Pavel Bure

The Russian Rocket: Pavel Bure's blazing speed and scoring prowess defined his Hall of Fame career.

Pavel Vladimirovich Bure (born 31 March 1971) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played the right wing position. Nicknamed "the Russian Rocket" for his exceptional speed and skill, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers between 1991 and 2003. Trained in the Soviet Union, he played three seasons with the Central Red Army team before his NHL career.

Quick Facts

Role

Right Wing

Affiliation

Vancouver Canucks
Florida Panthers
New York Rangers

Lore & Background

Selected 113th overall in the 1989 NHL entry draft by Vancouver, he began his NHL career in the 1991–92 season, and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie before leading the NHL in goal-scoring in 1993–94 and helping the Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. After seven seasons the Canucks traded Bure to the Panthers, where he won back-to-back Rocket Richard Trophies as the league's leading goal-scorer. 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 per game in his NHL career (779 points with 437 goals in 702 NHL games) and is fourth all-time in goals per game. After six years of eligibility, Bure was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in June 2012. In 2017, an NHL panel named Bure one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.

Reader's Guide

Bure was born in Moscow in 1971 to Vladimir and Tatiana Bure. His father, a Russian swimming legend, had dreams of Pavel becoming a professional swimmer, but he aspired to play hockey at an early age. He attended his first tryout with the CSKA Moscow hockey school at age six. By age 11, he was named the best forward in his league.

At age 12, his parents separated, and he remained with his mother. By age 14, he was named to the Central Red Army's junior team. In 1991, he joined his father and brother Valeri in moving to North America as he embarked on an NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks. Internationally, Bure competed for the Soviet Union and Russia, winning silver and gold at World Junior Championships, gold and silver at World Championships, and silver at the 1998 Olympics and bronze at the 2002 Olympics.

After retirement, he was named general manager for Russia's national team at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2012.