|
Scroll down, or choose the headline to read the news:Bure set to practice Aug.17 in PompanoWednesday, August 4th, 1999
A number of Russian NHL players, including Pavel Bure and Viktor Kozlov of the Florida Panthers, are scheduled to hold a preseason training camp at Gold Coast Ice Arena in Pompano Beach starting Aug. 17. Other players expected to attend are Ottawa's Alexei Yashin and Toronto's Igor Korolev. Admission to the 11-day camp is free. Gold Coast Ice Arena is located at 4601 N. Federal Hwy. For more information, contact the center at 954-943-1437. Players expected to attend: Pavel Bure (Fla.), Viktor Kozlov (Fla.), Denis Shvidki (Fla.), Alexei Yashin (Ott.), Petr Schastlivy (Ott.), Alexander Karpovtsev (Tor.), Igor Korolev (Tor.), Danil Markov (Tor.), Vladimir Antipov (Tor.), Ruslan Salei (Ana.), Vitaly Vishnevski (Ana.), Darius Kasparaitis (Pit.), Valeri Zelepukin (Phil.), Roman Lyashenko (Dal.), Sergi Yerkovich (Edm.), Alexei Tezikov (Wash.), Karlis Skrastinish (Nash.), Dmitry Kvartalnov (Bos.), Andrei Trefilov (Calg.).
Russian practice scheduleFriday, August 6th, 1999
Tuesday, August 17 -- 2:00pm - 4:00pm
First pre-season game tickets on sale nowSunday, August 8th, 1999
They may be puchased through Ticketmaster.
Bure reportTuesday, August 10th, 1999
Bure, who had his right knee surgically repaired for the second time in 3˝ years this summer, recently resumed skating -- without equipment -- in Moscow. "He has skated four times so far and feels great," Panthers general manager Bryan Murray said. "There's nothing that makes us believe he won't be practising fairly regularly in two weeks and he should be ready for training camp."
Bure scored 13 goals in 11 games with the Panthers before reinjuring his knee last March in a collision with Colorado Avalanche defenceman Adam Foote.
Bure to skate at all-Russian campMonday, August 16th, 1999
Right wing Pavel Bure, who underwent a second reconstructive surgery on his right knee in March, will be skating Tuesday at Gold Coast Ice Arena in Pompano Beach in an 11-day training camp for Russian players. Bure, who resumed skating in Moscow last month, appears to be on schedule to start working out with the Panthers when camp begins Sept. 4 in Hull, Quebec. "As much as his injury hurt us last season, we were all hopeful the day after the surgery that since the injury happened in March, at least he would be able to work toward being ready to start the season," said Chuck Fletcher, assistant general manager. "He's a tremendously conditioned athlete, so . . . hopefully his knee will continue to pass all the challenges he gives it." Bure will be joined in the camp, which starts Tuesday at 2, by teammates Viktor Kozlov and 1999 first-round pick Denis Shvidki. A fan's report on PavelTuesday, August 17th, 1999
The players were divided up into 4 teams with 4 players each wearing black, blue, red and green practice sweaters. Alexei Yashin was present along with Darius Kasparitus. A surprise addition was Valeri Kamensky. Pavel was popping his piece of chewing gum in his mouth as content as ever as he practiced speed drills, 2 on 1s, etc. At no point did I or any of the fans next to me see any visible signs of knee trouble. I didn't notice a difference in his speed and he appeared to be very confident out there on the ice. I was watching his execution very closely everytime he challenged the goaltenders and his quick footwork and puck handling deked them out almost everytime. I don't see a regression in his skating ability, but then again, I'm no expert. He was practicing with full pads on. Whenever he scored a goal in practice, I saw that trademark smile and I know that everyone watching him was extremely happy for him. He really looked like he was enjoying himself out on the ice. Forgive me but I am also a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. It was a tremendous thrill to see Darius Kasparitus skating well. He & Pavel left the rink in the same vehicle. At this moment, I'm sure Pavel is showing him the sights. Back on the iceBure says he's ahead of scheduleWednesday, August 18th, 1999
It was a sight to warm the heart of Panthers president Bill Torrey and the roughly 200 fans gathered at Gold Coast Arena in Pompano Beach on Tuesday afternoon. There was Panthers superstar right wing Pavel Bure gliding up and down the ice for the first time in six months, showing no sign of trouble with the right knee that was surgically reconstructed in March for the second time. Bure skated for an hour with 20 Russian NHL players gathered for an 11-day training camp, a group that included such notables as Ottawa center Alexei Yashin, runner-up in the MVP voting last season, Pittsburgh defenseman Darius Kasparaitis and right wing teammate Alexei Kovalev, Toronto right wing Sergei Berezin, Rangers left wing Valeri Kamensky and Panthers top 1999 draft choice Denis Shvidki, another right wing. Though Bure did not go near full speed (``too early''), he said his knee felt ``pretty good.'' The muscles in his right leg need to be strengthened, and he felt predictably rusty, but he said he's ahead of schedule for his return to full-time action. Those are sweet words to the Panthers, who open camp Sept. 4 in Hull, Quebec. They got a tantalizing taste of the explosive nature of Bure's game after he arrived in a blockbuster trade with Vancouver in January. He scored 13 goals in 11 games, jump starting what had been a moribund attack. He seemed to be worth every cent of the five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed with the Panthers. Then his right knee gave out. Can Bure get back to top form on a knee that has now been rebuilt twice? Torrey seemed to have no doubts. ``I know what this guy is all about,'' Torrey said. ``He'll be back, and he'll be every bit of the player he was before.'' Asked the same question, Bure was more cautious. ``I'm hopeful, and I'll do my best, but you never know. We'll find out.'' Bure, who had surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament March 29, completed 12 weeks of formal rehabilitation by the end of June. It consisted of a few hours of work six days a week at the Cleveland Clinic under the supervision of Mary Ann Towne, director of rehabilitation services. ``It was very vigorous, but he's a very good worker, very patient and smart,'' said Towne, who was in the room when famed Alabama orthopedic surgeon James Andrews operated on Bure and has been with him since. ``His knee is stable. The biggest issue now is confidence, and the more he skates, the more confident he will be.'' Bure agreed with Towne's assessment and said rebuilding confidence in the knee will be a gradual process. ``The only way to do it is on the ice, one step at a time. It can't happen overnight. I'm going to have to be in a game situation, going full speed with someone alongside pushing me to build up trust in the knee again. I know the organization and my teammates believe in me. I just have to believe in myself.'' Having gone through the whole rehab process before helps, Bure said.
``The first time was very difficult because I couldn't do what I was supposed to do and wanted to do. I really got down on myself because I didn't know what to expect. But now I do, and hopefully that will make it easier this time. I know I just have to be patient, work hard and not get frustrated.'' Regarding Bure's knee: So far, so goodWednesday, August 18th, 1999
POMPANO BEACH -- Nothing less than the entire Panthers' future rides on Pavel Bure's reconstructed right knee, so it wasn't surprising to see the turnout Tuesday at Gold Coast Ice Arena for his first real test-drive since surgery March 29. Skating sessions leave Bure optimistic about kneeWednesday, August 18th, 1999, 8:30pm
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- (AP) -- Pavel Bure's surgically repaired knee is holding up through his first hockey action in six months, leaving the Florida Panthers marquee player optimistic he'll be ready for the season opener. The high-scoring right wing has been working out with about 20 other Russian players at an informal training camp scheduled to run through next week. ``Obviously I'm going to be a little rusty, but it feels pretty good,'' Bure said Tuesday. ``I'm ahead of schedule.'' Bure skated four times in Moscow last month at the Red Army team's facility, brief sessions without equipment. This time he's wearing pads and a helmet. He appeared tentative at first, but has been gaining confidence as he goes. He made it through the first two-hour session and walked through the parking lot without a limp as he signed autographs. ``The only way to do it is on the ice, one step at a time. It can't happen overnight,'' said Bure, who showed just flashes of his ability with 13 goals in 11 games last year. ``I'm going to have to be in a game situation, going full speed with someone alongside pushing me to build up trust in the knee again.'' Bure came to the Panthers from Vancouver last January, ending a lengthy contract dispute. He scored eight goals in his first seven games, and the Panthers soon rewarded him with a five-year contract worth $47.5 million. Then his right knee gave out. He missed nine games after twisting his knee, then saw his season come to a premature end March 3 after a hit by Colorado's Adam Foote. Three weeks later, his anterior cruciate ligament was rebuilt for a second time. Bure, 28, completed 12 weeks of formal rehabilitation by the end of June, working out six days a week at the Cleveland Clinic. ``He's a very good worker, very patient and smart,'' said Mary Ann Towne, the clinic's rehabilitation services director who is monitoring Bure's progress. ``His knee is stable. The biggest issue now is confidence, and the more he skates, the more confident he will be.'' Bure should get quality work. This week's training camp includes Ottawa center Alexei Yashin, second in MVP voting last season, along with Pittsburgh defenseman Darius Kasparaitis and right wing Alexei Kovalev, Toronto right wing Sergei Berezin and New York Rangers left wing Valeri Kamensky. The Panthers open training camp Sept. 3 in Hull, Quebec, with the season opener Oct. 2. Club president Bill Torrey has little doubt his franchise player will be available. ``I know what this guy is all about,'' Torrey said. ``He'll be back, and he'll be every bit of the player he was before.''
Panthers' Bure back on iceWednesday, August 18th, 1999
POMPANO BEACH -- The grin that creased Mary Ann Towne's face Tuesday bore a message for every Florida Panthers fan. It read: So far, so good. Towne, a Fort Lauderdale-based physical therapist who has been overseeing Pavel Bure's rehab from reconstructive knee surgery for the past 4 1/2 months, was in attendance as Bure and about 25 other Russia-based NHL players skated through a two-hour workout at Gold Coast Arena. "I was very pleased," Towne said. "You could see his confidence grow as he went along." For Bure, it was the first time on the ice since March, when he decided to have the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee surgically repaired rather than try to push the Panthers into the playoffs. Bure had surgery March 31, completed a rehab program under Towne that was supposed to last 10 to 12 weeks in seven and spent the summer in his native Moscow strengthening the leg for the Sept. 3 opening of training camp in Hull, Quebec. Tuesday was the best indication yet that the Bure fans will see this season will closely resemble the one who scored 13 goals in 11 games for Florida last season. Bure's presence was enough to lure a crowd of 300 to 400 to the workout. "It can't happen for me overnight, but I have to start to believe in myself," Bure said. Asked if he was on track to be ready for the start of the season, he replied, "I think I'm ahead (of schedule). It's going really good." Towne said Bure was a model patient. "If he was supposed to call me on a certain day and check in, he called every single time," she said. "He did everything he was supposed to do." Towne detected that Bure was "a little tentative" when he first took the ice, but grew increasingly confident as he executed the various drills in the camp set up by sports agent Mark Gandler. By the second of the two sessions, Bure was comfortable enough to score a pair of spectacular goals off passing drills and stand out in a talented group that included Ottawa center Alexei Yashin, newly signed Rangers winger Valeri Kamensky, Toronto winger Sergei Berezin and Pittsburgh defenseman Darius Kasparaitis. Bure, who underwent similar surgery in November 1995 and scored only 23 goals in 63 games the next season, said the rehab was much smoother this time. "It was more difficult the first time -- a bad experience in many ways," Bure said. "It can be very frustrating when you do the same thing every day. But the second time has been much easier." Bure said he plans to participate in the camp -- which continues through Aug. 27-- on a daily basis as long as the knee remains pain-free. Shvidki to attend camp: Gandler, who represents Panthers first-round pick Denis Shvidki, said he doesn't plan to discuss a contract with the team until after Shvidki attends training camp. "He'll be at rookie camp for the first week (Aug. 30-Sept. 2), and hopefully he'll be good enough to come back to Florida (Sept. 10)," Gandler said. "At that time, if there's a feeling he's going to make the team, we'll start talking contract." The only rookies to make the team the year they were drafted were Rob Niedermayer in the expansion season of 1993 and Radek Dvorak in 1995.
A right winger who was the 12th pick in the draft, Shvidki will be competing for a roster spot against the most talented group of forwards the Panthers have had in camp.
Pavel on radio / dinner with YashinWednesday, August 19th, 1999
Pavel was interviewed on sports radio this morning. In case you didn't hear it, he said the same things about his knee as you read from Russo and Mayo. Then he was asked about a center. He said all the right things "great team, great owner, great coach, great management".Then he said our players were fine, but of course he wouldn't mind playing with "Yashin". They had dinner together last night - what I would have given to be a fly in the bread basket!I am pumped - the boys are back in town,we survived the off season folks,it won't be long now...
 Vancouver Sun, 19 August 1999, at Pompano Beach training Camp
Report on Bure drillsThursday, August 19th, 1999
Red Hat.... All the Russian players were split up into four teams of 5 people. The jersey colors were red, green, black, and white. You could tell the players by the logo on their helmets and their number on the back of the helmet. Of course, you won't need any of that to pick out Bure. The drills I saw were two-on-one's, neutral zone traps, breakaways, and behind the net passes. Then the players broke into their corresponding jersey color teams and did split shifts. It was white and black versus red and green. I was on the edge of my seat! The goalies were Russian third stringers from the Devils and some other NHL team. During play, there was no serious checking, but all players were playing at a fast pace. By the way, it was kind of weird seeing Kamensky do two-on-ones with Bure. It was like seeing what almost could have been. Oh well.... (sigh)
Report on Bure drillsSaturday, August 21st, 1999
Today I went to see the 20 Russian players that came to Miami to practice for the 11 day camp , and the sharpest player there was Viktor Kozlov , he scored 2 goals on a break away and 1 by a wrister , Bure looked very good also he made some nice passes and scored a cherry picking goal . I talked to Yashin , and i asked him what are the chance of him coming to the Panthers he repleid "I dont know , but we'll see what happens" i got his autograph also , I got everybodies autograph there , But Yashin is SOOOOOOOO big , and he is huge and fast wow this guy is a killer . But most of these guys werent playing on their top level of speed or skill just player 3 periods of hockey 5 on 5 , a friendly game . It was so cool and they came up to fans gave autographs it was really nice . So there we go ............................ I'll go back to see them again. Report on Bure drillsSaturday, August 21st, 1999
It seems so long since the last time I attended a hockey game. Seeing the Russian players at practice was a real treat. Not only our own Bure, Kozlov and new kid on the block Dinis Shvidki but the likes of Yashin, Kamensky, Kasparaitis, Salei and more. I also got a bonus surprise. Dainius Zubrus was also there. His name had not been on the list on the paper to attend. It was a joy to see Pavel Bure flying down the ice again. He looks great and seems to be getting back to his old self just fine. I didn't notice any hesitancy from him or from Darius Kasparaitis who also had a knee rebuilt for a second time. After the warmups and the drills, the guys faced off. The Russian coaches had Bure, Kozlov and Shvidki taking shifts together. Our new Panther cub looks pretty impressive. He is quick and he seems to be able to pass really well and I don't think the coaches will have much trouble convincing him to get back to help out in his own end when he isn't on offense. This kid looked like he belonged out there with the older guys. Bure (of course, did we expect anything else) is amazing as always. He managed to break away from the pack and put the puck in the net on numerous shifts. He also was getting into the action quite a bit at his own end to harrass the opposition so they couldn't shoot. On a few of those occasions it was Alexei Yashin that he caught up with and harrassed for the puck. Viktor Kozlov, at times, looked as if he still needed to be reminded to shoot the puck more but, as the practice went on, he seemed to get into playing with Bure and Shvidki a little more and he made a couple of very exciting goals himself. Bure, even though this was just an informal practice arranged by some Russians, was still the guy who got the crowd cheering and clapping. The guy is so quick and so skilled. Even if our Panthers don't go far into the playoffs this season, Bure will be worth the price of a ticket. I don't think we need to add TOO many more kids to the mix (there are so many playing already) but I wouldn't be disappointed to see Denis Shvidki make the cut. Bure seemed to be sort of taking the kid under his wing and trying to encourage him. The kid still tried to pass the puck right back to Bure after Bure set him up to shoot. I think he could be broken of that with some instruction from Pavel. I believe that Viktor Kozlov will take a step up this season with Bure around for a full season. I think it will prove to be true that a player like Bure will make the players around him better as well. As for the other guys on the ice, it was a thrill to watch so many skilled players flying up and down the ice together. It was a little shot of hockey for a fan who is in withdrawal in the off season. 1999-2000 Slam Sports Forecaster issuedSaturday, August 21st, 1999
The annual issue of the 'Slam' hockey preview magazine was released this week.
Situations to WatchPavel Bure's knee: (page 54)He was supposed to be the saviorin Florida and he may well be, but Pavel Bure needs to recover both physically and mentally from knee surgery late last season after he was traded in January to the Panthers from the Vancouver Canucks. Bure lasted just 11 games with the Panthers before unrgoing right knee surgery on March 29 in Birmingham, Ala. to replace the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. World-famous surgeon Dr. James Andrews performed the operation using a portion of Bure's patellar tendon as a substitute. The operation marks the second reconstructive surgery Bure has had on his right knee in less than four years. Despite playing only 11 games, Bure was electrifying for the Panthers, potting 13 goals and 16 points. He may miss the season opener while on rehab, but both the Panthers and the NHL need the gifted Russian right winger on skates. Get the Edge - Who's hot and who's notPavel Bure, Florida: (page 63)In the same category as Weight. In a season without a single 50-goal scorer, Bure scored 13 goals in just 11 games! He obviously won't maintain that pace, but don't let him slip too far on your draft. Top 500#8 Pavel Bure - 1999-2000 Forecast (page 236)GP-74 G-54 A-40 Pts-94 'The Hockey News' releases their 1999-2000 YearbookSaturday, August 21st, 1999
Bure's stunning recovery puts Panthers on prowlSunday, August 22nd, 1999
Every time he steps on the ice, Pavel Bure gives his team a chance to win. His speed and moves are electric. Although the first move he makes at a minicamp for 23 Russian players in Pompano Beach, Fla., is tentative, he is dancing like Barishnykov before the two-hour session, held last week, is over. "Just like old times," Bure says with a twinkle in his eyes. "I don't even need ice on my knee." The last time Bure skated with full pads was March 3. He scored three times to help the Panthers take a 5-0 lead in the first two periods that night. Then, after he scored 13 goals in 11 games, his knee gave out. Colorado rallied for seven straight goals to win that game. One look at the grimace on Bure's face afterward told you that was the end of the season for Florida. With Bure in the lineup, the Panthers are the wild-card team to watch in the Eastern Conference. The team has added Trevor Kidd to battle Sean Burke in goal and has brought in defenseman Lance Pitlick. There's still a hole at center, but the Panthers showed how well they can play with Pavelmania running wild in South Florida—and they can be expected to continue that trend with Bure there for the entire season. What is most important, however, is the Panthers are building upon a talented young group of players, and Bure's influence on improving defenseman Jaroslav Spacek and forwards Oleg Kvasha, Radek Dvorak and Viktor Kozlov is huge. The Panthers' hopes for the Southeast Division title rest on at least two of those players having breakthrough seasons. No problem for Bure. There are maybe a dozen players in the NHL who can take over a game the way he can. And no one can do it as quickly as the Russian Rocket. Electric? Thirteen goals in 11 games. Two hat tricks. Five power-play goals. One shorthanded goal. The Panthers had a 5-2-2 record in the games he started and finished. They were 25-32-16 in the other games. They averaged 3.18 goals in games Bure played, 2.46 the rest of the time. And now, just 4 1/2 months after surgery, Bure, a 28-year-old right winger, looks as good as new. "He's going to put hockey on the map down here," says Panthers president Bill Torrey, who drove to see Bure skate. "I've been in this game a long time, but this is the first time I've ever recommended that my boss spend $50 million on a player." Bure actually signed a five-year, $47 million contract, but Torrey and G.M. Bryan Murray recommended it, even though the team reportedly was drowning in red ink. Gone are the days when the Panthers' fans needed to throw plastic rats on the ice the way they did in 1996, when the team surprised everyone and made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Bure, who scored 60 goals twice and had 51 in 1997-98, clearly adds visibility to a team that was lucky to be .500. "When we're in Philadelphia, we normally see this same old lady and three or four of her friends waiting for our bus outside the arena," Murray says, still in awe of what having a ticket-selling machine on his side means. "In January, there had to be 75 people waiting for autographs. It was incredible." The Panthers haven't just stood in amazement as Bure worked his magic. They watched and learned how to move better without the puck. He made them better—another classic sign of a great player. "You could say he's sort of like Mark McGwire," says Flyers winger Mark Recchi. "When McGwire comes to the plate, everyone expects him to hit a home run. Same thing with Pavel Bure. Give him a sniff at a goal, and he'll beat you." The defense has to watch Bure carefully every time he's on the ice—shadow him sometimes. "Take Terrell Davis out of the game, and the Denver Broncos aren't the same team," says Stars center Mike Modano. "Speed still wins in this game. Always will. And you have to pay attention to Bure just like you do Terrell Davis, or he can break a game open by himself." Torrey is convinced Bure once again will catch the imagination of the Panthers' fans. "I know what this guy is all about," Torrey says. "He'll be back, and he'll be every bit of the player he was before." A great reason to key both eyes on the Panthers this season. Florida Panthers - team reportMonday, August 23rd, 1999
All conjecture about what direction the Panthers season might be headed this year seems to begin and end with Pavel Bure's right knee. So it had to be a great relief to South Florida hockey fans to hear that Bure was back on skates last week and should be ready for the start of training camp September 3. Bure, of course, underwent a second full reconstruction of his right knee last spring after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in a March 3 game against Colorado. He finished a rehab assignment expected to last 10-to-12 weeks in just seven, then headed back to Moscow to continue strengthening the leg. When he showed up at Gold Coast Arena in Pompano Beach on August 17, it marked the first time he would test the joint on skates. Bure was pleased with the results -- and so was physical therapist Mary Ann Towne, who has been overseeing his rehab. "You could see his confidence grow as he went along," she said. "I think I'm ahead (of schedule)," Bure said. "It's going really good. This is my first time on the ice, so I'm taking it one stage at a time." Bure seemed to have reached a second stage by the second phase of the two-hour workout, when he scored a pair of pretty goals on rushes. An appreciative crowd of about 300-400 turned out to watch the workout of some 25 Russian players, which was orchestrated by agent Mark Gandler. Included in the mix were center Alexei Yashin of Ottawa, defenseman Darius Kasparaitis of Pittsburgh, and wingers Valeri Kamensky of the New York Rangers and Sergei Berezin of Toronto. Bure planned to continue to skate two to three times per week until the start of training camp September 3, in Hull, Quebec. Asked about whether he has confidence in the knee, he replied, "It can't happen overnight; you have to start to believe. But it's going to start to build as it goes along." Bure was asked for his thoughts on coach Terry Murray's plan to allow only English to be spoken in the Panthers' locker room this season. Murray felt language differences were a big contributor toward factions being created last season when chemistry was a concern. "I feel like you have to be like a big family in there," he said. "You have to fight for each other and support each other. So whatever is going to bring us together is fine with me. "Terry's in charge. I like to play for him, and I like his ideas." Bure sues tax manTuesday, August 31st, 1999
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
