“Pavel Bure was – and is – the best player to ever wear a Canucks’ uniform.” — Pat Quinn, former Canucks GM (from ‘Ex-GM Pat Quinn calls Pavel Bure the best Canuck ever’ – Greg Douglas, Vancouver Sun, 04/12/2013)
The Beginning of Pavel Bure’s Iconic Career
Discussions involving Pavel Bure’s talent always inspire an incredible amount of praise. Songs were written after his arrival, fans were so ecstatic that 2000 of them observed his first practice with the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 3, 1991 and nobody could seem to get enough of the Russian Rocket.
All of this for a teenager shorter than six feet who would become the city’s first sporting icon. Bure was a rare caliber: someone who could break games wide open, score goals by his lonesome and do it all at speeds that may never be seen again.
The general unison for a long time regarding NHL players was the bigger, the better. Bure was never the biggest athlete on the ice, but was always better. He is easily considered the greatest draft steal in Vancouver Canucks history going 113th overall in 1989.
Bure’s Journey to the NHL
Before he ever laced up his skates in North America, obstacles stood in the way for him to overcome. After Alexander Mogilny defected to play for the Buffalo Sabres in 1989 and Sergei Federov for the Detroit Red Wings the following year, Bure flew to Los Angeles in Sep. 1991 with his father Vladimir and brother Valeri Bure.
First, teams weren’t sure if Bure was free to be drafted later than the third round of 1989 because his eligibility was intended to be in 1990. Mike Penny, Vancouver’s head scout, found that he had played in additional international and exhibition matches allowing him to be chosen late.
Complaints were filed by other teams plus the Central Red Army still had him under contract. When the game sheets were shown representing his participation in the additional matches and $250,000 was paid to the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation, Pavel Bure was officially a Vancouver Canuck.
Pavel Bure – First NHL Shift
His debut came two days after his opening practice and he showed the world what he had to offer on the first shift. Although there were no points, Bure created a number of flashy rushes from one end of the rink to the other. Cliff Ronning remembers the first shift with great detail.
“Even people on the bench, our team, everyone stood up. I’ve never seen a guy skate that fast, that confident and go end-to-end. I don’t know if you’ll ever see it again how fast he skated. I don’t know how fast he was going. I don’t think anyone’s ever skated that fast. I don’t think he ever skated that fast himself afterwards. That was insane, that one shift.”
Pavel recorded 34 goals and 60 points in just 65 games to capture the 1992 Calder Memorial Trophy. Back-to-back seasons of 60 goals would follow with an All-Star Game appearance in both instances. Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy are the two players in history who scored more goals in their first three professional years.
The Canucks in the Final
Win, lose or draw, it didn’t matter for Vancouver Canucks followers because Bure alone was worth the price of admission. In the 1994 postseason, he led the team to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final with 16 goals and 15 assists in 24 games.
Along the way, Bure scored perhaps the most memorable goal in Canucks history in round one facing Calgary. On a breakaway, he faked backhand before going to the forehand with lightning quickness to send Mike Vernon and the Flames out in the second overtime of game seven.
Unfortunately for the Moscow native, his efforts weren’t enough to earn Vancouver a title as they fell short to the New York Rangers.
The End of Bure’s Canucks Run
Due to a shortened season in 1994-95, Bure played 44 games with Vancouver, tallying 43 points. Changing his number from 10 to 96 the following year, Bure experienced more alterations than he would have preferred.
Knee injuries were beginning to see their way into his condition. He played 78 games over the course of two seasons. Competing while injured in 1997 with a neck problem, the Russian Rocket managed 55 points in 63 games regardless.
Bure decided to return to No.10 on his jersey after two injury-riddled campaigns with 96 on his back. Superstitious or not, it turned out to a wise decision as Pavel notched 51 goals and 90 points in what would be his last year with the Canucks organization.
Demanding to leave the club for personal reasons, he didn’t report to the club and continued waiting as the new season was well underway. In mid-January of 1999, Bure was traded to the Florida Panthers in a deal involving seven players and two draft picks. (from ‘HOCKEY; Panthers Obtain Bure In a Seven-Player Trade,’ New York Times, 01/18/1990)
Pavel Bure the Panther
Bure went on to score 13 goals in 11 games with the Panthers but was sidelined with two simultaneous knee issues preventing him from competing any further. A healthy Bure returned in 1999-2000 to dominate with 58 goals earning his first Rocket Richard Trophy (at the time of him first being the league’s scoring leader with Vancouver, the title was not yet introduced).
The 58 goals and 94 points both established franchise records with the Panthers. Improving his goal total next year to 59, he captured his second consecutive Rocket Richard honor and amazingly netted 29.5 percent of Florida’s goals throughout the season.
Groin problems and a concussion stalled Bure in 2001-02 holding him to 56 games. Joining the Rangers in March, a goal-per-game was how he ended the year.
The End of Bure’s Career
Bure’s remaining time in the league would conclude the following season after 39 games. A tear to the meniscus in his left knee was repaired but he failed a medical in 2003-04 ultimately bringing about retirement on November 1, 2005.
Three gold, three silvers and two bronze medals were on his international credentials for Russia at the end of his run.
Regretfully, Bure was unable to end his career according to his wants. Sure, he was 34 years old when the day came to call it quits, but the gas tank was long ways from becoming empty.
Pavel Bure in Today’s NHL
The new-look NHL was made for players like Bure. Defensemen were once granted the permission to grab onto forwards. Two-line passes weren’t in effect. But those rules didn’t make it easier to contain him.
You can just imagine what he could have accomplished in today’s wide-open game. Speed kills. Nobody had more speed than Bure.
Despite being hampered by injuries, Bure made his mark in the league as a born goal poacher – one of the greatest in history. The Hockey Hall of Fame called in 2012, and he was inducted along with Adam Oates, Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin.
Words don’t paint the entire picture. In honor of the Russian Rocket’s career, we can’t think of a better way to conclude than with a highlight reel.
Sign up for our NHL History Substack newsletter
Even though he has over a point-per-game average; it does him no justice. He was, hands-down, the top-5 players of his era. No question about it. To shun this guy from the Hall would be a crime.
Pavel was a head of his time, most exciting player in his era, and has brought the present NHL to another skill level. I’ll never forget the 94 playoff run-that’s what turned me into a hockey fan. Ive been glued ever since.
Growing up in Toronto, I remember 1994 when the Leafs lost to the Canucks in the playoffs. There was a kid in my class that was convinced the NHL put the cameras on fast forward whenever Bure had the puck, since there was no way he could actually be skating that fast.
You nailed it with this one! Fantastic article! He’s an absolute must for the Hockey Hall in Toronto.
He was, and is, my favorite player of all time. His shortened seasons and career does him no justice. There was none faster, and I can’t think of a more skilled offensive player, ever! His entire career was a highlight reel.
It was impossible to watch the games—here on the East coast—when he was in Vancouver, except the playoffs. Actually, it was hard anywhere to watch a Canucks game when played in Vancouver. But when he was on, everything else was secondary. I was at the game in Boston when he netted his 400th with the Panthers.
Nice work!