HC Spartak Moscow was established in 1946... |
RSL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | EV Landshut Landshut Cannibals The Landshut Cannibals are a professional ice hockey team based in Landshut, Bavaria. Currently they are members of the 2nd Bundesliga. The team was founded in 1948 as Eislaufverein Landshut , but since 2002 the professional team is organised as “Landshut Cannibals”. The EVL is still responsible... |
DEL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 44 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 47 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 1995–96 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 15 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 63 | 23 | 32 | 55 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 51 | 39 | 90 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Florida Panthers Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
NHL | 11 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 74 | 58 | 36 | 94 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 82 | 59 | 33 | 92 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 56 | 22 | 27 | 49 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 12 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | New York Rangers | NHL | 39 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 702 | 437 | 342 | 779 | 484 | 64 | 35 | 35 | 70 | 74 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | P | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 1988 Quebec Esso Cup The 1988 Quebec Esso Cup was an international under-17 ice hockey tournament held in Quebec, Canada. It was the second installment of what is now known as the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. The USSR, led by Pavel Bure, took their first ever gold medal in the tournament, while the Swedish team... |
USSR | U17 World U-17 Hockey Challenge The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, originally known as the Quebec Esso Cup, is an international ice hockey tournament held annually in Canada. The tournament does not operate during years in which the Canada Winter Games are held. As such, the World Under-17 Challenge is held three out of every... |
Stats not available | |||||
| 1988 | USSR | EJC | 6 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| 1989 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 13th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The Soviet Union won the gold medal, its eleventh, and ultimately final, championship... |
USSR | WJC World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world... |
7 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 4 | |
| 1989 | USSR | EJC | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | |
| 1990 1990 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1990 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 14th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held mainly in Helsinki, Finland... |
USSR | WJC | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |
| 1990 1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated.... |
USSR Soviet national ice hockey team The Soviet national ice hockey team , was the national hockey team of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were the most dominant team of all time in international play. The team won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament between 1954 and 1991 held by the International Ice Hockey Federation... |
WC | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | |
| 1991 | USSR | GG Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s... |
5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 1991 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 15th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada... |
USSR | WJC | 7 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 31 | |
| 1991 1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :... |
USSR | WC | 10 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 2 | |
| 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
Russia | Oly | 6 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2000 2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :... |
Russia | WC | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 | |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
Russia | Oly | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |
| Junior int'l totalsa | 33 | 42 | 18 | 60 | 51 | |||
| Senior int'l totals | 43 | 24 | 15 | 39 | 32b | |||
adoes not include 1988 Quebec Esso Cup (U17)
bdoes not include penalty minutes for the 1991 Goodwill Games
Soviet
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Soviet champion (HC CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army... ) |
1988, 1989 |
| IIHF European Champions Cup IIHF European Champions Cup The IIHF European Champions Cup was an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation , which took place during a long weekend in early January. The winner was considered the official club champion of Europe by the IIHF... (HC CSKA Moscow) |
1988 IIHF European Cup 1988 The 1987-1988 European Cup was the twenty-third edition of the European Cup, the International Ice Hockey Federation 's premier European club ice hockey tournament. The season started on October 8, 1987, and finished on October 16, 1988... , 1989 IIHF European Cup 1989 The 1988-1989 European Cup was the twentyfourth edition of the European Cup, IIHF's premier European club ice hockey tournament. The season started on October 2, 1988, and finished on February 19, 1989.... , 1990 IIHF European Cup 1990 The 1989-1990 European Cup was the twentyfifth edition of the European Cup, IIHF's premier European club ice hockey tournament. The season started on October 13, 1989, and finished on February 4, 1990.... |
| Rookie of the Year | 1989 |
International
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| World Junior Championship World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world... Best Forward |
1989 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 13th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The Soviet Union won the gold medal, its eleventh, and ultimately final, championship... |
| World Junior Championship All-Star Team | 1989 |
| World Junior Championship gold medal (Soviet Union) | 1989 |
| World Championship gold medal (Soviet Union) | 1990 1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated.... |
| World Championship Second All-Star Team | 1991 1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :... |
| Winter Olympics Best Forward | 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
NHL
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Calder Memorial Trophy Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season... |
1992 |
| NHL All-Star Game National Hockey League All-Star Game The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other... |
1993 44th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 44th National Hockey League All-Star Game was the last All-Star game to take place at the Montreal Forum on February 6, 1993. Before the start of the game there was a tribute to Mario Lemieux, who was in attendance, but could not play due to his treatments for Hodgkin's Disease... , 1994 45th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 45th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in New York City, New York, on January 22, 1994.- Super Skills Competition :The Western Conference would win the Skills Competition for the second straight season... , 1997 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills... , 1998 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to the Vancouver Canucks, on January 18, 1998.-The International Showdown:... , 2000 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game was part of the 1999–2000 NHL season, and took place in Toronto's Air Canada Centre on February 6, 2000.... , 2001 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game The 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on February 4, 2001, at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The final score was North America 14, World 12.-Super Skills Competition:... |
| NHL First All-Star Team | 1994 |
| NHL All-Star Game MVP | 2000 |
| NHL Second All-Star Team | 2000, 2001 |
| Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, also known as the Maurice Richard Trophy is awarded annually to the leading goal scorer in the National Hockey League . It was donated to the NHL by the Montreal Canadiens hockey club in and is named in honour of the legendary Montreal Canadiens right winger... |
2000, 2001 (led the league in goals in 1994, prior to trophy's creation) |
Vancouver Canucks
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Most Exciting Player Award | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998 |
| Molson Cup Molson Cup The Molson Cup is an award presented to a distinguished player on Canadian ice hockey teams. After each game, the "three game stars" are selected, usually by a member of the media. At the end of the season, the player with the most three-star honours is presented with the Molson Cup... (three-star selection leader) |
1992, 1993, 1994, 1998 |
| Cyclone Taylor Trophy Cyclone Taylor Trophy The Cyclone Taylor Award is the award given each year to the most valuable player on the Vancouver Canucks . It is named after Cyclone Taylor, a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who led the Vancouver Millionaires to the Stanley Cup in 1915... (MVP) |
1993, 1994, 1998 |
| Cyrus H. McLean Trophy Cyrus H. McLean Trophy The Cyrus H. McLean Trophy is an award given out by the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. It recognizes the Canucks leading scorer over the course of the regular season... (leading scorer) |
1993, 1994, 1995, 1998 |
Team
- Vancouver Canucks' single-season record, most points by a rookie - 60 in 1991–92 (tied with Ivan HlinkaIvan HlinkaIvan Hlinka was a Czech professional ice hockey player and coach. He was one of the most important figures in Czech ice hockey.-Playing career:...
, 1981–82) - Vancouver Canucks' single-season record, most goals - 60 in 1992–93 and 1993–94
- Vancouver Canucks' all-time playoffs record, most goals - 34 (tied with Trevor LindenTrevor LindenTrevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
) - Vancouver Canucks' all-time record, most shorthanded goals - 24
- Vancouver Canucks' single-game record, most goals - four versus the Winnipeg Jets on October 12, 1992 (tied with Rosaire PaiementRosaire PaiementJoseph Rosaire Wilfrid Paiement is a retired a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He is the older brother of Wilf Paiement....
, Bobby SchmautzBobby SchmautzRobert James Schmautz is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Schmautz started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1968. Schmautz would also play for the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Rockies, and Edmonton Oilers.-External links:...
, Rick BlightRick BlightRichard Derek Blight was a professional hockey player.A native of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Blight had a long and varied career in the sport of hockey, playing the position of Right Wing for teams in the NHL, MJHL, WCHL, CHL, and the AHL hockey leagues...
, Petri SkrikoPetri SkrikoPetri Kalevi Skriko is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey player, best remembered for his seasons starring in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980s...
, Greg Adams, Tony TantiTony TantiTony Tanti is a retired professional ice hockey player. He was a left winger and played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks...
, Martin GelinasMartin GelinasMartin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
, Markus NäslundMarkus NäslundSten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
and Daniel SedinDaniel SedinDaniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
) - Florida Panthers' single-season record, most goals - 59 in 2000–01
- Florida Panthers' single-season record, most points - 94 in 1999–2000
International
- World Junior ChampionshipsWorld Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
all-time record, most goals - 27 in 21 games (19891989 World Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 13th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The Soviet Union won the gold medal, its eleventh, and ultimately final, championship...
–19911991 World Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 15th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada...
) - Winter Olympics single-game record, most goals - five (1998Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter OlympicsIce hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
; semi-finals vs. Finland)
NHL
- NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
record, most goals scored in proportion to team - 29.5% of the Florida PanthersFlorida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
' goals in 2000–01.
Transactions
- June 9, 1989 - Drafted by the Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the sixth round, 113th overall, in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft1989 NHL Entry DraftThe 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Some believe that the Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft was the most successful ever, with 5,721 total NHL games played by the players selected.-Selections by round:...
. - October 31, 1991 - Signed by the Vancouver Canucks to a four-year, $3.5 million contract.
- June 16, 1994 - Re-signed by the Vancouver Canucks to a five-year, $24.5 million contract.
- January 17, 1999 - Traded by the Vancouver Canucks, along with Bret HedicanBret HedicanBret Michael Hedican is a retired American professional ice hockey player and a two-time US Olympian.-Playing career:Hedican was drafted 198th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. A product of St. Cloud State University, Hedican made his NHL debut in the 1991–92 season with...
, Brad FerenceBrad FerenceBrad Ference is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player.-Playing career:Ference was drafted in the first round, 10th overall, of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks...
and Vancouver's third-round draft choice (Robert Fried) in 20002000 NHL Entry DraftThe 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
, to the Florida PanthersFlorida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in exchange for Ed JovanovskiEd JovanovskiEdward Jovanovski is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman of Macedonian descent, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
, Dave GagnerDave GagnerDavid R. Gagner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current Director of Player Development for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Mike Brown, Kevin WeekesKevin WeekesKevin Weekes is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . He is now a color commentator on Hockey Night in Canada, and a studio analyst for NHL on the Fly.- Player :Weekes' career began with the Owen...
and Florida's first-round draft choice (Nathan Smith) in 2000. - February 8, 1999 - Signed by the Florida Panthers to a five-year, $47.5 million deal.
- March 18, 2002 - Traded by the Florida Panthers, along with Florida's second-round draft choice in 20022002 NHL Entry DraftThe 2002 NHL Entry Draft was held June 22–23 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. 291 players were drafted in total: 35 from the OHL; 23 from the QMJHL; 43 from the WHL; 41 from the NCAA; 6 from U.S high schools and 110 from outside North America....
, to the New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in exchange for Igor UlanovIgor UlanovIgor S. Ulanov is a former National Hockey League defenceman. Ulanov was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the tenth round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft...
, Filip NovakFilip NovakFilip Novák is a Czech professional ice hockey player. Novak currently plays for UHC Dynamo in the Kontinental Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, the Rangers' first-round draft choice in 2002 (Petr TaticekPetr TaticekPetr Tatíček is a Czech professional ice hockey centre who played for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. He is currently playing for HC Davos in Switzerland's National League A....
), the Rangers' second-round draft choice in 2002 (Rob GlobkeRob GlobkeRobert Frederick Globke is an American ice hockey player for the Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Globke graduated from the University of Notre Dame and from Southfield Christian School.-Transactions:...
) and the Rangers fourth-round draft choice in 2003 (later traded to the Atlanta ThrashersAtlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
; Atlanta selected Guillaume DesbiensGuillaume DesbiensGuillaume Desbiens is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays within the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
).
See also
- List of National Hockey League statistical leaders
- List of National Hockey League players with 50 goal seasons
- List of National Hockey League players with 100 point seasons
- Notable families in the NHL