Pavel Bure Pavel Vladimirovich Bure ( , ; born March 31 , 1971 ) is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger . Nicknamed The Russian Rocket for his speed , he played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) with the Vancouver Canucks , Florida Panthers and New York Rangers . Trained in Russia , where he is known as Pasha , he played three seasons with the Central Red Army team before his NHL career . Selected 113th overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by Vancouver , he began his NHL career in 1991 – 92 and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league ' s best rookie , then helped the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994 . After seven seasons with the Canucks , Bure was dealt to the Panthers , where he won back - to - back Rocket Richard Trophies as the league ' s leading goal - scorer ( he also led the league in goal scoring with Vancouver in 1993 – 94 , before the trophy ' s inauguration ) . Bure struggled with knee injuries throughout his career , resulting in his retirement in 2005 as a member of the Rangers , although he had not played since 2003 . He averaged better than a point a game in his NHL career ( 779 points with 437 goals in 702 NHL games ) . Internationally , Bure competed for the Soviet Union and Russia . As a member of the Soviet Union , he won two silver medals and a gold in three World Junior Championships , followed by a gold and a silver medal in the 1990 and 1991 World Championships , respectively . After the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 , Bure competed for Russia in two Winter Olympics , winning silver at the 1998 Games in Nagano and bronze at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City . Following Bure ' s retirement in 2005 , he was named the general manager for Russia ' s national team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin . Early life . Bure was born in Moscow to Vladimir Bure and Tatiana Gvovana on March 31 , 1971 . At age 12 , his parents separated , and Bure remained with his mother . Vladimir , a Russian swimming legend , had dreams of Pavel becoming a professional swimmer , but Pavel aspired to play hockey at an early age . He attended his first tryout with the CSKA Moscow hockey school at the age of six despite his limited skating ability . Until that point , Bure had only played hockey on the streets with a ball . After Bure failed to impress in his first tryout , his father told him that if he did not show significant improvement within two months , he would withdraw him from the hockey school . He quickly developed his abilities and by age 11 , he was named the best forward in his league . Around that time , in July 1982 , Bure was selected as one of three young Russian players to practice with Wayne Gretzky and Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak in a taped television special . By the time he was 14 years old , he was named to the Central Red Army ' s junior team . In December 1986 , he embarked on a tour of Canada , spanning from Ottawa to Vancouver , with the Soviet national midget team . Nearly five years before Bure made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks in 1991 at the Pacific Coliseum , he played his first game at his future home rink as part of the tour . Bure also earned another opportunity to meet Gretzky , as well as defenceman Paul Coffey , when his team stopped in Edmonton to play at the Northlands Coliseum . Playing career . Central Red Army ( 1987 – 1991 ) . Bure began his professional hockey career at age 16 , playing for the Central Red Army team . He was invited to the senior club ' s training camp for the 1987 – 88 season and , although he was deemed too young and not yet ready for the Soviet League , Bure earned minimal playing time filling in for absent regulars . He made his debut in September 1987 when the club briefly lost several players to the 1987 Canada Cup ; Bure played in five games that season . He scored his first professional goal for CSKA Moscow while playing on the fourth line in his senior club debut . Bure joined the club full - time in 1988 – 89 and amassed 17 goals , a Soviet League record for rookies . The record - setting mark stood for 18 years before New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov scored 18 goals in 2006 – 07 . Bure added 9 assists for 26 points to earn the league ' s rookie of the year honours . Bure ' s individual success helped CSKA Moscow capture their thirteenth consecutive Soviet championship and twelfth consecutive IIHF European Cup in 1989 ( they repeated as European champions the following year ) . As a member of the Moscow - based club , Bure joined a lineup that featured several future NHL players , including linemates Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny , as well as Igor Larionov , Slava Fetisov 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 . The trio was short - lived , as Mogilny defected to play for the Buffalo Sabres in 1989 and Fedorov joined the Detroit Red Wings the following year . In his third and final season with the Red Army , Bure tied for the lead in team - scoring with Valeri Kamensky , tallying 46 points . His 35 goals was second in the league , one goal behind Ramil Yuldashev of Sokil Kyiv . Bure turned down a three - year contract extension in August 1991 , which resulted in him being left off the roster of the Soviet team for the Canada Cup . Transfer to the NHL ( 1989 – 1991 ) . Bure was selected 113th overall in the 6th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks , following his rookie season with CSKA Moscow . The pick was controversial , as the Canucks had chosen him seemingly a year ahead of his eligible draft season . At the age of 18 , he was available to be chosen in the first three rounds of the draft , but in order to be selected any later than that , he would had to have played in at least two seasons ( with a minimum of 11 games per season ) for his elite - level European club , the Central Red Army . However , the Canucks ' head scout at the time , Mike Penny , discovered that Bure had played in additional exhibition and international games to make him an eligible late - round draft choice a year early . Several other teams either had similar knowledge or had pursued Bure , but there was confusion as to the legitimacy of the extra games . The Detroit Red Wings had inquired to league vice president Gil Stein as to Bure ' s supposed availability prior to their fifth - round pick , but were told that he was not eligible . Winnipeg Jets general manager Mike Smith claimed he travelled to Moscow prior to the draft and made a offer to the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation . The deal involved a transfer fee to be paid to the Soviets over three years , after which time , Bure would join the Jets as a 21 - year - old . Smith did not have any plans to draft Bure in 1989 , however , as he believed Bure was ineligible . General manager Pat Quinn originally intended to draft Bure in the eighth round , but after receiving word that the Edmonton Oilers had similar intentions , he selected him in the sixth . Detroit ' s European scout Christer Rockstrom immediately began protesting , while several other unidentified team representatives reportedly stormed the Met Center stage in Minnesota , where the draft was being held , following the announcement of Bure ' s draft . The Hartford Whalers and Washington Capitals then filed formal complaints to the league , resulting in an investigation into the selection . After the pick was deemed illegal by league president John Ziegler in a press release on May 17 , 1990 , the Canucks appealed the decision , procuring game sheets proving Bure ' s participation in the additional games with the help of recent Soviet acquisition Igor Larionov . It was not until the eve of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft , in which Bure would have been re - entered , that the draft choice was upheld . Although Larionov and Fetisov had successfully spearheaded the rebellion against Soviet ice hockey officials in the late 1980s that led to the allowance of Soviet players to join the NHL , Bure ' s transfer to the Canucks met with resistance . Soviet authorities forbade the Canucks to contact Bure personally . During the 1991 World Junior Championships , he told the " Toronto Sun " in an interview that he was hesitant to defect for fears that the Soviets would make things difficult for his younger brother Valeri Bure , who was 15 at the time and playing in the junior league . Bure left Moscow with his father and brother on September 6 , 1991 , temporarily staying in Los Angeles . The Canucks began negotiating a contract with Bure , but before one could be finalized , the issue of his existing deal with the Central Red Army had to be settled . Canucks management and officials from the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation met in late - October 1991 in a Detroit court , where they bartered for a cash settlement . After the Canucks offered $ 200 , 000 , Bure stood up in the courtroom to offer an additional $ 50 , 000 , bringing the total to $ 250 , 000 . The Russian officials accepted , and Canucks management paid the full $ 250 , 000 . Bure signed a four - year contract worth a reported $ 2 . 7 million with an $ 800 , 000 signing bonus soon thereafter . The deal made him the Canucks ' second highest paid player behind team captain Trevor Linden , who had just recently signed a four - year , $ 3 . 7 million contract . Vancouver Canucks ( 1991 – 1999 ) . Due to the court proceedings , Bure ' s Canucks debut in 1991 – 92 was delayed until a month into the season . Garnering much attention in Vancouver , his first practice with the club on November 3 , 1991 , was attended by approximately 2 , 000 fans at Britannia Ice Rink in East Vancouver . He played his first game for the Canucks on November 5 , 1991 , in a 3 – 3 tie against the Winnipeg Jets . Despite being kept off the scoresheet in his NHL debut , Bure showcased his talent and speed with several end - to - end rushes , carrying the puck past several defenders from near his defensive zone to the opposing net . Following the game , " Vancouver Sun " columnist Iain MacIntyre compared him to a rocket , calling him " the fastest Soviet creation since Sputnik " . MacIntyre ' s comments are credited for having laid the groundwork for Bure ' s moniker as the " Russian Rocket " . It took Bure until his third game , a 6 – 0 win against the New York Islanders , to record his first point , an assist on a Cliff Ronning goal . He scored his first two NHL goals in the next game on November 12 against Daniel Berthiaume of the Los Angeles Kings in an 8 – 2 win . He scored 34 goals and 60 points in 65 games that season , including 22 goals in his final 23 games . In the last game of the regular season , Bure scored a goal to tie Ivan Hlinka ' s 1981 – 82 team mark for most points by a rookie . Bure ' s addition to the Canucks lineup bolstered a core that featured Linden and goaltender Kirk McLean , a Vezina Trophy nominee in 1989 and 1992 as the league ' s best goaltender , and helped the Canucks to their first of two consecutive Smythe Division titles . As the Canucks opened the 1992 playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets , Bure recorded his first NHL hat trick in game six to help force a seventh and deciding game . Vancouver won the series to advance to the second round , but were then eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers . Bure finished his first Stanley Cup playoffs with 6 goals and 10 points in 13 post - season games . At the end of the season , Bure was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year over Detroit Red Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidström . His 60 points were second among first - year players to Tony Amonte ' s 69 points with the Rangers , although Bure played in 14 fewer games . When accepting the award , he thanked Canucks linemate and countryman Igor Larionov for his guidance during his rookie season . On arriving in Vancouver , the former Red Army teammate took Bure into his North Vancouver home for two weeks before Bure moved into his own downtown apartment . The two also roomed together on the road . Bure ' s Calder Trophy , along with head coach Pat Quinn ' s Jack Adams Award as the league ' s top coach , marked the first major individual NHL awards in Canucks team history . Despite being distinguished as the league ' s top rookie , however , Bure was left off the NHL All - Rookie Team , making him the only Calder recipient to not be named to the lineup . He was left off the All - Rookie Team because he split his time playing both left and right wing . When it came to voting for the players , Bure had the most total votes , but not enough at either position to claim a spot . Bure improved on his rookie campaign in 1992 – 93 for his first of two consecutive 60 - goal efforts . In the third game of the season , Bure scored a career - high four goals against the Winnipeg Jets . His three goals and one assist in the second period set a pair of Canucks records for most goals and points in a period , in addition to the team mark for most goals overall in a game ( for which he is tied with several players ) . Furthermore , Bure scored two of his goals on the penalty kill to set a fourth team record for most short handed goals in one contest . Bure appeared in his first NHL All - Star Game that season in 1993 , being named to the Clarence Campbell Conference Team as the lone Canucks representative . He scored two goals in his All - Star debut in a 16 – 6 loss to the Wales Conference . Shortly after the All - Star break , Bure established a new franchise record for goals in a season during a 5 – 1 win over the Quebec Nordiques , surpassing Tony Tanti ' s 45 - goal mark . The next month , on March 1 , Bure reached the 50 - goal mark for the first time in his career , scoring against Grant Fuhr of the Buffalo Sabres in a neutral - site game in Hamilton , Ontario . On March 9 , Bure recorded two assists in a 7 – 2 win against the New Jersey Devils to surpass Patrik Sundström ' s franchise record of 91 points . This record stood until it was broken by Henrik Sedin ' s 112 points in 2009 – 10 . Bure finished the season with 110 points in 83 games and became the first Canuck named to the NHL First All - Star Team . Bure suffered his first career injury early in the 1993 – 94 season , pulling his groin on October 23 , 1993 , against the San Jose Sharks . Despite the injury , Bure was allowed to play the next night against the Sharks . He had to be helped off the ice after his first shift because he re - injured his groin . Although he missed eight games with the injury , Bure led the league in goal - scoring by repeating his 60 - goal feat from the previous season . In doing so , he became the eighth player in NHL history to record back - to - back 60 - goal campaigns . He finished the season with 19 goals and 30 points in 16 games to earn player of the month honours for March . The scoring burst was just one point shy of Stan Smyl ' s 31 - point March in 1983 for the most productive month by a Canucks player . Bure ' s 154 NHL goals at that point in his career put him behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most in any NHL player ' s first three seasons . Entering the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the seventh seed , the Canucks went on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals . In the seventh game of the opening round series against the Calgary Flames , Bure scored one of the most significant and well - known goals in Canucks history . After receiving a breakaway pass from defenceman Jeff Brown , he deked and scored on Flames goalie Mike Vernon in the second overtime to win the series . The Canucks advanced past Calgary with three consecutive overtime wins after having been down 3 – 1 in the series . In game two of the second round against the Dallas Stars , Bure knocked enforcer Shane Churla to the ice with an elbow to the jaw . The hit came after Bure had been cross - checked from behind by defenceman Craig Ludwig and hit in the head by Churla while he was still on his knees on the ice . Bure also scored two goals in the game to help Vancouver to a 3 – 0 win . Although Bure was not initially penalized for the play , he later received a $ 500 fine from the league . After defeating Dallas in five games , the Canucks eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Campbell Conference Finals to meet the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals . With the series tied 1 – 1 , Bure was ejected in game three after delivering a high stick to Rangers defenceman Jay Wells . Bure ' s stick caught Wells beneath the eye , drawing blood and resulting in a five - minute major and a game misconduct . With Bure out of the game , the Canucks lost the contest 5 – 1 . A 4 – 2 loss in game four put the Canucks at the brink of defeat in the series . When Vancouver won game five in New York on the strength of Bure ' s two goals , and game six in Vancouver , the series was pushed to seven games . In the deciding game , the Rangers ended Vancouver ' s playoff run by a 3 – 2 score to capture the Stanley Cup . Bure finished with a team - high 16 goals and 31 points in 24 games , second in playoff scoring only to Conn Smythe winner Brian Leetch . Bure ' s points total also remained the highest by any Russian player until Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins recorded 36 in 2009 . In the subsequent off - season , the Canucks announced they had re - signed Bure to a five - year , US $ 24 . 5 million contract on June 16 . The deal was reported to have been signed prior to game three of the Stanley Cup Finals against New York . It also obtained Bure ' s marketing rights and put his father , Vladimir , on the team payroll as a fitness and marketing consultant . The average annual salary of US $ 4 . 9 million made Bure the league ' s third highest - paid player , behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux . Bure and the Canucks had , in fact , entered into contract negotiations at the beginning of the 1993 – 94 season , although two years remained in his original deal . Neither side could come to an initial agreement ; one of the major factors was the Canucks ' demands for the contract to be in Canadian dollar s on account of the American exchange rate . Numerous accusations were made in the media during the Canucks ' playoff run that Bure threatened not to play if a contract could not be agreed upon . A " Toronto Star " article published before the first game of the Finals on May 31 , 1994 , claimed that Bure had signed a five - year , US $ 30 million contract that , if the Canucks had not agreed to , would have seen him pull out of game five of the Conference Finals against the Maple Leafs . The article was followed by two additional claims in the following two days in the Vancouver - based newspaper " The Province " and " Toronto Sun " . The " Toronto Sun " held that the contract was a five - year , US $ 22 . 5 million deal , and that it was signed prior to either game six or seven of the opening round against the Flames after Bure ' s agent , Ron Salcer , told general manager Quinn that Bure would not play if the deal was not made . As the story continued well into the next season , Pat Quinn appeared in a segment on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ( CBC ) ' s " Hockey Night in Canada " with host Ron MacLean on March 27 , 1995 , publicly denying the claims . Due to the 1994 – 95 NHL lockout , Bure spent single - game stints with HC Spartak Moscow of the Russian Super League and EV Landshut of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga ( DEL ) . He also joined a team of Russian NHL players organized by Slava Fetisov that returned to Russia to play a five - game charity tour against local clubs . On the team , Bure was reunited with former Central Red Army linemates Mogilny and Fedorov . When the NHL Players Association ( NHLPA ) and owners came to an agreement on January 12 , 1995 , NHL play was set to resume . However , there were unresolved contract issues , as Salcer claimed that the Canucks promised they would pay Bure ' s full salary despite the lockout , which cancelled nearly half of the 1994 – 95 season . Bure held out for four days as a result ( the amount claimed to be owing was US $ 1 . 7 million ) , before the two sides reached an agreement that the Canucks would put the disputed amount in escrow and would continue discussions . He soon reported to Vancouver and went on to tally 43 points in 44 games of the shortened season . He spent the season with a rotation of linemates , taking turns being centred by Trevor Linden , Cliff Ronning and rookie Michael Peca . Bure had lacked a consistent linemate since he was centred by fellow Soviets Igor Larionov and Anatoli Semenov in each of his first two seasons . Nevertheless , in the 1995 playoffs , Bure set franchise records for most goals and points in a series with 7 and 12 respectively in a seven - game series victory against the St . Louis Blues ( Mikael Samuelsson later tied Bure ' s goal - scoring record in 2010 against the Los Angeles Kings ) . The Canucks , however , failed to defend their Clarence Campbell Trophy title , being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in round two . In the fourth and final playoff game against the Blackhawks , Bure left the contest early in the third period with a rib injury . The Canucks ' elimination in 1995 marked the last time Bure appeared in the post - season with the club . He finished with a career playoff total of 66 points with the Canucks , including 34 goals , which remained the highest club total until Linden tied the mark in 2007 . At the start of the 1995 – 96 season , Bure changed his jersey number from 10 to 96 . The switch commemorated the day on which he first landed in North American from Moscow , on September 6 , 1991 ( 9th month , 6th day ) . He had originally requested to wear the number when he first joined the Canucks , but was not permitted by head coach Pat Quinn , who did not approve of high jersey numbers . After the Canucks made a deal with the Buffalo Sabres to reunite Bure with Alexander Mogilny , the jersey number was deemed acceptable because of Mogilny ' s number 89 . Early in the season , Bure sustained the first of what were to be several serious knee injuries during his career . On November 9 , 1995 , in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks , Bure received a hit from defenceman Steve Smith in the first period , tearing the anterior cruciate ligament ( ACL ) in his right knee . Requiring arthroscopic surgery , in which tendon was removed from his hamstring to repair the ACL , he was sidelined for the remainder of the season . Without Bure , the Canucks managed to make the 1996 playoffs on the strength of an offence led by Linden and Mogilny , but were defeated in six games of the opening round by the Colorado Avalanche , who went on to win the Stanley Cup . Bure returned to the Canucks lineup with his knee fully recovered in the 1996 – 97 season . Competing for Russia in an exhibition match for the 1996 World Cup in August , he had suffered another setback with a bruised kidney and was sidelined for three weeks , but was able to recover in time for the NHL season . In the season opener against the Calgary Flames , on October 5 , 1996 , Bure was pushed into the boards head - first by rookie defenceman Todd Simpson . Although Bure continued to play and did not miss any games soon thereafter , head coach Tom Renney admitted that Bure was still experiencing headaches a couple of weeks after the hit . As Bure ' s play dropped early in the season , speculation began that he was playing injured . After Bure went eight games without a goal , Renney claimed that Bure was not playing with a head injury , but instead had injured his shoulder in a game against the New York Rangers on November 23 . Nevertheless , Bure continued to play . With under a month left in the season , he received another hit , this time from defenceman Aaron Miller of the Colorado Avalanche during a game on March 3 , 1997 . He left the game and did not return for the remainder of the season . Afterwards , Bure admitted that he was playing with a neck injury , having sustained whiplash from the first game against Calgary , but did not want to take himself out of the lineup after having missed 62 games the previous season . With Bure ' s reduced playing capacity , he managed 55 points in 63 games , well below his usual pace , and the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first time since Bure joined the team . In the off - season , the Canucks made another significant move , signing Rangers captain Mark Messier during free agency on July 26 , 1997 . Despite finally having a high - profile centre to play with , reports in the media began soon thereafter that Bure was requesting to be traded , starting with an article published by " The Province " on August 26 , 1997 , by Tony Gallagher . Bure and the Canucks opened the season with two games against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Tokyo , Japan – an event organized by the league to market hockey for the upcoming 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano . After two injury - plagued seasons with the number 96 on his jersey , Bure switched back to his familiar number 10 , explaining that " I ' m not superstitious , but the last two seasons have been bad memories . " Although the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second straight year , he returned his previous form in 1997 – 98 , scoring 51 goals and notching his third 50 - goal campaign , his first since 1993 – 94 . His 90 points made him third in the NHL , behind Peter Forsberg and Jaromír Jágr . Bure scored his last goal as a Canuck , and his 254th with the team , in the final game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs . The total left him just eight goals shy of Stan Smyl ' s all - time franchise record of 262 goals , which was later surpassed by Trevor Linden and Markus Näslund . Following the 1997 – 98 season , Bure told newly appointed general manager Brian Burke in a meeting on July 5 , 1998 , that he would not play for the Canucks again , despite still having a year left in his contract worth US $ 8 million . Bure then went public with the declaration the following month , stating that he intended to leave the club for " personal reasons " . Bure did not report to the club the following season . He instead went back to his hometown Moscow to practice with his former Central Red Army club . During this time , Belarus ian president Alexander Lukashenko offered Bure a tax - free US $ 4 million salary to play in Belarus , which Bure turned down . Florida Panthers ( 1999 – 2002 ) . Bure held out well into the 1998 – 99 season until he was traded on January 17 , 1999 , to the Florida Panthers , with Bret Hedican , Brad Ference , and Vancouver ' s third - round choice in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft ( Robert Fried ) for Ed Jovanovski , Dave Gagner , Mike Brown , Kevin Weekes , and Florida ' s first - round choice in the 2000 draft ( Nathan Smith ) . Talks between general managers Burke and Bryan Murray had begun in late - December , with the two meeting at the 1999 World Junior Championships in Winnipeg . After the trade was completed , Bure explained in a joint - interview with the " Toronto Sun " and " The Province " that he felt he was alienated by Canucks management ever since arriving in North America from Moscow . He cited having stayed in Los Angeles for two weeks before any Canucks representative came down to see him , in addition to several bitter contract negotiations . Bure also claimed that the constant allegations of him threatening not to play during the 1994 playoff run were planted by someone within Canucks management . Meeting the Panthers in New York for a game against the Islanders , Bure debuted with his new club on January 20 , 1999 . He played on an all - Russian line with Viktor Kozlov and Oleg Kvasha and scored two goals to help the Panthers to a 5 – 1 win . In his first six games with the club , Bure scored eight goals and three assists for eleven points . Less than a month into his Panthers debut , he suffered a strained right knee while kicking a loose puck during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 5 . Despite the injury , the Panthers announced three days later that Bure had signed to a five - year , US $ 47 . 5 million deal ( with an option for a sixth year at US $ 10 . 5 million ) , the most lucrative in team history . After being out of the lineup for nearly three weeks , Bure returned to appear in five more games , but was sidelined once more for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury that he suffered on March 3 after a collision with defenceman Adam Foote in a game against the Colorado Avalanche . After initial arthroscopic surgery revealed that his right ACL was not functioning , Bure underwent further reconstructive surgery on March 29 . Due to his holdout from Vancouver and the two injuries in Florida , Bure appeared in just 11 games that season , but managed to record 13 goals and 3 assists for 16 points . In his first full season as a Panther , in 1999 – 2000 , 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 goal scoring , but his first Rocket Richard Trophy as the award had just been inducted the previous season . Combined with 36 assists , his 94 points came within two of Art Ross Trophy winner Jaromír Jágr as the league ' s leading point - scorer . His 58 goals and 94 points both set franchise records . Bure helped Florida to a fifth - place finish in the Eastern Conference to earn their first post - season berth in three seasons . They were , however , swept in the opening round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils . It was Bure ' s final appearance in the NHL playoffs . At the end of the season , he was listed as a nominee for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league ' s most valuable player . He finished as the second runner - up with 11 first - place votes , behind Jágr ( 18 first - place votes ) and award - winner Chris Pronger ( 25 first - place votes ) . He was named to the NHL Second All - Star Team for the first time , finishing second in balloting for right wingers behind Jágr ( he also mistakenly received a first - place ballot as a left winger ) . Bure also finished fourth in balloting for the Lady Byng Trophy as the league ' s most sportsmanlike player . Bure was set to make his much - anticipated return to Vancouver to play the Canucks on November 5 , 1999 , but was instead kept out of the lineup due to a broken finger suffered in a game against the Edmonton Oilers . The injury came after having missed five games to a groin injury , which also kept him out of a home game against the Canucks . During the season , he was also named to the 2000 NHL All - Star Game in Toronto , where he recorded an assist and the 11th hat trick in the history of the All - Star Game . Of Bure ' s three goals , two were assisted by his brother Valeri , who played on the same line with Bure , along with Bure ' s Panthers linemate , Viktor Kozlov . Helping lead the World team to a 9 – 4 victory over North America , Bure was named the All - Star Game MVP . Bure repeated as league scoring champion in 2000 – 01 with 59 goals , reaching the 50 - goal plateau for the fifth and final time in his career , as well as bettering his franchise single - season goal - scoring record . Without much secondary scoring , however ( the second leading scorer on the team was Viktor Kozlov with 37 points ) , the Panthers missed out on the playoffs , finishing 12th place in the East . Bure set a league record that season by scoring 29 . 5 % of his team ' s total goals over the course of the campaign . He was named to the NHL Second All - Star Team , behind Jágr in the right wing position for the second consecutive year . Prior to the 2001 – 02 season , the Panthers acquired Valeri Bure from the Calgary Flames in a trade , reuniting the two brothers under the same team . Pavel Bure suffered a setback in the pre - season , however , re - injuring his groin . After the season began , he was further sidelined for seven games in November and December due to a concussion . He sustained the head injury during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 19 , 2001 , after he was checked into the glass by forward Darcy Tucker . Several days after returning to the lineup , on December 16 , 2001 , Bure reached the 700 - point mark with two assists and an empty net goal in a 3 – 1 win over the New York Islanders . At the trading deadline , Bure was dealt to the New York Rangers . During his 56 games for the Panthers that season , he led the team in scoring for the third consecutive campaign with 49 points . New York Rangers ( 2002 – 2003 ) . The New York Rangers acquired Bure on March 18 , 2002 , along with Florida ' s second - round pick in the 2002 draft ( Lee Falardeau ) for Igor Ulanov , Filip Novak , as well as the Rangers ' first and second - round choices in the 2002 draft ( Petr Tatíček and Rob Globke , respectively ) and a fourth - round choice in the 2003 draft . The Rangers had shown interest in Bure when he was originally shopped by the Canucks in 1997 . After losing their initial bid for Bure , Wayne Gretzky , who retired the same season Bure was dealt to Florida , announced prior to the 1999 – 00 campaign that he would have extended his career had the Rangers been able to pull the trade off . Bure made his Rangers debut against the Vancouver Canucks the day after his trade on March 19 , scoring a goal in a 3 – 1 loss to his former team . He scored 12 goals and 20 points in 12 games upon being traded , up from his pace with Florida that season . Between the two teams , he finished the season with 34 goals and 69 points . Bure suffered another knee injury in a 2002 – 03 pre - season matchup with the New Jersey Devils on September 24 , 2002 . Combined with a case of strep throat , the injury caused him to miss the first three games of the regular season . Bure returned to the lineup to record 14 goals and 21 points in his first 27 games , including two goals and an assist in his first game back , before suffering a knee - on - knee collision with Buffalo Sabres forward Curtis Brown in a game on December 6 , 2002 . After undergoing surgery 10 days later , it was revealed that there was no damage to the ACL as previously feared , but instead a tear to the meniscus in his left knee , which was repaired . Bure returned that season to appear in 39 games , managing 19 goals and 30 points . Bure did not play in 2003 – 04 due to lingering effects of the knee injury , even after two operations . He failed a pre - season physical and was declared medically unable to play . Left with Bure ' s fully insured US $ 10 million salary ( which would be reimbursed to the team by 80 percent ) , the Rangers consequently left him unprotected in the NHL ' s Waiver Draft . He was unclaimed . Bure remained inactive for another season due to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout . After the NHL resumed play for the 2005 – 06 season , Bure announced his retirement from professional hockey at a press conference in Moscow on November 1 , 2005 , due to complications with his chronically injured knee . At the same time , it was announced that Bure would be the general manager of Russia ' s ice hockey team for the 2006 Winter Olympics . In 2012 , Bure was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . International play . Prior to joining the NHL in 1991 , Bure competed in several junior international tournaments for the Soviet Union . The first was the 1988 Quebec Esso Cup , an under - 17 tournament ( now known as the World U - 17 Hockey Challenge ) held in Quebec City , where he earned a gold medal . That same year , he competed in his first of two consecutive European Junior Championships . The following year , Bure debuted at the world under - 20 level as a 17 - year - old at the 1989 World Junior Championships in Anchorage , Alaska . The top line of CSKA Moscow teammates Bure , Alexander Mogilny and Sergei Federov led the Soviet Union to a gold medal . Bure ' s eight goals tied him for the tournament lead with Jeremy Roenick of the United States , in addition to a team - high 14 points . He was named to the Tournament All - Star Team and earned Best Forward honours . Bure competed in his second World Juniors the following year in 1990 , winning a silver medal in Helsinki , Finland , while scoring seven goals in seven games . Later that year , he made his senior debut with the Soviet national team as a 19 - year - old at the 1990 World Championships in Switzerland . He scored two goals and four assists in ten games to help the Soviets to a gold medal finish , winning all three games in the medal round . Despite winning the overall tournament , the Soviets finished with a silver in the European Championship , which took into account only games played amongst European teams during the tournament . Nevertheless , each Soviet player was awarded $ 10 , 000 for winning the overall tournament , which Bure used to buy a new Lada . Several months later , in July , Bure took part in his third international tournament of the year at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle . Bure scored four goals and an assist in five games , and the Soviets captured the gold medal by defeating the United States in the final . In 1991 , Bure appeared in his third and final World Junior Championships . Having won their first four games , the Soviets required only a win in their the second - to - last - game against Finland to clinch the gold medal . After the Finns built a 4 – 0 lead , Bure led a 5 - goal comeback in which he scored his team ' s final three goals for a natural hat trick . Nevertheless , the Soviets gave up a goal in the final minute of the game to set up a gold medal match against Canada . Although Bure finished the tournament as the leading scorer with 12 goals in 7 games , the Soviets fell to Canada 3 – 2 to settle for silver . He finished his three - year World Junior career with a tournament - record 27 goals , to go with 39 points , in 21 games . Bure later competed in the 1991 World Championships for his second international appearance of the year . He improved on his previous year ' s total with 11 points in 11 games , tied for the team lead with Valeri Kamensky , and helped the Soviets to a bronze medal finish . Bure was named to the tournament ' s Second All - Star Team . The 1991 team marked the last World Championships that the Soviets played as the USSR , giving way to the union ' s dissolution later that year . Prior to the dissolution , Bure was set to represent the Soviet Union at the 1991 Canada Cup several months later in Canada . However , after turning down a three - year contract with his Russian club , CSKA Moscow , he was left off the final roster . Further controversy ensued five years later in the inaugural 1996 World Cup ( the successor tournament to the Canada Cup ) . Bure had recently recovered from reconstructive surgery to his right knee and had begun practicing with the Russian national team , when he refused to sign a petition organized by national team veteran Slava Fetisov . With the Russian Ice Hockey Federation dealing with internal corruption , the petition called for the ouster of a select few Russian ice hockey officials . In response , Bure explained , " I do not sign petitions . I believe I should work – play hockey . Petitions to the federation or to Olympic committees do not interest me . " Despite the controversy , Bure did not playing in the tournament anyway , as a result of a bruised kidney suffered in an exhibition game against the United States . Two years later , Bure made his Olympic debut with Russia at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano . He helped his team to the gold medal game after an Olympic record five - goal effort in Russia ' s 7 – 4 semi - final win against Finland , two of which came on breakaways . Playing the Czech Republic in the final , however , Bure and the Russians were shutout by goaltender Dominik Hašek and lost the gold medal by a 1 – 0 score . He finished with a tournament - high nine goals to be named the top forward and , while recording no assists , placed third in point - scoring with nine points in six games . After the Panthers were eliminated in the 2000 playoffs , Bure was added to the Russian roster for the 2000 World Championships , held in Saint Petersburg . The Russians were not able to make the medal rounds , suffering upset defeats to both Latvia and Belarus . In six games , Bure managed four goals and an assist . Two years later , Bure made his second Olympic appearance at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City . Attempting to make his second straight trip to the gold medal game , Bure and the Russians lost in the semi - finals to the United States 3 – 2 . Bure finished his final international tournament as a player with two goals and an assist in six games to go with a bronze medal , having defeated Belarus in the consolation match . General manager . Upon the announcement of his retirement in 2005 , Bure was named Russia ' s Olympic general manager , succeeding Viacheslav Fetisov . He promised to put an end to the Russian Hockey Federation ' s history of internal conflict and player boycotts , stating , " You won ' t see such a mess with the national team that you ' ve seen here before " , and that " You won ' t see grouchy players here anymore . Only those who really want to play for Russia will be called into the team . " As general manager , Bure chose the team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin . The Russians failed to win a medal after they were shutout by the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game . Leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver , former Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak was named Bure ' s successor as Olympic general manager on October 12 , 2009 . Playing style . Trained in the Soviet Union under the CSKA Moscow hockey program , Bure ' s playing style reflected the speed , skill and puck possession that the Soviets held at a premium . The most prevalent aspect of Bure ' s game was his skating speed and acceleration , which earned him his nickname as the " Russian Rocket " . He was able to use his quickness to separate himself from defenders , scoring many of his goals on breakaways . Vancouver Canucks conditioning coach Peter Twist noticed during Bure ' s rehabilitation period following his first major knee injury in 1995 , that his skating style was particularly unique in comparison to typical North American players . He explained , " Most players skate on their inside edge and push off at a 45 - degree angle , but Bure starts on his outer edge and rolls over to his inside edge and pushes back straighter on his stride . . . he gets more power and force in his stride to get up to top speed quicker . " Bure ' s skating was also complemented by his ability to deke out defenders and goaltenders at top speeds , making him capable of routinely starting end - to - end rushes . However , several knee injuries and consequent reconstructive surgeries compromised the speed that defined Bure ' s game , ultimately leading to his retirement in 2005 . Bure ' s combination of speed and skill made him a particularly exciting player to watch . He won the Canucks ' Most Exciting Player Award , as voted by the fans , a team record five times ( tied with Tony Tanti ) from 1992 – 1995 and once more in 1998 . Canucks teammate and captain Trevor Linden , who had played with Bure for seven seasons , said following Bure ' s retirement , " I don ' t know if I ' ve ever seen or played with a player that ' s brought people out of their seats like that . " During the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals , New York Rangers coach Mike Keenan , who later coached Bure for one - and - a - half seasons in Vancouver , called him " perhaps the most electrifying forward in the league " . Bure has been described as a pure goal scorer and is statistically among the top players in NHL history in that regard . In addition to having reached the 50 - goal mark in his career five times and the 60 - goal mark twice , his . 623 goals per game average is third among the top 100 goal scorers in NHL history , behind Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux . Personal life . Bure comes from an athletic family ; his father Vladimir , whose lineage is of German ancestry ( his side of the family originated from Furna , Switzerland ) was an Olympic swimmer who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1968 , 1972 , and 1976 Olympic Games . He won four medals , including a bronze medal for the 100 - metre race in the 1972 Games , in which he lost the gold medal by half a second to American swimming legend Mark Spitz . Bure retained his father as his personal trainer well into his playing career , before severing ties with him in 1997 . Bure ' s grandfather , Valeri Bure , also competed for the Soviet Union in the Olympics as a goalkeeper for the national water polo team . Named after his grandfather , Bure ' s younger brother Valeri Bure , was also a hockey player , spending 10 years in the NHL . The two siblings played with each other briefly as members of the Florida Panthers , as well as on the Russian national team . In addition to athleticism , nobility ran in the family . Bure was named after his great - grandfather , a watchmaker to Tsar Alexander III . Bure ' s family made precious watches for the tsars from 1815 – 1917 ; as craftspersons of the imperial family , they were granted noble status . After Bure sustained his first serious knee injury in 1995 , he pursued the watchmaking business during his rehabilitation period in an attempt to revive the family business . Fifty replicas of the same watches his ancestors sold to the Russian imperial family were made and priced at US $ 30 , 000 each . Bure presented three of the gold replicas to Russian President Boris Yeltsin , Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and Moscow mayor Yuriy Luzhkov . Shortly after arriving in North America from Moscow with his father and brother on September 6 , 1991 ( his mother Tatiana arrived two months later ) , Bure married an American fashion model in a civil ceremony five days later 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 and Bohn went on to become a costume designer in the film and television industry . After being linked to girlfriend Dahn Bryan , a model and actress , early in his NHL career , Bure shared a relationship with tennis star and fellow Russian Anna Kournikova . The two met in 1999 when Kournikova was still linked to Bure ' s former Russian teammate Sergei Fedorov . Bure and Kournikova were reported to have been engaged in 2000 after a reporter took a photo of them together in a Florida restaurant where Bure supposedly asked Kournikova to marry him . As the story made headlines in Russia , where they were both heavily followed in the media as celebrities , Bure and Kournikova both denied any engagement . Kournikova , 10 years younger than Bure , was 18 years old at the time . The following year , Kournikova and Fedorov were married in Moscow . They were soon divorced , however , and Kournikova then married pop star Enrique Iglesias in 2003 . Despite no longer being linked with each other , Bure and Kounikova continued to controversially make the news after their relationship ended . In 2002 , Bure sued Russian newspaper " the eXile " for publishing an article stating that he broke up with Kournikova on account of her having two vaginas . Although the newspapers ' editorial staff claimed the story was a mere joke , the court ruled in favour of Bure in the amount of 500 , 000 rubles ( US $ 17 , 770 ) . Furthermore , the eXile was obligated to print another article refuting the previous story . Two years later , on December 27 , 2004 , Russian cosmetics chain Arbat Prestige published a story in their free promotional paper that Bure had bragged about Kournikova losing her virginity to him . Shortly thereafter , on January 31 , 2005 , Bure sued the cosmetics chain for 300 million rubles ( US $ 10 . 65 million ) in a Moscow court . He further demanded that Arbat Prestige print a retraction and apology in a future paper , similar to the suit against the eXile . The court ruled in favour of Bure in November 2005 . The amount was , however , reduced from 300 million to approximately 320 , 000 rubles . At 38 - years - old , Bure married 23 - year - old model Alina Khasanova on October 10 , 2009 . Bure and Khasanova had known each other for four years after meeting in Turkey . The wedding was held in Moscow for over 300 guests at a restaurant . " Pravda " reported the couple had officially married on October 10 , 2008 , in Miami . Another news source reported an engagement , not a wedding , had taken place in Miami in the spring of 2009 and also mentions the newlyweds are expecting their first child in spring 2010 . During Bure ' s playing career , much speculation surrounded Russian NHL players and their potential ties to the Russian mafia as both victims and associates . As Soviet players began defecting to the NHL , many cases of extortion began surfacing that the Russian mafia was targeting the players ' families still living in Russia . Former teammate Alexander Mogilny was involved in such an extortion attempt in 1994 , while Bure was reported to have made payments totaling in the thousands of dollars to Russian extortionists , as well , in 1993 . Three years later , however , in 1996 , American sports network ESPN reported Bure as a potential associate to the Russian mafia on account of his relationship with friend and watch - making business partner Anzor Kikalishvili . Kikalishvili was known to both Russian and American police as a suspected criminal and was speculated to be a Russian mob boss . Furthermore , Bure was revealed to hold a position as vice president in sports company Twenty First Century Association , which was owned by Kikalishvili and believed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) to be a mafia front worth at least US $ 100 million in illicit funds . While Bure did not deny his business and personal relationship with Kikalishvili , he refuted the reports that Kikalishvili was involved in any criminal activity . Speculation resurfaced in 1999 , as Bure was included in an investigation aired by CBC documentary series " fifth estate " that made several supposed associations between Soviet NHL players and the Russian mafia . Among the more serious allegations was that former Red Army teammate Slava Fetisov used a company that he was president of to launder money for Vyacheslav Ivankov , considered to be the " Russian godfather " in North America . Meanwhile , Bure ' s relationship with Kikalishvili continued to be questioned . Bure denied , once again , Kikalishvili ' s involvement in any criminal activity , dismissing the allegation as " rumours " . During his stay with the Canucks , Bure lived in a mansion on Vancouver ' s Southwest Marine Drive . He purchased the $ 1 million , 600 , 000 - square - foot residence in 1994 after having lived in an apartment in Downtown Vancouver overlooking False Creek . He also spent numerous off - seasons during this time in Los Angeles . Nearly a year after his retirement , on October 31 , 2006 , Bure filed another suit after being kicked off a British Airways flight by the pilot , having been mistaken for a rowdy soccer fan . Despite an official apology from the airline company in June 2007 , Bure took the issue to court , suing British Airways for 20 million rubles . In late - August 2007 , the Tver Court of Moscow ruled in favour of Bure in the amount of 57 , 000 rubles and an additional 10 , 000 rubles in moral damage .