Revisiting the Canucks & Panthers’ Pavel Bure Trade

Florida Panthers general manager Bryan Murray acquired Pavel Bure in a franchise-altering trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 17, 1999. The centrepiece was the goalscoring force dubbed the Russian Rocket in a seven-player deal that also included two draft picks. 

Bure to the Panthers

Bure was tremendous as a Panther; in 223 games over parts of four seasons, he registered 152 goals and 99 assists and won two Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies, in 2000 and 2001, scoring 58 and 59 goals, respectively. Despite injuries, he earned enough votes in those two seasons to finish third in Hart Trophy voting in 1999-00 and ninth in 2000-01. He averaged at least 20 minutes of ice time per game throughout his time in Florida.

He won the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie with the Canucks in 1992 and became a five-time All-Star in Vancouver, recording over 100 points twice. Drafted 113th overall by the club in 1989, he made a tremendous impact on the Canucks before he was traded to the Panthers, and with the New York Rangers in 2001-02 and 2002-03 before he was forced to retire due to injury. Bure was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 and was named one of the top 100 players of all time and one of the 100 greatest players in NHL history in 2017. 

Bret Hedican

Included in the trade to Florida was Bret Hedican. He played 202 games with the Panthers, registering 17 goals, 48 assists and averaging 19 minutes or more per game. He also reached 20 or more points in a single season twice.

Hedican won the Stanley Cup in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes, and also spent time with the St. Louis Blues and Canucks before making his way to the Panthers in this trade. In his time with the Canucks, he was a valuable contributor, appearing in over 300 games and putting up just over 100 points.

Brad Ference

Before joining the Panthers, Brad Ference was drafted by Vancouver 10th overall. In Florida, he played 167 games, scoring four goals and 24 assists to help stabilize the backend. He was also a physical force, establishing his presence with seasons of 254 penalty minutes in 2001-02 and 118 in 2002-03.

He also played with the Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames and continued to be a defensive specialist in a part-time role. Internationally, he represented Team Canada at the World Juniors in 1998 and 1999. He came to the Panthers with top-ten pick pedigree.

Robert Fried

The last piece of this trade going to the Panthers was a third-round pick in either the 1999 or 2000 Draft, which became the 77th overall pick in 2000, and the Panthers selected Robert Fried. He played college hockey at Harvard for four seasons and never progressed beyond that level.

Dave Gagner to Canucks

In exchange for moving an All-Star like Bure, the Canucks received a variety of players, some with high draft-pick pedigree, some veteran talent, as well as future draft capital. At the time of the trade, Dave Gagner had played 114 games with the Panthers, producing 28 goals and 38 assists, including one 20-goal season in 1997-98. Gagner had a relatively brief stop with the Panthers before moving on to Vancouver, his last stop in the NHL.

Gagner played 33 games in Vancouver, with two goals and 12 assists. He was with the Canucks for only a short while, but brought value to the team. During his NHL career, he received votes for the Selke Trophy three times and was a one-time All-Star selection. 

Ed Jovanovski

The cornerstone of the return in the deal for Bure was the first-overall pick from 1994, defenseman Ed Jovanovski. He played 253 games in his first stint with the Panthers, scoring 29 goals and 54 assists, and was a key player on the back end of the team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final in the 1995-96 season.

As a member of the Canucks, Jovanovski played 434 games, registering 57 goals and 177 assists. He finished in the top ten in Norris Trophy voting twice and in the top 15 once. He was a three-time All-Star with the Canucks. At the cost of moving Bure, the Canucks were able to fortify their back end with the acquisition of Jovanovski.

In his second stint with the Panthers at the end of his career, Jovanovski played parts of three seasons in the early 2010s, including 109 games, registering four goals and 15 assists. Jovanovski was able to provide a stabilizing veteran leadership on the team where he once was a young player.

Kevin Weekes

Kevin Weekes was a second-round pick, taken 41st overall in the 1993 NHL Draft by the Panthers. He finished with a record of 0-5-1 with a save percentage (SV%) of .870 and a 3.96 goals-against average (GAA) as a Panther in the 1997-98 campaign. Weekes had a relatively unsuccessful tenure in Florida, but still had the draft pedigree to be a coveted player by the Canucks in this deal.

In Vancouver, Weekes played parts of two seasons and backstopped his way to a 6-15-5 record, registering a SV% of .887 and a GAA of 3.20. When his time with the Canucks came to an end halfway through the 1999-00 season, he bounced around the league as a backup for the rest of his career before becoming a prominent analyst.

Mike Brown

Mike Brown, a first-round pick by the Panthers, who went 20th overall in the 1997 Draft, never played a game for the team, but his draft status likely made him interesting to the Canucks. He played 16 games in Vancouver, with no points, but he provided a physical presence with 77 penalty minutes. He played for the Canucks in parts of two seasons spanning from 2000 to 2002.

He appeared in games for the Anaheim Ducks in the 2002-03 season and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2005-06. Brown, as a Duck, played in 16 games and, with Chicago, only got into two games.

Nathan Smith

The 23rd overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft that the Canucks received in this deal became Nathan Smith. In Vancouver, he played four games, taking only three shots on goal and recording no points. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild before he called it a career, recording zero points.

The Bure trade represented a seismic shift for two franchises. Bure, as the most noteworthy piece, will be remembered for the offensive production he brought to Florida. This trade made by two veteran general managers (GMs) will be one these fan bases will always remember, especially the Panthers, with the imprint Bure left with his offensive prowess and individual accolades.