Pavel Bure

Position	Right wing
Shot	Left
Height Weight	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb)
Pro clubs	NHL  Vancouver Canucks  Florida Panthers  New York Rangers RSL  HC CSKA Moscow  HC Spartak Moscow
Nationality	Russia
Born	March 31, 1971 (1971-03-31) (age 38), Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR
NHL Draft	113th overall, 1989 Vancouver Canucks
Pro career	1987 – 2003

Pavel Vladimirovich Bure (Russian: Павел Владимирович Буре; born March 31, 1971) is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed the Russian Rocket for his world class speed and skill,^[1][2] he played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. Trained in Russia, where he was known as Pascha,^[3] he also played three seasons with the Central Red Army team prior to his NHL career.

Drafted 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). After struggling with knee injuries throughout his career, Bure retired prematurely in 2005 as a member of the Rangers.

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 silver medal in the 1990 and 1991 World Championships, respectively. After the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, Bure competed 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 from his playing career in 2005, he was named the general manager for Russia's 2006 Olympic team.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Playing career 2.1 Central Red Army (1987–1991) 2.2 Vancouver Canucks (1991–1999) 2.3 Florida Panthers (1999–2002) 2.4 New York Rangers (2002–2003) 3 International play 4 Personal life 5 Records 5.1 Team 5.2 International 6 Career statistics 7 Awards 7.1 Soviet 7.2 International 7.3 NHL 7.4 Vancouver Canucks 8 Transactions 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

Early life

Bure was born in Moscow to Vladimir Bure and Tatiana Gvovana on March 31, 1971. His parents separated by the time Bure was twelve; he remained with his mother.^[4] Vladimir, a Russian swimming legend, had dreams of Bure becoming a professional, but Bure had dreams of playing hockey at an early age. He attended his first tryout with the CSKA Moscow hockey school at the age of six despite much skating ability. Up until that point, Bure had only played hockey on the streets with a ball.^[5] 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.^[6]

He quickly developed his abilities and by age eleven, he was named the best forward in his league. Around that time, in July 1982, Bure was selected among just three young Russian players to practice with Wayne Gretzky and Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak in a taped television special. By fourteen-years-old, he was named to the Central Red Army's junior team.

In December 1986, he embarked on a tour of Canada with the Soviet national midget team that spanned from Ottawa to Vancouver. Nearly five years before Bure would make his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks in 1991 at the Pacific Coliseum, he played his very 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.^[7]

Playing career

Central Red Army (1987–1991)

Bure began his professional hockey career at 16, playing for the Central Red Army team. Prior to the 1987–88 season, Bure was invited to the senior club's training camp. Despite being 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 and went on to play in 5 games total that season. Playing on the fourth line in his very first game with the senior club, he scored a goal while on a 2-on-1.^[8]

Bure joined the club full-time in 1988–89 and amassed a record-setting 17 goals in his rookie season to earn rookie of the year honours.^[9] His mark for most goals by a rookie stood for 18 years before New York Rangers draft pick Alexei Cherepanov broke the record by one goal in 2006–07.^[10] Bure's individual success helped CSKA Moscow capture their thirteenth consecutive Soviet championship and eleventh consecutive IIHF European Champions Cup (they would repeat as European champions the following year).

As a member of the Moscow-based club, Bure joined a lineup that featured countless future NHLers, including linemates Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny,^[9] as well as Igor Larionov, Slava Fetisov and Sergei Makarov. The combination of Bure, Fedorov and Mogilny formed a line of much promise 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.^[6] However, the trio was short-lived, as Mogilny defected to play for the Buffalo Sabres in 1989 and Fedorov followed suit with 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.^[11] His 35 goals was second in league goal-scoring, just one goal behind Ramil Yuldashev of Sokil Kyiv.^[12] That off-season, in August 1991, Bure was offered a three-year contract extension with CSKA Moscow, which he turned down. As a result, the Soviet national team left Bure off their roster for the upcoming 1991 Canada Cup.^[6]

Vancouver Canucks (1991–1999)

Bure was selected 113th overall in the 6th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. The pick was highly controversial as the Canucks had chosen him seemingly a year ahead of his eligible draft season. At eighteen-years-old, he was available to be drafted 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.^[3][13] Several other teams had similar knowledge, but there was confusion as to the legitimacy of the extra games. The Detroit Red Wings had inquired with 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.^[14]

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. Team executives reportedly stormed the Met Center stage in Minnesota, where the draft was being held, protesting the choice immediately following its announcement. The Hartford Whalers and Washington Capitals then filed formal complaints to the league, resulting in an investigation into the selection. After originally being 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.^[15]

The Canucks met further resistance from the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation the following year in 1991, calling for Bure's contract with the Central Red Army to be upheld before he signed anything with an NHL club. The two sides met in a Detroit court in late-October 1991, 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. Although Canucks management prevented Bure from actually having to pay the extra $50,000 out of his own pocket, the Russian officials accepted.^[3][16] Bure was signed to a four-year contract soon thereafter, on October 31,^[6] worth a reported $2.7 million with an $800,000 signing bonus. The deal made him the Canucks' second highest paid player behind team captain Trevor Linden, who had just recently signed a four-year, $3.7 million contract himself.^[17]

Due to the court procedings, Bure's Canucks debut in 1991–92 was delayed a month into the season. With Bure's NHL debut with the Canucks garnering much attention in Vancouver, his first practice with the club on November 3, 1991, garnered two-thousand fans.^[6] He appeared in his first game for Vancouver 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. 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 what was to become Bure's popular moniker as the "Russian Rocket".^[18] 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 NHL goal, part of a two-goal effort, the next game on November 12 against Daniel Berthiaume of the Los Angeles Kings in an 8–2 win.^[19] Bure went on to score 34 goals and 60 points in 65 games, including 22 goals in his final 23 games. He scored a goal in the last game of the regular season to tie Ivan Hlinka's 1981–82 team mark for most points by a rookie.^[20] Bure's addition to the lineup bolstered a core that featured Linden and Vezina Trophy-nominee Kirk McLean, helping 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,^[21] which Vancouver won to advance to the second round. After being 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 Lidstrom.^[22] His 60 points were second among first-year players to Tony Amonte's 69 points with the New York Rangers, although Bure played in 14 less games. When accepting the award, he thanked Canucks linemate and countryman Igor Larionov for his guidance during his rookie season. Upon arriving in Vancouver, the former Red Army teammate took Bure into his North Vancouver home for his first two weeks in the city before Bure moved into his own downtown apartment. The two additionally roomed together on the road.^[23] Bure's Calder Trophy, along with head coach Pat Quinn's Jack Adams Award, marked the first major individual NHL awards to be given to any Canucks player in the team's history.^[6] Despite being distinguished as the league's top rookie, however, Bure was curiously left off the NHL All-Rookie Team, making him the only Calder recipient to not be named to the lineup.

Bure improved on his highly successful rookie campaign in 1992–93 to reel off his first of two consecutive 60-goal efforts. In the third game of the season, Bure scored a career-high 4 goals against the Winnipeg Jets. He scored 3 goals and added an assist in the second period alone to 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. Furthermore, Bure scored 2 of his goals on the penalty kill to set a fourth team record for most short handed goals in one contest.^[24] Bure appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game that season in 1993, representing the Clarence Campbell Conference as the lone Canucks represntative. He scored 2 goals in his All-Star debut in a 16–6 loss to the Wales Conference.^[25] Shortly following the All-Star break, Bure surpassed Tony Tanti's 44-goal franchise single-season mark on February 9, 1993, in a 5–1 win over the Quebec Nordiques.^[26] The next month, on March 1, Bure reached the 50-goal mark for the first time of five times in his career, scoring against Grant Fuhr of the Buffalo Sabres in a neutral-site game in Hamilton, Ontario. He also became, in the process, the first Canuck to reach the half-centry milestone. Bure actually was thought to have scored his 50th goal of the season several days earlier on February 26, when he had a goal waived off against the Winnipeg Jets. The goal was disallowed after a play review showed that Jets defenceman Phil Housley had actually scored on a play preceeding Bure's marker.^[27] Bure reached another club mark on March 9, breaking the Canucks' single-season points record of 91, previously held by Patrik Sundström. He broke the record with 2 assists in a 7–2 win against the New Jersey Devils.^[28] Bure eventually finished the season with 110 points in 82 games.

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, but had to be helped off the ice on his first shift.^[29] Despite missing 8 games with the injury, Bure led the league in scoring by repeating his 60-goal feat from the previous season. In doing so, he became just the eighth player in NHL history to record back-to-back 60-goal campaigns.^[30] He finished the season on the strength of a 19-goal, 30-point month of March that saw him being named player of the month for the 16-game stretch.^[31] 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 player's first three seasons.^[32]

Entering the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the seventh seed, Bure helped lead the Canucks on a Cinderella 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. Deking Flames goalie Mike Vernon on a breakaway in the second overtime, Bure advanced the Canucks past Calgary to the second round against Dallas.^[13] In a physical game two against the Stars, Bure sent enforcer Shane Churla to the ice with an elbow to the jaw. The hit came after Bure had been previously 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.^[33][34] After defeating Dallas in five games, the Canucks then eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Campbell Conference Finals to meet the New York Rangers in the 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, resulting in a five-minute major and a game misconduct.^[35] With Bure out of the game, the Canucks dropped the contest 5–1 at the Coliseum. Returning in game four, Bure was hauled down by Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch on a breakway, setting up a penalty shot against Mike Richter. Should Bure have scored, the Canucks would have increased their lead to 3–1, but Richter made the save and Vancouver lost the game 4–2.^[33] The loss put the Canucks at the brink of defeat in the series. However, with Vancouver winning game five in New York, on the strength of Bure's two goals,^[36] 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. His points total also remained as the highest by any Russian player until Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins recorded 36 in 2009.^[37]

In the subsequent off-season, the Canucks announced, on June 16,^[38] that Bure re-signed to a five-year, $24.5 million contract.^[39] The deal, which also put Bure's father, Vladimir, on the team payroll as a fitness and marketing consultant,^[38] was reported to have been signed prior to game three of the Stanley Cup Finals against New York.^[40] Averaging out to an annual salary of $4.9 million, Bure became the league's third highest-paid player, behind just Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.^[41] Bure and the Canucks had, in fact, entered into contract negotiations at the beginning of the 1993–94 season, despite there still being two years remaining in his original deal. However, neither side could come to an initial agreement, with one of the major factors being the Canucks demands for the contract to be in Canadian dollars on account of the American exchange rate.^[42] Numerous accusations of extortion 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 leading up to the first game of the Finals on May 31, 1994, claimed that Bure had signed a 5-year, $30 million contract that, if not agreed upon, would have seen him pull out of game five of the Conference Finals against the Maple Leafs.^[43] The article was followed by two additional claims in the following two days in the Vancouver Province and Toronto Sun, the latter of which held that the contract was a four-year deal, rather than five, 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.^[44] As the story continued well into the next season, Pat Quinn appeared in a segment on the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada with host Ron MacLean on March 27, 1995, publicly denying the claims.^[45]

Due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout, Bure spent brief single game stints with HC Spartak Moscow of the Russian Super League and EV Landshut of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He also joined a team of NHL Soviet players organized by Slava Fetisov who returned to Russia to play a 5-game charity tour against Russian clubs. On the team, Bure was reunited with former Central Red Army linemates Mogilny and Fedorov.^[46] When the NHL's Players Association and owners came to an agreement on January 12, 1995, NHL play was set to resume. However, there were unresolved contract issues as Bure's agent Ron 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, before the two sides reached an agreement that the Canucks would put the disputed amount in escrow and would continue discussions.^[47] He soon reported to Vancouver and went on to tally 43 points in 44 games of the shortened season. He spent the season constantly rotating linemates, taking turns being centred with Trevor Linden, rookie Michael Peca and Cliff Ronning. 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.^[48] In the 1995 playoffs, Bure set franchise records for most goals and points in one series with 7 and 12 respectively in a 7-game series victory against the St. Louis Blues.^[49] The Canucks, however, failed to defend their Clarence Campbell Trophy title, being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in round two. In the fourth and final playoff game against the Blackhawks, Bure left the game early in the third period with a rib injury.^[50]

At the start of the 1995–96 season, Bure changed his jersey number from 10 to 96. He had originally requested 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.^[51] However, after the Canucks pulled a deal with the Buffalo Sabres to reunite Bure with Alexander Mogilny, the jersey number was deemed acceptable in lieu of Mogilny's number 89.^[52] Early in the season, however, Bure sustained the first of what was 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 his the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Requiring arthroscopic surgery, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season.^[53][54] During his rehabilitation period, Bure took part in Canada's first-ever live internet chat involving an NHL player. The session, set up by the Canucks between Bure and the fans, took place just one hour prior to a home game against the Hartford Whalers on February 7, 1996.^[55] Without Bure, the Canucks still managed to make the 1996 playoffs on the strength of an offense 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 1996–97 season. Competing for Russia in an exhibition match for the 1996 World Cup in August, he suffered another setback with a bruised kidney and was sidelined for three weeks,^[56] but was able to recover in time for the NHL season. In the season opener against the Calgary Flames, on October 5, 1996, however, Bure was pushed into the boards head first while carrying the puck by rookie defenceman Todd Simpson. Although he 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.^[57] As Bure's play dropped early in the season, speculation began that he was playing injured. After a point in which Bure went eight games without a goal, Renney claimed that he was not playing with a head injury, but instead had injured his shoulder in a game against the New York Rangers on November 23.^[58] Nevertheless, Bure continued to play. Then, 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 because of his knee injury.^[59] With Bure's reduced playing capacity, he managed just 55 points in 63 games, well below his usual pace, and the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first time since Bure entered the league.

In the proceeding off-season, the Canucks pulled off another significant move, signing Rangers captain Mark Messier during free agency on July 26, 1997.^[60] 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.^[61] Regardless, Bure and the Canucks opened the season with two games against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Tokyo, Japan, an event organized by the league to market hockey for the upcoming 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. After two injury-plauged 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."^[62] Although the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second straight year, he returned to top form in 1997–98, notching his third 50-goal campaign, as well as his first since 1993–94, scoring 51 goals and finishing third in the NHL, behind just Peter Forsberg and Jaromír Jágr, with 90 points. Bure scored what would be his last goal as a Canuck in the last game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs, his 254th with the team. The total left him just 8 goals shy of Stan Smyl's all-time franchise record of 262 goals,^[63] 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 between the two on July 5, 1998, that he would not play for the Canucks again, despite still having a year left in his contract worth $8 million.^[64] Bure then went public with the declaration the following month in August, stating that he intended to leave the club for "personal reasons".^[65] True to his word, Bure did not report to the club the following campaign. He instead went back to his hometown Moscow to practice with his former Centreal Red Army club. During this time, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko offered Bure a tax-free $4 million salary to play in Belarus, which Bure turned down.^[64]

Florida Panthers (1999–2002)

Bure held out well into the 1998–99 season until he was finally traded on January 17, 1999, to the Florida Panthers with Bret Hedican, Brad Ference, and Vancouver's 3rd round choice in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft (Robert Fried) for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes, and Florida's first round draft 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.^[66] 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, as well as bitter contract negotiations. Bure also claimed that the rampant allegations of him threatening not to play during the 1994 playoff run was planted by someone within Canucks management.^[67]

Meeting the Panthers in New York for a game against the Islanders, Bure debuted with his new club on January 20, 1999. Playing on an all-Russian line with Viktor Kozlov and Oleg Kvasha, he scored two goals to help the Panthers to a 5–1 win.^[68] Bure continued to produce, scoring 8 goals and 3 assists in his first 6 games with the club. However, less than a month into his Panthers debut, Bure suffered a strained right knee in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 5. He sustained the injury while attempting to kick a loose puck in the first period of the game.^[69] Despite the injury, the Panthers announced three days later that Bure had signed to a five-year, $47.5 million deal (with an option for a sixth year at $10.5 million),^[70] the most lucrative in team history.^[71]

After being out of the lineup for nearly three weeks,^[72] Bure returned to appear in 5 more games. Before long, he was sidelined once more for the rest of the campaign with another knee injury, 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.^[73] Due to his holdout from Vancouver and the two immediate injuries in Florida, Bure appeared in just 11 games that season, still managing to record 13 goals and 3 assists for 16 points.

In his first full season as a Panther, in 1999–2000, Bure led the league in goal-scoring to capture his first of two consecutive Rocket Richard Trophies with a 58-goal effort. It marked the second time Bure led the league in scoring, but his first Rocket Richard Trophy as the award had just been inducted the previous season. Complemented by 36 assists, his 58 goals and 94 points both finished as franchise record-setting marks for single-season totals. Bure went on to help 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 would be Bure's final appearance in the NHL playoffs.

Bure was set to make his much-anticipated return to Vancouver to play the Canucks early in the season 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 previously missed 5 games to a groin injury, which kept him out of a home game against the Canucks, as well.^[74] During the season, he was also named to the 2000 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, where he recorded an assist and the eleventh 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.^[75] Helping lead the World team to a 9–4 victory over North America, Bure was named the All-Star Game MVP.^[76]

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 furthering his franchise single-season goal-scoring record. Without much secondary scoring, however (the second leading scorer on the team was Viktor Kozlov with just 37 points),^[77] the Panthers missed out on the playoffs, finishing 12th place in the East.

Prior to the 2001–02 season, the Panthers traded with the Calgary Flames for Valeri Bure, reuniting the two brother under the same team.^[78] Bure, however, suffered a setback in the pre-season, re-injuring his groin.^[79] After the season began, he was further sidelined for 7 games in November and December due to a concussion.^[80] 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.^[81] Several days after returning to the lineup, on December 16, 2001, Bure reached the 700-point mark, the final 100-point plateau of his career, with 2 assists and an empty netter in a 3–1 win over the New York Islanders.^[82] At the trading deadline, Bure was dealt to the New York Rangers and despite only appearing in 56 games for the Panthers that season, he led the team in scoring for the third consecutive campaign with 49 points.

New York Rangers (2002–2003)

The New York Rangers acquired Bure on March 18, 2002, along with Florida's 2nd round pick in the 2002 draft (Lee Falardeau) for Igor Ulanov, Filip Novak, as well as the Rangers' 1st and 2nd round choices in the 2002 draft (Petr Tatíček and Rob Globke, respectively) and a 4th round choice in the 2003 draft. The Rangers had shown initial interest in Bure when he was originally shopped by the Canucks in 1997.^[39] After losing their initial bid for Bure, Wayne Gretzky, who retired the same season Bure was dealt to Florida, announced prior to the 1999–00 campaign that he would have extended his career had the Ranger been able to pull the trade off.^[70] Bure made his Rangers debut against the Vancouver Canucks the following day after his trade on March 19, scoring a goal in a 3–1 loss to his former team.^[83] He immediately clicked with the Rangers, scoring 12 goals and 20 points in 12 games upon being traded, up from his sub-point-per-game pace with Florida that season. Between the two teams, he finished the season with 34 goals and 69 points.

Having previously undergone reconstructive knee surgeries in 1995 and 1999, Bure suffered another another injury to his knee in a 2002–03 pre-season matchup with the New Jersey Devils on September 24, 2002.^[84] Combined with a case of strep throat, the injury caused him to miss the first 3 games of the regular season.^[85] Bure returned to the lineup to record 14 goals and 21 points in his first 27 games, including 2 goals and an assist in his first game back,^[85] before suffering a knee-on-knee collision with Buffalo Sabres forward Curtis Brown in 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.^[86][87] Bure returned that season to appear in 39 games, managing 19 goals and 30 points in the injury-shortened season.

Plagued by injuries throughout his career, Bure did not play in 2003–04 due to lingering effects of the knee injury even after two operations.^[84] He failed a pre-season physical and was declared medically unable to play.^[84] Left with Bure's fully-insured $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.^[88] He was, however, unclaimed.

Bure remained inactive for another season due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Then, after 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.^[89]

International play

Medal record
Bure with then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin on August 14, 2001.
Ice hockey
Competitor for Russia
Winter Olympics
Bronze	2002 Salt Lake City
Silver	1998 Nagano
Competitor for Soviet Union
World Championships
Bronze	1991 Finland
Gold	1990 Switzerland
World Junior Championships
Silver	1991 Canada
Silver	1990 Finland
Gold	1989 United States
Quebec Esso Cup
Gold	1988 Canada

Prior to joining the NHL in 1991, Bure competed in several junior international tournaments for the Soviet Union. The first of which was the 1988 Quebec Esso Cup, an under-17 tournament (now known as the World U-17 Hockey Challenge) held in Quebec City, where he earned a gold medal.^[90] The following year, Bure debuted at the under-20 level as a seventeen-year-old at the 1989 World Junior Championships in Anchorage, Alaska. The top line of CSKA Moscow teammates Bure, Alexander Mogilny and Sergei Federov^[91] led the Soviet Union to a gold medal. Bure's 8 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 7 goals in 7 games. Later that year, he made his senior debut with the Soviet national team as a nineteen-year-old at the 1990 World Championships in Switzerland. He scored 2 goals and 4 assists fo 6 points in 10 games to help the Soviets to a gold medal finish, winning all 3 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.^[92] Several months later, in July, Bure took part in his third international tournament of the year at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle. Scoring 4 goals and an assists in 5 games, Bure and the Soviet captured the gold medal by defeating the United States in the final.^[93]

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 the 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.^[94] Despite finishing the tournament as the leading scorer with 12 goals in 7 games, Bure and 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.^[95] Once again, Bure later competed in the 1991 World Championships for his second international appearance of the year. He improved on his previous year's senior total with 11 points in 11 games, tied for the team lead with Valeri Kamensky, helping 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 republic's dissolution later that year.^[96]

Still 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.^[6] Further controversy ensued five years later in the inaugural 1996 World Cup (successing tournament to the Canada Cup). Bure had just 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."^[56] Despite the controversy, Bure would end up not playing in the tournament anyway, as a result of a bruised kidney suffered in an exhibition game against the United States.^[56]

Bure made his Olympic debut with Russia at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. He helped lead his team to the gold medal game after an Olympic record five-goal effort in Russia's 7–5 semi-final win against Finland, two of which came on breakaways.^[89][97] Playing the Czech Republic in the final, however, Bure and the Russians were shutout by Dominik Hašek and lost the gold medal by a 1–0 score. He finished with a tournament-high 9 goals to be named the top forward^[22] and, while recording no assists, placed second in point-scoring with 9 points in 6 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. Despite playing as tournament hosts, the Russians were not able to make the medal rounds, suffering upset defeats to both Latvia and Belarus. In 6 games, Bure managed 4 goals and an assist. Two years later, Bure made his second Olympic appearance at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. Attempting to make his second straight trip to the gold medal game, Bure and the Russians lost in the semi-final to the United States 3–2. Bure finished his final international tournament as a player with 2 goals and an assist in 6 games to go with a bronze medal, having defeated Belarus in the consolation match.

Upon the announcement of his retirement in 2005, Bure was simultaneously named Russia's Olympic general manager. Choosing the team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, the Russians, however, failed to medal, being shutout by the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game.

Personal life

Bure comes from an athletic family; his father Vladimir, whose lineage can be traced back to German descent, having originating 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 total, including a bronze medal for the 100-metre race in the 1972 Games, in which he narrowly lost the gold medal by half a second to American swimming legend Mark Spitz.^[98] Bure retained his father as his personal trainer well into his playing career, before severing ties with him in 1997.^[99]

Bure's grandfather, Valeri Bure, also competed for the Soviet Union in the Olympics as a goalkeeper for the national water polo team.^[98] Named after his grandfather, Bure's younger brother Valeri Bure, was also a hockey player, spending ten 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.

Bure himself was named after his great-grandfather, a watchmaker to Tsar Alexander III. Bure's family made precious watches for the tsars from 1815–1917.^[100] After Bure sustained his first serious knee injury in 1995, Bure pursued the watchmaking business during his rehabilitation period in attempts to revive the family business. Fifty replicas of the same watches his ancestors sold to the Russian royal family were made and priced at US$30,000 each. Bure presented 3 of the gold replicas to then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and Moscow mayor Yuriy Luzhkov.^[101]

Shortly after arriving in North America from Moscow with his father and brother on September 6, 1991 (his mother Tatiana arrived two months later),^[6] Bure married an American fashion model in a civil ceremony five days later on September 11. Although his wife's full name was not released at the time, it was later revealed to be Jayme Bohn. The marriage was set up by Bure's agents as a preventative measure against deportation in the event that he and the Canucks could not come to terms with a contract. Bure and Bohn were quickly divorced the following summer; Bohn went on to become a costume designer in the film and television industry.^[30][102]

After being linked to girlfriend Dahn Bryan, a model and actress, early in his NHL career,^[103] Bure shared a relationship with tennis star and fellow Russian Anna Kournikova. The two were reported to have been engaged in 2000 after a reporter took a photo of Bure and Kournikova in a Florida restaurant where Bure supposedly asked Kournikova to marry him. Despite making headlines in Russia, where they were both heavily followed in the media as celebrities, Bure and Kournikova both denied the story. Kournikova, ten years younger than Bure, was eighteen years old at the time.^[104]

In 1999, Bure received considerable media attention after being included in an investigation aired by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) documentary-series fifth estate that linked several Russian NHL players to the Russian Mafia. Among the more serious allegations was that former Red Army teammate Slava Fetisov used a company whom he was president of to launder money for Vyacheslav Ivankov, considered to be the "Russian godfather" in North America. Bure, himself, was linked to Anzor Kikalishvili, a suspected criminal to American and Russian police, as a friend and business associate (Kikalishvili was his partner in his brief watchmaking venture).^[105] Bure denied Kikalishvili's involvement in any criminal activity, however, dismissing the allegation as "rumours".^[106]

During his stay with the Canucks, Bure lived in a mansion on Vancouver's Southwest Marine Drive. He purchased the $1 million, 600,000-foot residence in 1994 after having lived in an apartment in Downtown Vancouver overlooking False Creek.^[107][108] He spent most off-seasons in Los Angeles.^[107]

Nearly a year after his retirement, on October 31, 2006, Bure was kicked off a British Airways flight by the pilot, being 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 of 2007, The Tver Court of Moscow ruled in favour of Bure in the amount of 57,000 rubles and an additional 10,000 rubles in moral damage.^[109]

Records

Team

• Vancouver Canucks' single-season record, most points by a rookie - 60 (1991–92; tied with Ivan Hlinka, 1981–82)
• Vancouver Canucks' single-season record, most goals - 60 (1992–93, 1993–94)
• Vancouver Canucks' single-season record, most points - 110 (1992–93)
• Florida Panthers' single-season record, most goals - 59 (2000–01)
• Florida Panthers' single-season record, most points - 94 (1999–00)

International

• World Junior Championships all-time record, most goals - 27 in 21 games (1989–1991)
• Winter Olympic single-game record, most goals - 5 (1998; semi-finals vs. Finland)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987–88	HC CSKA Moscow	USSR		5	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	HC CSKA Moscow	USSR		32	17	9	26	8		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	HC CSKA Moscow	USSR		46	14	11	25	22		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	HC CSKA Moscow	USSR		44	35	11	46	24		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		65	34	26	60	30		13	6	4	10	14
1992–93	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		82	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	HC Spartak Moscow	RSL		1	2	0	2	2		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	EV Landshut	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	NHL		11	13	3	16	4		—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	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	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

Awards

Soviet

Award	Year
Soviet champion (HC CSKA Moscow)	1988, 1989
IIHF European Champions Cup (HC CSKA Moscow)	1988, 1989, 1990
Rookie of the Year	1989

International

Award	Year
World Junior Championship Best Forward	1989
World Junior Championship All-Star Team	1989
World Junior Championship gold medal (Soviet Union)	1989
World Championship gold medal (Soviet Union)	1990
World Championship Second All-Star Team	1991
Winter Olympics Best Forward	1998

NHL

Award	Year
Calder Memorial Trophy	1992
NHL All-Star Game	1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001
NHL First All-Star Team	1994
NHL All-Star Game MVP	2000
NHL Second All-Star Team	2000, 2001
Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy	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 (three-star selection leader)	1992, 1993, 1994, 1998
Cyclone Taylor Trophy (MVP)	1993, 1994, 1998
Cyrus H. McLean Trophy (leading scorer)	1993, 1994, 1995, 1998

Transactions

• June 9, 1989 - Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 6th round, 113th overall, in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft

• January 17, 1999 - Traded by the Vancouver Canucks, along with Bret Hedican, Brad Ference and Vancouver's 3rd round draft choice (Robert Fried) in 2000, to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes and Florida's 1st round draft choice (Nathan Smith) in 2000

• March 18, 2002 - Traded by the Florida Panthers, along with Florida's 2nd round draft choice in 2002, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Igor Ulanov, Filip Novak, the Rangers 1st round draft choice in 2002, the Rangers 2nd round draft choice in 2002 and the Rangers 4th round draft choice in 2003.

See also

• List of NHL statistical leaders
• Notable families in the NHL

References

• Banks, Kerry (1999). Pavel Bure - The Riddle of the Russian Rocket. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 1-55054-714-3. 

External links

• Pavel Bure's NHL player profile
• Pavel Bure's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Pavel Bure's biography at Legends of Hockey

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Ed Belfour	Winner of the Calder Trophy 1992	Succeeded by Teemu Selänne
Preceded by Teemu Selänne	NHL Goal Leader 1994	Succeeded by Peter Bondra
Preceded by Teemu Selänne	Winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy 2000 and 2001	Succeeded by Jarome Iginla
Sporting positions
Preceded by Scott Mellanby	Florida Panthers captains 2001–02 with Paul Laus	Succeeded by Olli Jokinen
Preceded by Unknown	Russian Olympic captain 1998	Succeeded by Igor Larionov

Persondata
NAME	Bure, Pavel Vladimirovich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Павел Владимирович Буре (Russian)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Russian professional ice hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH	March 31, 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH	Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH