Pavel Bure

At 53 years old, Pavel Bure has this physical status:

Pavel Vladimirovich Bure (born March 31, 1971) is a former Russian professional ice hockey player who competed in the right wing position.

Bure, nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, the Florida Panthers, and the New York Rangers.

He played three seasons with the Central Red Army team before his NHL service, having been trained in the Soviet Union. He began his NHL career in 1991-92 as the league's best rookie before winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1993-94 and assisting the Canucks in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.

Bure was traded by the Canucks to the Panthers, where he captured back-to-back Rocket Richard Trophies as the league's top goal scorer.

Bure suffered with knee injuries throughout his career, culminating in his retirement in 2005 as a member of the Rangers, although he hadn't played since 2003.

He scored better than a point per game in his NHL career (779 points in 702 NHL games) and is his fourth highest goal per game leader.

Bure was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in June 2012 after six years of eligibility.

Bure was one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017. Bure was named by an NHL panel in 2017.

He earned two silver medals and a gold medal in three World Junior Championships, as well as a gold and a silver medal in 1989 and 1991 World Championships, respectively.

Bure competed for Russia in two Winter Olympics, winning silver and bronze at the 1998 Games in Salt Lake City after the Soviet Union was disbanded in 1991.

He was appointed general manager for Russia's national team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, following Bure's retirement in 2005.

Bure was later recognized for his international work as a 2012 inductee in the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.

Early life

Bure was born in Moscow in 1971 to Vladimir and Tatiana Bure. Vladimir Bure, a Russian swimming legend, had aspirations of becoming a professional swimmer, but he wanted to play hockey at an early age. Despite his inability in skating, he took his first attempt out with the CSKA Moscow hockey academy at the age of six. Bure had only played ball hockey on the streets up until that time. Bure's father told him that if he did not show significant improvement within two months, he would ban him from the hockey team. He was voted the best forward in his league by age 11 by an elite academy. Bure was selected as one of three young Russian players to work with Wayne Gretzky and Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak in a taped television special around the time.

He and his mother were divorced at the age of 12, and he remained with his mother. He was recruited to the Central Red Army's junior team by the time he was 14 years old. He and his father and brother, Valeri, travelled to North America in 1991 as he began a National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Vancouver Canucks. His mother arrived two months later. They arrived in Los Angeles where Vladimir started to train and mentor both Valeri and Pavel in hockey and physical fitness. However, by 1998, the two husband and his half-sister Katya became estranged from their father. Neither brother has given a reason for the break.

He began a trip of Canada with the Soviet national midget team from Ottawa to Vancouver in December 1986. Bure made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks in 1991 at the Pacific Coliseum, and he played his first game at his future home rink as part of the tour. When Bure's team stopped in Edmonton to play at the Northlands Coliseum, they had another chance to meet Gretzky, as well as defenseman Paul Coffey.

Personal life

Bure comes from an athletic family; his father, Vladimir, who is of Swiss descent (his ancestorship from Furna, Switzerland), was an Olympic swimmer who competed for the Soviet Union in 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympic Games, where he earned four medals. Bure continued his father as his personal trainer well into his playing career before breaking ties with him in 1997. Valeri Bure, Bure's paternal grandfather, was a goalkeeper for the national water polo team. Both Pavel and his younger brother Valerie became estranged from their father and his second wife, Julia, as well as their half-sister Katya by 1998. Neither brother has given a reason for the break.

Valerie is a hockey player who spent ten years in the NHL, and named after their grandfather, Bure's younger brother, Valerie. After Valeri was traded to the Florida Panthers in 2001, the two siblings competed together at the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics.

Bure was named after his great-grandfather, a watchmaker to Tsar Alexander III, and his Bure family made cherished watches for the Russian tsars from 1815 to 1917. The Bures were granted noble status as craftspersons to the imperial family. Bure's first serious knee injury in 1995 began when he returned to the watchmaking industry in an effort to resurrect the family's revenue base. Five replicas of the same watches his ancestors made for the Russian imperial family were made and sold at US$30,000 each. Bure gifted three of the gold replicas to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, and Moscow Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov.

Bure married an American fashion model, later revealed to be Jayme Bohn, five days after arriving in North America from Moscow with his father and brother on September 6, 1991 (his mother Tatiana arrived two months later). Bure's agents allegedly organised the marriage as a preventative measure against deportation in the event that he and the Canucks were unable to agree to a contract. Bure did not receive no immigration benefit from his marriage, which was dissolved the following year. Bohn became a costume designer in the film and television industry.

Bure started a relationship with tennis player and fellow Russian Anna Kournikova after being linked to girlfriend Dahn Bryan, a model and actor early in his NHL career. When she was first introduced to Bure's former Russian teammate Sergei Fedorov, the two teams clashed in 1999. Bure and Kournikova were reported to have been engaged in 2000 after photographer Andrew Greven took a picture of them together in a Florida restaurant where Bure reportedly asked Kournikova to marry him. Bure and Kournikova simultaneously denied any involvement as the story made news in Russia, where they were both heavily followed in the media as celebrities. Kournikova, ten years younger than Bure, was 18 years old at the time. In Moscow, Kournikova and Fedorov were married the following year, but they soon divorced.

On October 10, 2009, Bure married 23-year-old model Alina Khasanova in Moscow, with 300 guests present. Pravda has confirmed that the couple, who had known each other for four years, married in Miami on October 10, 2008. They have three children together: Pavel Jr., Palina, and Anastasia. Pavel Jr. was born on April 23, 2013; Palina was born on July 20, 2015. On December 28, 2018, the couple's third child, a daughter named Anastasia, was born.

Bure is known to have played ice hockey with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a daily basis, but he denies having any political aspirations himself in an interview with a Swedish newspaper in 2019.

Bure sued the Russian newspaper eXile for publishing an article claiming he broke up with Kournikova because she had two vaginas. Despite the newspapers' editorial staff's assertion that the article was a joke, the court ruled in favour of Bure in the amount of 500,000 rubles (US$17,770) and ordered that a retractions be published. Bure had bragged about Kournikova losing her virginity to him two years ago, two years later, on December 27, 2004. Bure sued Arbat Prestige for 300 million rubles (US$10.65 million) in a Moscow court shortly afterwards, on January 31, 2005. In a future paper, he also requested that the firm print a retraction and apology. In November 2005, the court ruled in favour of Bure. However, the number was reduced from 300 million to around 320,000 rubles.

Bure pleaded another lawsuit after being kicked off a British Airways flight by the pilot after being mistaken for a rowdy soccer fan. Bure took the matter to court after the airline company's apology in June 2007, suing British Airways for 20 million rubles. A Russian court ruled in favour of Bure in the amount of 67,000 rubles in late-August 2007.

Much rumors surrounding Russian NHL players and their potential links to the Russian mafia also as victims and allies during Bure's playing career. As Soviet players returned to the NHL, many instances of extortion started popping up. The Russian mafia was attacking the players' families who were still living in Russia. Alexander Mogilny, a former teammate, was involved in such a plot in 1994, although Bure was found to have made payments amounting to several thousand dollars to Russian extortionists in 1993. Bure was a potential participant of the Russian mafia three years ago, according to both Russian and American police as a possible criminal and potential Russian mob boss. Bure was confirmed to serve as vice president of the Twenty First Century Association, which is owned by Kikalishvili, and was discovered by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation as a mafia front with at least US$100 million in illicit funds. Although Bure denied allegations that Kikalishvili had been involved in any criminal activity, he denied claims that Kikalishvili had nothing to do with his company and personal relationships.

Speculation returned to life in 1999, when Bure was included in a probe launched by the CBC investigative news program The Fifth Estate, which revealed several rumors linking Soviet NHL players and the Russian mafia. An allegation was made that Bure's ex CSKA colleague, Viacheslav Fetisov, used a corporation, of which he was president, to embess Vyacheslav Ivankov, nicknamed the "Russian godfather" in North America. Bure's ties with Kikalishvili remained to be questioned. Bure denied Kikalishvili's involvement in any unlawful activity, dismissing the allegations as "rumors."

Source

Playing career

Bure began his playing for CSKA Moscow at the age of 16. For the 1987-88 season, he was admitted to the senior club's training camp. Despite the fact that Bure was deemed too young and not yet fit for the Soviet League, he spent little playing time in exchange for missing regulars. He made his senior debut in September 1987 and appeared in five games for the senior team, scoring his first goal in his first game.

Bure played full time in 1988-1989 and scored 17 goals, a Soviet League record for rookies. Alexei Cherepanov scored 18 goals in 2006–07. Bure earned the league's rookie of the year award for his nine assists for 26 points. CSKA Moscow's individual success helped them win their 13th consecutive Soviet championship and their twelfth consecutive IIHF European Cup in 1989 (they renamed European champions the following year).

Bure, a member of CSKA, was among many potential NHL players, including linemates Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny, as well as Igor Larionov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Sergei Makarov, and Vladimir Konstantinov. Bure, Fedorov, and Mogilny's grouping together made a promising team for head coach Viktor Tikhonov, with the intention of replacing the previous top Soviet line, Vladimir Krutov, Larionov and Makarov. The trio was short-lived as Mogilny left to play for the Buffalo Sabres in 1989, and Fedorov joined the Detroit Red Wings the next year.

Bure led the team scoring with Valeri Kamensky in his third and final season with the Red Army, tallying 46 points. His 35 goals ranked second in the league, one goal behind Sokil Kyiv's Ramil Yuldashev. Bure refused a three-year contract extension in August 1991, resulting in his departure from the Soviet team's roster for the Canada Cup.

"The best of the team is Soviet star winger Pavel Bure, a spectacular player with outstanding speed," William Houston of The Globe and Mail wrote in 1989. He is compared to Vladimir Krutov and also to Valeri Kharlamov, the late Soviet superstar of the 1970s. He was afraid he would not leave the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, thus deterring teams from selecting him early, but scouts and analysts believe he may have been selected as high as the second round had he failed. Many analysts like him to Valeri Kharlamov. "Browne can play on any team in the NHL right now," Edmonton Oilers scout Barry Fraser said. He may be the best player in this year's draft, but we don't analyze him as a West kid... I don't expect him to leave early because it's still too early to be a gamble to believe he'll break."

Following his rookie season with CSKA Moscow, Bure was selected 113th overall in the sixth round draft by the Vancouver Canucks. The pick was controversial, considering that the Canucks had chosen him a year before his eligible draft season began. He was eligible to be selected in the first three rounds of the draft at the age of 18, but to be selected any later, he'd have to spend at least two seasons—with a minimum of 11 games per season—for his top-level Soviet team, the Central Red Army. Although most teams believed he was ineligible, Mike Penny, the Canucks' head scout at the time, discovered Bure had participated in additional exhibition and international games to make him a worthy late-round draft pick a year earlier. "Everybody should have taken him earlier," Jack Button, the Washington Capitals' director of player relations, said. We assumed he was not eligible, but the Canucks have to blame for doing their homework."

Many other clubs had similar information or had pursued Bure, but there was confusion about the extra games' legitimacy. The Detroit Red Wings had contacted league vice president Gil Stein about Bure's availability before their fifth-round pick, but they were told he was not eligible. They later decided to pick him with their sixth-round pick, 116th overall, and declare their eligibility later. Prior to Detroit's arrival, the Canucks selected Bure three picks. Meanwhile, Winnipeg Jets general manager Mike Smith said he made a proposal to the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation that would require three years of transfer payments before Bure would be allowed to join the Jets; however, Smith did not have any plans to draft Bure in 1989 because he was ineligible.

Canucks general manager Pat Quinn had intended to draft Bure in the eighth round, but the Oilers had similar intentions when he was first revealed. Following Bure's draft's revelation, several other team members reportedly stormed the Met Center stage in Minnesota, where the draft was being held. Formal allegations were lodged, resulting in an inquiry into the selection. The Canucks appealed the decision after league president John Ziegler was found not guilty in a press release on May 17, 1990, obtaining game sheets proving Bure's participation in the additional games with the support of Soviet acquisition Igor Larionov. Bure would not have been told that the draft pick had been upheld on the eve of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, not before it was announced that it was not until the draft was approved. Bure's move to the Canucks was met with skepticism by Larionov and Fetisov, who later saw Soviet players play in the NHL, although Soviet officials refused to help Bure personally, and Soviet authorities refused to allow the Canucks to call Bure. He said in an interview that he was reluctant to defect out of fear that the Soviets would make life difficult for his younger brother Valeri Bure, who was 15 years old and playing in the junior league at the time.

On September 6, 1991, Bure and his father and brother left Moscow and became temporarily in Los Angeles. His mother arrived just afterward. The Canucks began negotiating a new deal with Bure, but the issue of his current service with the Central Red Army had to be addressed before it could be finalized. In late-October 1991, the Canucks' leadership and officials from the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation met in a Detroit court, where they begged for a cash exchange. Bure stood up in the courtroom to ask an additional $50,000, bringing the total amount to $250,000. The Soviet officials were embraced by the Soviet authorities, and Canucks' leadership paid the full $250,000. Bure has a four-year deal worth more than $2.7 million as a result of a $800,000 signing bonus. Bure was the Canucks' second highest paid player behind team captain Trevor Linden as a result of the offer.

Bure's debut with the Canucks was postponed until a month into the 1991–92 season due to the court's decision. Garner was paying a lot attention in Vancouver, his first game with the club on November 3, 1991, was attended by over 2,000 fans. In a 2–2 tie against the Winnipeg Jets, he played his first game for the Canucks on November 5, 1991. Bure displayed his talent and speed with several end-to-end rushes, sweeping the puck from near his defensive zone to the opposing net, despite not scoring a single point. Iain MacIntyre, a Vancouver Sun columnist, compared him to a rocket, describing him as "the fastest Soviet invention since Sputnik." MacIntyre's words were credited with the establishment of Bure's moniker as the "Russian Rocket," which resembled the name of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s. Bure's first game, an assist against the New York Islanders on November 10, was his first point, an assist. In the next game against Daniel Berthiaume of the Los Angeles Kings, he scored his first two NHL goals. In 65 games this season, he scored 34 goals and 60 points, with 22 goals in his final 23 games. Bure scored a goal to tie Ivan Hlinka's 1981–82 team record for most points by a rookie in the final game of the regular season.

Bure had his first NHL hat trick in game six against the Winnipeg Jets to help with the Canucks' seventh and deciding game. Vancouver won the series to advance to the second round, but the Edmonton Oilers ended the campaign. Bure scored six goals and ten points in 13 games in his first Stanley Cup playoffs. He was named rookie of the year at the start of the year. Bure's 60 points were second among first-year players to Tony Amonte's 69 points with the Rangers, although Bure played in 14 fewer games. Bure thanked Canucks linemate Igor Larionov for his assistance in accepting the award. On his arrival in Vancouver, his ex Red Army coworker took him into his apartment for two weeks before Bure moved into his own apartment; the two fellows also shared the road. The Calder Trophy, as well as head coach Pat Quinn's Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach, were among the first major individual NHL honors in Canucks' history. However, Bure was left off the NHL All-Rookie Team, making him the only Calder player not to be named to the team despite being named the league's best rookie. He ended up playing both left and right wing. Bure gained the most total votes, but not enough at any position to win a spot.

Bure's first two consecutive 60-goal seasons came as a result of his rookie season in 1992–93. He scored a career-high four goals against the Winnipeg Jets in his third game of the season. In comparison to the team's record for most goals and points in a game (for which he is tied with multiple players), his three goals and one assist in the second period set two Canucks' records for the most goals and points in a period. In addition, Bure scored two of his goals on the penalty kill to tie for the most short-handed goals in a single match. He appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in 1993, being named as the lone Canucks' representative by the Clarence Campbell Conference Team, and scored two goals. Bure beat the Quebec Nordiques 5–1 to record a new franchise record in a season, beating Tony Tanti's 45-goal record. For the first time in his career, he hit the 50-goal mark against the Buffalo Sabres' Grant Fuhr in a neutral-site game in Hamilton, Ontario. He also surpassed Patrik Sundstrom's franchise record of 91 points. Bure scored 110 points in 83 games over the season, becoming the first Canuck to be named to the NHL's first All-Star team. Henrik Sedin's 112 points in 2009–10 broke the team record until it was overturned by Henrik Sedin's 112 points.

Bure's first half of the season was hampered by a groin injury early in the 1993-94 season. Nonetheless, he flourished in the second half and led the league in goal-scoring by repeating his 60-goal feat from the previous season. He became the eighth player in NHL history to reach back-to-back 60-goal seasons in doing so. He ended the season with 49 goals and 78 points in his final 51 games, as well as Player of the Month in March 1994 after scoring 19 goals and 30 points in 16 games. Stan Smyl's 31-point March was just one point shy of his 1981 record for the most productive month for a Canucks player. Bure's 154 NHL goals at this point in his career put him behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most in any NHL player's first three seasons. He scored 49 goals in the team's last 51 games and contributed to 46.45% of his team's goals in the final 47 games of the season, helping the Canucks advance to the 1994 playoffs.

The Canucks, the seventh seed in the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs, advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Bure scored one of the Canucks' most memorable and well-known goals in his seventh game of the opening-round series against the Calgary Flames. Jeff Brown, a breakaway pass from defenseman Jeff Brown, deked and scored on Flames' goalie Mike Vernon in the second overtime, winning the series. Bure brought Shane Churla's thugs to the ice with an elbow to the face in game two of the Dallas Stars. In the game, he also scored two goals, leading Vancouver to a 3–0 victory. Despite the fact that Bure was not initially chastised for the game, he was later fined $500 by the league. In five games against the Dallas Stars, he had six goals and eight points, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had four goals and six points in five games.

The Canucks eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Campbell Conference Finals, defeating Dallas in five games and advancing to the New York Rangers in the Finals, where the Canucks lost in seven games. Bure finished with a team-high 16 goals and 31 points in 24 games, second in playoff scoring only to Conn Smythe Trophy champion Brian Leetch. His points total remained the highest by any Russian player until Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had 36 in 2009.

The Canucks announced on June 16 that they had re-signed Bure to a five-year, $24.5 million contract in the next off-season. The agreement was reported to have been signed before game three of the Stanley Cup Finals against New York. Bure's marketing rights were also included, as well as his dad, Vladimir, who was hired as a fitness and marketing consultant. Bure's average annual salary of $4.9 million made him the league's third highest-paid player, behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Bure and the Canucks had entered labour talks at the start of the 1993–94 season, but two years later in his original contract remained in place. Neither side could reach a initial deal; one of the main reasons was the Canucks' requests for the deal to be settled in Canadian dollars due to the American exchange rate. During the Canucks' playoff run, numerous allegations were made that Bure threatened not to play if a deal was not reached. Bure had signed a five-year, $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, according to a Toronto Star article published before the first game of the Finals on May 31, 1994. In the two days that followed the publication, two new stories were supplemented by two others in the Vancouver-based newspaper The Province and Toronto Sun. After Bure's agent, Ron Salcer, told general manager Quinn that Bure would not play if the contract was not made, the Toronto Sun maintained that it was a five-year, $22.5 million contract, and that it was signed before either game six or seven of the first round against the Flames. Pat Quinn appeared in a segment on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)'s Hockey Night in Canada on March 27, 1995, publicly refuteing the allegations.

Bure spent single-game stints with Spartak Moscow of the Russian Super League and EV Landshut of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), largely due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout. He joined a team of Russian NHL players led by Slava Fetisov that returned to Russia to compete in a five-game charity tour against local clubs. Bure joined former Central Red Army linemates Mogilny and Fedorov on the team. NHL play was expected to return to normalcy on January 12, 1995, when the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) and the owners signed a deal. However, Salcer said the Canucks announced that Bure's full salary would be paid, despite the lockout, which unfortunately postponed nearly half of the 1994–95 season. As a result, Bure remained out for four days (the amount owing to be delinquent was $1.7 million), before the two sides reached an agreement. The Canucks would increase the undisputed amount in escrow and will continue negotiations. He jumped to Vancouver and finished with 43 points in 44 games during the short season. Bure set franchise records for most goals and points in a seven-game series win over the Los Angeles Kings in 1995 (Mikael Samuelsson tied Bure's record for most goals and points in a series with seven and 12 respectively. However, the Canucks were unable to defend their Clarence Campbell Conference championship title after being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. Bure was the last time Bure appeared in the Canucks' post-season with the club since 1995. He finished with a 66 points on the Canucks, including 34 goals, the highest club total figure until Linden tied the record in 2007.

Bure's jersey number went from 10 to 96 at the start of the 1995–96 season. The switch was held on September 6, 1991, the day on which he first landed in North America from Moscow—the ninth month, sixth day. When he first joined the Canucks, he had originally desired to wear the number but was not allowed to do so by head coach Pat Quinn, who did not approve of high jersey numbers. The Canucks had traded Alexander Mogilny for Alexander Mogilny, reuniteing the two Russian players, so the jersey number was deemed acceptable since the Canucks had used number 89 since leaving North America in 1989.

Bure suffered the first of many serious knee injuries during his career early in the season. Bure was grabbed around the head by defenseman Steve Smith as the game against the Chicago Blackhawks came to an end. He fell to the ground and ripped the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. He was hospitalized for the remainder of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery, in which tendon was removed from his hamstring to rebuild the ACL.

Bure returned to the Canucks' lineup in 1996–97 with a knee fully recovered. Bure was pushed into the boards first during the season's opener against the Flames on October 5, 1996. He continued to play after the attack but in the weeks afterward he had headaches. The media speculated that Bure's play had been cut early in the season, predicting that he was playing injured. Bure was not playing with a head injury, but instead had to brace his shoulder against the New York Rangers on November 23. Nevertheless, he continued to play. During a game against the Avalanche on March 3, 1997, he had another hit with under a month left on the season. Bure left the game and did not return for the remainder of the season. After missing 62 games the previous season, he admitted he was playing with a neck injury after suffering whiplash from the first game against Calgary, but did not want to miss out on the lineup. Bure's diminished playing time gave him 55 points in 63 games, much more than his average, and the Canucks lost the playoffs for the first time since joining the team. Bure confessed to suffering a head injury during the first strike against Calgary in a 2012 interview, "he may not have played through it."

The Canucks made another big leap in the offseason by signing Rangers' captain Mark Messier during free agency on July 26, 1997. Despite finally having a high-profile center to play with, media reports soon revealed that Bure was asking to be traded. The Canucks kicked off the season with two games against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Tokyo, an initiative sponsored by the league to promote hockey for the forthcoming 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Bure returned to his familiar number 10 after two seasons of injury-plagued seasons on his jersey, stating, "I'm not superstitious, but the last two seasons have been bad memories." Despite the fact that the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second year in a row, with 51 goals for his first 50-goal season since 1993–94 and third overall. Bure later told him that with the Canucks out of playoff contention with a few games remaining, they could play as much as he wanted to reach the milestone. A Bossal bonus was also implicit in Scoring 50 goals for Bure. With an additional 39 assists, his 90 points ranked him third in the NHL, behind Peter Forsberg and Jaromr Jágr.

Bure told newly promoted general manager Brian Burke that he would not play for the Canucks again after the 1997–98 season, despite still having a year remaining in his deal worth $8 million. He then announced that he wanted to leave the team for "personal reasons." Bure did not return to the club the following season. Rather, he returned to Moscow to practice with his former Central Red Army regiment. During this period, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko paid Bure a tax-free $4 million to play in Belarus, which he turned down.

Bure did not play out well into the 1999-99 season until being traded to the Florida Panthers, with Bret Hedican, Brad Ference, Kevin Weekes, and Vancouver's third-round pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft (Robert Fried) for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes, and Florida's first-round pick in the 2000 draft (Nathan Smith). Burke and Bryan Murray, the Panthers' general manager, had begun in late-December. Bure said he felt alienated from Canucks' leadership after arriving in North America after being deported from Russia. He said he had been in Los Angeles for two weeks before any Canucks' representative appeared to see him, as well as other tense labor talks, especially those from 1994. He also said that someone within the Canucks' leadership had purged him to not play during the 1994 playoff run. Ron Salcer, Bure's at the time, was also interested in the story.

Bure debuted with the Panthers in New York against the Islanders on January 20, 1999. He was on an all-Russian line with Viktor Kozlov and Oleg Kvasha and scored two goals. Bure's first six games with the club included eight goals and three assists for eleven points. He recovered his knee less than a month before his Panthers debut, keeping him out for three weeks. Despite the injury, the Panthers signed him to a five-year, $47.5 million contract (with the option for a sixth year at $10.5 million), the most lucrative in team history. Bure's season came to an end after just 11 games with Florida, although he scored 13 goals and three assists in that time.

Bure led the team in goal-scoring to capture his first of two consecutive Rocket Richard Trophies in 1999–2000, his first full season as a Panther. It was his second time Bure led the league in goal-scoring, but it was his first Rocket Richard Trophy since it was unveiled the previous season. With 36 assists, his 94 points put him within two points behind Art Ross Trophy winner Jaromr Jágr as the league's top point scorer. Both his 58 goals and 94 points have set franchise records. He guided Florida to their first post-season appearance in three seasons, despite being swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the New Jersey Devils. Bure came in third place for the Hart Memorial Trophy winner, behind Chris Pronger and Jágr. For the first time, he was named to the NHL's second All-Star team.

Bure was supposed to return to Vancouver to play the Canucks on November 5, 1999, but was held out of the team due to a broken finger. He had also been ruled out of a Panther's home game against the Canucks earlier this season due to a prior groin injury. He was selected to the 2000 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, where he earned an assist and the 11th hat trick in the game's history. Two of Bure's three goals were supported by his brother Valeri, who was on the same line with him, as well as his Panthers teammate, Viktor Kozlov. Bure was named All-Star Game MVP for leading the World team to a 9–4 victory over North America.

Bure made his career as a league scoring champion in 2000-2001, scoring 50 goals, reaching the 50-goal plateau for the fifth and final time in his career, as well as establishing his franchise single-season goal scoring record. However, the Panthers did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing 12th in the East, ranking 12th. Bure set a new league record by scoring 29.5% of his team's total goals over the course of the season. For the second year in a row, he was named to the NHL second All-Star team, behind Jágr in the right wing slot.

The Panthers acquired Valeri Bure from the Calgary Flames in a trade before the 2001-2002 season, joining the brothers on the same team for the first time. Bure, on the other hand, sustained a setback in the pre-season, re-injuring his groin. Bure recalled having "strong relationships" with the Panthers' leadership, who often collaborated with him on team issues, including the purchase of his brother. Bure was traded to the New York Rangers before the trading deadline. He led the team in scoring for the third straight season during his 56 games for the Panthers this season.

The New York Rangers acquired Bure in 2002, as well as Florida's second-round pick for Igor Novak and Filip Novak in the 2002 draft, as well as the Rangers' first and second-round picks in the 2002 draft (Petr Tate and Rob Globke, respectively) and a fourth-round pick in the 2003 draft. When he asked for a transfer from the Canucks in 1997, the Rangers demonstrated an interest in Bure. Wayne Gretzky, Bure's who left the team's state before the 1999–2000 season, says the Rangers may have boosted his career if they had been able to avoid the trade. Bure made his Rangers debut against the Vancouver Canucks on March 19, scoring a goal against his former team. In 12 games since being drafted, he scored 12 goals and 20 points, boosting his play with Florida this season. He played for 34 goals and 69 points on his two teams.

Bure suffered another knee injury in the 2002–03 pre-season, as well as a case of strep throat, he missed the first three games of the regular season. In his first 27 games, including two goals and an assist, before a knee-on-knee crash in December forced him to play. There was no damage to the ACL as originally expected, but rather a tear to the meniscus in his left knee, which was patched up. Bure has played in 39 games this season, totaling 19 goals and 30 points.

Bure did not play in 2003–04 despite two operations due to the knee injury's lingering effects. He failed a pre-season physical and was found physically ineligible to play. The Rangers left him unprotected in the NHL's Waiver Draft, where he was unclaimed.

Bure remained inactive for another season as a result of the NHL lockout from 2004-2005. At a press conference in Moscow on November 1, 2005, he announced his withdrawal from professional hockey following injuries as a result of his chronic knee injury. Bure said in an interview that he did not want to prolong his playing career without being able to play at an elite level.

Because Bure had been inactive since the 2002–03 season, he was eligible for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame (which requires players to wait three years after their last game) right after his inception. Bure was voted in on June 27, 2012, alongside Joe Sakic, Adam Oates, and Mats Sundin after being refused for induction in his first six years of eligibility. He was the fifth Soviet or Russian player to play in the Hall of Fame (after Vladislav Tretiak, Viacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kharlamov, and Igor Larionov) and the first Canuck player to play the majority of his career (after Vladislav Tretiak, Viacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov).

In the media, his non-election in previous years was much discussed. Bure was often compared to Cam Neely, a player who was also waiting for induction, but he had similar goals-per-game figures in a career that was also limited to 700-plus games. Bure's former head coach and general manager in Vancouver, who became co-chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame's selection committee, had often denied Bure's appointment. Nevertheless, Quinn was one of the most prominent figures he thanked in a conference call following his selection. Quinn chastised the Canucks for failing to remove Bure's jersey.

He remained steadfast in his dissatisfaction with the way he was treated by the Canucks company during his playing career. Bure admitted to "a lot of differences with the Canucks' leadership," he continued that he had "never had any issues with the Canucks fans." Bure's ten jersey was retired by the Canucks on November 2, 2013. The Canucks revealed the Most Exciting Player Award would be changed from the team's Most Exciting Player Award to the Pavel Bure Most Exciting Player Award in his honor the day before. Bure renounced his citizenship in the United States in 2016.

International career

Bure competed for the Soviet Union in several junior and international tournaments before joining the NHL in 1991. The 1988 Quebec Esso Cup, an under-17 tournament (now known as the World U-17 Hockey Challenge), was held in Quebec City, where he received a gold medal. He was in his first of two consecutive European Junior Championships, winning a bronze medal.

Bure debuted at the 1989 World Junior Championships in Anchorage, Alaska, as a 17-year-old. Bure, Alexander Mogilny, and Sergei Fedorov, three members of CSKA Moscow, 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; he led the Soviet team with 14 points. He was selected to the Tournament All-Star team and received the Best Forward Award. He appeared in the 1989 European Junior Championships for the Soviet Union, helping the Soviet Union win the gold medal.

Bure won a silver medal in Helsinki, Finland, and scored seven goals in seven games in his second World Juniors appearance in 1990. He made his senior debut with the Soviet national team as a 19-year-old at the 1990 World Championships in Switzerland later this year. He had two goals and four assists in ten games to help the Soviets win a gold medal. The Soviet team also earned silver in the European Championship, which was based on matches played among the European teams at the tournament. Bure played in his third international tournament of the year at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, three months later. In five games, Bure scored four goals and an assist, and the Soviets received the gold medal.

Bure appeared in his third and final World Junior Championships in 1991. Bure finished the tournament as the best scorer in 7 games with 12 goals, while the Soviets captured the silver medal. He finished his three-year World Junior career with a tournament-record 27 goals, totaling 39 points in 21 games. Bure's second international appearance of the year came in 1991. With 11 points in 11 games, tied for the team's lead with Valeri Kamensky, he improved on his previous year's total, and helped the Soviets earn a bronze medal finish. Bure was selected to the tournament's second All-Star team. The 1991 team represented the last World Championships for the USSR, after the country was dissolved later this year.

Bure was supposed to represent the Soviet Union at the 1991 Canada Cup, but after turning down a three-year deal with his Russian club, CSKA Moscow, he was left off the final roster.

Bure's first international tournament for Russia was held in preliminary games for the inaugural 1996 World Cup, which was the predecessor to the Canada Cup. Bure had recovered from reconstructive surgery to his right knee and started training with the Russian national team, where he was reunited on a line with Fedorov and Mogilny, the first and only time the three of them would play together at the senior level; the line was described as "the best forward line on earth" at the time. However, Bure bruised a kidney during one of the games, and was forced to miss the main tournament.

Bure refused to sign a petition arranged by national team veteran Viacheslav Fetisov, sparking controversies during the 1991 Canada Cup. The petition, which is dealing with internal graft, calls for the dismissal of a few selected Russian ice hockey players. "I do not sign petitions," Bure replied. I believe I should work – play hockey. Petitions to the federation or to Olympic commissions are not interested in me.

Bure made his Olympic debut with Russia at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano two years ago. After a five-goal victory over Finland in a 7–4 semifinal win, he helped his team advance to the gold medal game. The Russians lost the gold medal game to the Czech Republic and ended with silver. Bure scored nine goals to be named the top forward, and although he received no assists, he came third in point scoring with nine points in six games.

The 2000 World Championships, which were held in Saint Petersburg, were Bure's upcoming international tournament. The Russians had a disappointing tournament and finished 11th, placing eleventh. Bure had four goals and an assist in six games. Bure's second Olympic appearance at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City came with a fractured hand. Bure won his third international tournament with two goals and an assist in six games, while Russia captured the bronze medal.

Bure was named Russia's Olympic general manager on the announcement of his retirement in 2005, replacing Viacheslav Fetisov. "You won't see such a mess with the national team that you've never seen before," says the Russian Hockey Federation's history of internal conflict and player boycotts, adding that "You will never see grouchy players here anymore." Only those who want to play for Russia will be called into the squad. Bure, the general manager, selected the team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. In the bronze medal match, the Russians failed to win a medal after losing to the Czech Republic. Former Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak was named as the Olympic general manager in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Bure was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in December 2011. In the annual class, he was selected alongside American Phil Housley, Finn Raimo Helminen, and Czechoslovak Milan Novnovich Novo. In May 2012, the participants were announced at a ceremony.

Career statistics

Bold indicates led league

The 1988 Goodwill Games did not include the 1990 Goodwill Games, which does not include 1988 Quebec Esso Cup (U17)b.

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