Would You Like to See Pavel Bure Lace Up the Skates One Final Time?

[Barney Gumble]

Has anyone played a game in the NHL as a current member of the HHOF?

I'll answer this question by sort of involving the Vancouver Canucks:




RIP Lupul....

 

[deckercky]

Has anyone played a game in the NHL as a current member of the HHOF?

Pretty sure Lemieux did too.

 

[Yammer]

I'd love to see Pavel come back to the Canuck family for his jersey retirement - it will have to have two numbers on it, I guess.

As for playing, no. I went to see one of his last games (he was a Ranger) in Ottawa, and it was horrible. You could tell that he knew what to do, and had his great sense and hands, but the knees were too far gone, he was almost hobbling. I would not do that to Bure.

 

[deckercky]

I'd love to see Pavel come back to the Canuck family for his jersey retirement - it will have to have two numbers on it, I guess.

Probably just #10. Would be hilarious if they retired 96 instead. They've obviously been preventing others from using it since Pavel left (unlike #10, which has been used by 5 players since Bure).

 

[Lard_Lad]

Pretty sure Lemieux did too.

Lemieux, Howe, and Lafleur.

As far as getting Pavel back on the ice: when we finally get a heritage classic in the dome, there'll be the alumni game for him to play in.

 

[Squall]

I would love to see pavel Bure play again. Pretty unlikely, but whatever.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Would love to see Bure play in a pre season game like Fleury did.

 

[PG Canuck]

He'd still be a better player than Cam Barker.

I think a monkey is better than Barker.

 

[Hal 9000*]

I don't know, could we afford him?

 

[12u55]

Bure is not in shape and smoke marb lights. I took this picture two days ago! epic pic for me

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

While everyone would love to see it happen, I can't see any way it could work.

a) His knees are still probably in rough shape.
b) He himself is probably in rough shape.
c) He'd have to beat out a player, not get awarded a roster spot.

A few preseason games would be awesome, just to see him out there again. Then retire his number.

 

[Barney Gumble]

While everyone would love to see it happen, I can't see any way it could work.

a) His knees are still probably in rough shape.
b) He himself is probably in rough shape.
c) He'd have to beat out a player, not get awarded a roster spot.

A few preseason games would be awesome, just to see him out there again. Then retire his number.

I don't see how it could hurt though - one pre-season game (maybe just a few shifts) - especially considering some of the guys well past their due date we'd sometimes give "tryouts". Then on opening night - retire the jersey.

 

[Aphid Attraction]

Sign him to be a pp specialist.

Would love him blasting one timers on the pp.

and 4 on 4 OT

 

[JA]

I'd love to see Pavel come back to the Canuck family for his jersey retirement - it will have to have two numbers on it, I guess.

As for playing, no. I went to see one of his last games (he was a Ranger) in Ottawa, and it was horrible. You could tell that he knew what to do, and had his great sense and hands, but the knees were too far gone, he was almost hobbling. I would not do that to Bure.

Pavel probably wants to avoid any mention of the #96. He experienced the most unfortunate, injury-plagued years of his career in that number and eventually switched back to #10 to give himself a fresh start.

Here's a long post chronicling much of what happened during those two years:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=63517567&postcount=89

http://www.pbfc.org/oldnews.html

4 October, 1997
Bure shelves 96 for old 10
Elliott Pap Vancouver Sun

TOKYO -- After two years filled with injuries, turmoil and poor play, Pavel Bure has dumped No. 96 and is once again wearing No. 10.

...

"I was thinking for the whole summer that I should go back to No. 10 and I just decided yesterday," Bure said prior to Friday's regular-season opener against Anaheim. "You guys were always telling me that and so were the fans. I had more luck with No. 10."

Bure had absolutely no luck with No. 96 and never once was completely healthy wearing it. He adopted it two seasons ago, suffered four different injuries and scored just 29 goals. In four seasons wearing No. 10, he scored 174 times, twice hitting 60. In two seasons wearing No. 96, Bure missed 86 games. In four seasons with No. 10, he missed only 13 games.

"I am happy Pavel has switched back," said Canuck vice-president Steve Tambellini. "To me, he was No. 10. He had his best years wearing No. 10 and his introduction to Vancouver and the NHL was as No. 10. As Pavel said, his luck changed dramatically when he went to No. 96. This is a new start for him."

...

"Everything is going in the right direction," Bure nodded. "Now we'll find out if changing my number back is going to work."

And what about all those Bure fans who mothballed their No. 10 jerseys for No. 96?

"It's still me," Bure smiled. "If it's 96 or 10, it still has my name on it."

After adopting No. 96, Bure suffered a dislocated finger, torn anterior cruciate ligament, bruised kidney and a serious whiplash problem that dogged him virtually the entire 1996-97 season. He said he now feels fine physically and emotionally.

5 October, 1997
Back to a perfect 10

TOKYO -- After two seasons and at least 96 tears, Pavel Bure was back to a perfect 10 here Saturday.

Bure sacked the No. 96 he's worn the past two troubled seasons and returned to his old No. 10. And it's so far, so good for the Russian Rocket, who scored his first goal of the 1997-98 season here in Game 1.

"I feel good," said Bure, who simply took flight here in Tokyo, firing 11 shots on goal, one of them beating Anaheim Mighty Ducks goalie Guy Hebert at 14:41 of the second period for a 3-1 Vancouver lead. "We won our first game and it feels good."

After beating Hebert, he pumped his fist twice in a celebration that delighted his many fans. After Duck no-show Paul Kariya, Bure is probably the most popular player here in Japan.

"I'm not superstitious but I wanted to make a change," he said.

"The last two years have been bad memories," added Bure who had 23 goals and 55 points in 63 games last year. He scored only six in 15 games the previous season, which ended in November due to a knee injury.

"You guys (media) have always been telling me, go back to 10 so I did," he laughed.

...

With the 10 on his back, Bure buried 60 goals in both the '91-92 and '92-93 seasons, and had 20 in 43 games in the '94-95 lockout season.

He was flying here Saturday, although the ice wasn't exactly conducive to warp speed.

"You know the players in the NHL," said Canucks president and GM Pat Quinn.

"The 96 was associated with some bad times in his life. A few years ago he wanted 96, but now he wanted to go back to 10.

"He was great out there. That's the Pavel I coached a few years back."

 

[stickside]

Bure is not in shape and smoke marb lights. I took this picture two days ago! epic pic for me

omg, i don't even know what to say to this pic! haha bure smoking marb lights? and gino with the mafia boss sweatsuit

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

I think a monkey is better than Barker.

Turns out, one is!

 

[ayoshi]

Hell yes

 

[Hal 9000*]

omg, i don't even know what to say to this pic! haha bure smoking marb lights? and gino with the mafia boss sweatsuit

I know what you mean! I would've expected Gino smoking and Pavel wearing the mafia boss sweatsuit.

 

[Sharpshooter]

Only if he gets to do this to Marchand

 

[Quinntessential]

Ignoring his age, his injuries would prevent him from playing competitively, IMO.

Would love to see him skate in an alumni or charity game - and I think he would be up for that, too. I also like the idea of having him do a lap whenever our ceremony to honor him is.

Is that Dr. Canucklehead? Care to reveal your prognosis?

 

[TTOMO]

I'd just like him to sign my jersey or to get my picture with him.

 

[stickside]

I know what you mean! I would've expected Gino smoking and Pavel wearing the mafia boss sweatsuit.

lol yup

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

Bure is not in shape and smoke marb lights. I took this picture two days ago! epic pic for me

How would you like to go out for coffee with someone that wore head phones?

Bure thinking: "Just keep nodding your head; he'll eventually shut up"

Gino thinking: "He keeps agreeing with everything I say... maybe now is the perfect time to ask to borrow a couple of hundred thou."

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Bure is not in shape and smoke marb lights. I took this picture two days ago! epic pic for me

Gino's outfit...no words. He looks like stand-in for Sly Stallone in the original Rocky.

 

[malcolmedge]

Vancouver retiring his number is a complete joke. Sure he was exciting, yes he helped lead the Canucks to a SCF, yes he scored a lot of goals. Then the team started to suck, he sat in the press box and refused to play for the team.

I remember I was 9 and asking my dad why Bure wasn't playing. I dont remember what he told me, but from that instant I hated him. He was selfish, childish and left Vancouver on the worst possible note.

To draw comparisons to a modern player, think Dany Heatley and Ottawa. Ask yourself, will his #15 ever be in the rafters? He did the same as Bure for Ottawa, and had it been early 90s his totals would have been similar.

On top of which GM MG made it clear that on ice accomplishments as well as off ice matter the same. Stan, Trevor and Markus have been figures since they started playing here, and still haven't stopped. When Naslund's family went to Hawaii last year, he made sure to lay over in Van long enough to go the Children's.

So if they put his number in the rafters I will gladly sell my seasons ticket to some desperate person stuck in 94, and is clearly a fool. When I saw him in the press box against the Oilers it felt all to familiar. At most they should retire a press box for him, since that's what his legacy will forever be.