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Scroll down, or choose the headline to read the news:Canucks blown out by Flyers 8-0Ron Hextall stopped 27 shots and the Philadelphia Flyers scored four first-period goals to beat Vancouver 8-0 Wednesday night and take over the top spot in the Eastern Conference.Hextall was seriously tested twice in earning the 22nd shutout of his career. The 12-year NHL veteran foiled Steve Staios' one-timer from the slot midway through the first period, and then robbed Canucks star Pavel Bure on bang-bang chances on a second-period breakaway opportunity. Vancouver has now been shut out five times this season, and three times in its last six games including a 0-0 tie against San Jose. The Canucks, who have managed only six goals in their last six starts, haven't scored a first-period goal since Dec. 17 when they recorded their last victory, 5-1 over Phoenix. Vancouver is now 7-10-4 since Mike Keenan took over as coach following Tom Renney's dismissal.
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Canucks lose 5-2, while Pavel scores the two goals
Glen Murray, Russ Courtnall and Luc Robitallie also scored for the Kings, who have won four of their last six games. Los Angeles was hammered by the Canucks, 7-0 in Vancouver on December 15th. Pavel Bure had both goals for Vancouver, which has been outscored 16-6 during its 0-3-2 winless skid. Bure's first goal of the game and 24th of the season just 28 seconds later got the Canucks on the board. Bure's second goal of the game with 4:35 remaining closed the scoring. He has 10 goals and six assists in his last 10 games. In the aftergame interview, Coach Keenan said..."Pavel is expected to score goals and will continue to score goals, that's not our problem." ----Return to Headline List----
World All-Stars in next month's NHL International ShowdownJagr led all World All-Star vote-getters with 449,582 votes to earn his sixth career All-Star Game start. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim right wing Teemu Selanne, a Finn who leads the NHL in goals, was second and will make his first career All-Star start. Vancouver Canucks right wing Pavel Bure, a native of Russia, placed third.Instead of the standard Eastern Conference/Western Conference format, the NHL will pit the top hockey players from Canada and the United States -- the North American All-Star team -- against the rest of the world on January 18th at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The remaining players on the World All-Star Team roster will be announced January 5th. They will be coached by Dallas' Ken Hitchcock and he will be assisted by Colorado's Marc Crawford. The North America starters will be announced Tuesday. The following are the final results of the World All-Star voting for the NHL All-Star Game that will be played against the North American All-Star team on Jan. 18 in Vancouver:
Player Country NHL Club Votes Peter Forsberg Sweden Colorado 317,883 x-Sergei Fedorov Russia Detroit 166,220 Saku Koivu Finland Montreal 104,721 Mats Sundin Sweden Toronto 88,712 Bobby Holik Czech Rep. New Jersey 81,744 Alexei Yashin Russia Ottawa 59,763 Igor Larionov Russia Detroit 51,151 Jozef Stumpel Slovakia Los Angeles 40,382 Robert Reichel Czech Rep. NY Islanders 35,623 Michal Pivonka Czech Rep. Washington 33,812 x-Petr Nedved Czech Rep. Pittsburgh 33,370 Alexei Zhamnov Russia Chicago 19,395
Wingers Player Country NHL Club Votes Jaromir Jagr Czech Rep. Pittsburgh 449,582 Teemu Selanne Finland Anaheim 366,145 Pavel Bure Russia Vancouver 243,135 Zigmund Palffy Slovakia NY Islanders 140,982 Daniel Alfredsson Sweden Ottawa 107,058 Peter Bondra Slovakia Washington 106,532 Mikael Renberg Sweden Tampa Bay 90,752 Vyacheslav Kozlov Russia Detroit 82,343 Alexander Mogilny Russia Vancouver 80,868 Valeri Kamensky Russia Colorado 77,067 Jere Lehtinen Finland Dallas 69,922 Niklas Sundstrom Sweden NY Rangers 54,254 Martin Rucinsky Czech Rep. Montreal 46,461 Alexei Kovalev Russia NY Rangers 39,939 Andrei Kovalenko Russia Edmonton 31,966 Viktor Kozlov Russia SJ/Florida 29,179 Dimitri Khristich Ukraine Boston 26,779 German Titov Russia Calgary 21,072
Defensemen Player Country NHL Club Votes Sandis Ozolinsh Latvia Colorado 325,856 Viacheslav Fetisov Russia Detroit 266,366 Nicklas Lidstrom Sweden Detroit 256,219 Ulf Samuelsson Sweden NY Rangers 135,886 Darius Kasparaitis Russia Pittsburgh 133,573 Uwe Krupp Germany Colorado 123,942 Janne Niinimaa Finland Philadelphia 98,122 Roman Hamrlik Czech Rep. Tampa Bay 89,968 Alexei Zhitnik Russia Buffalo 79,896 Jyrki Lumme Finland Vancouver 79,839 Dmitri Mironov Russia Anaheim 74,799 Robert Svehla Slovakia Florida 63,108 Teppo Numminen Finland Phoenix 59,228 Oleg Tverdovsky Russia Phoenix 58,674 Sergei Gonchar Russia Washington 50,247
Goaltenders Player Country NHL Club Votes Dominik Hasek Czech Rep. Buffalo 396,786 Nikolai Khabibulin Russia Phoenix 199,224 Tommy Salo Sweden NY Islanders 105,740 Olaf Kolzig Germany Washington 104,281 Arturs Irbe Latvia Vancouver 101,454 Mikhail Shtalenkov Russia Anaheim 66,387 x-denotes unsigned free agent ----Return to Headline List----
Pavel Bure awarded 'King of the Ice' award by the NHLThe following is an excerpt from the NHL site regarding the award.Some feel that Pavel Bure should have received this honor a few times already this year. But only one person can hand out the awards. This week we salute, Bure for not only his efforts from last week, but for his outstanding performance all year. In a season the Vancouver Canucks would probably rather forget, Bure (22-22-44) has been the one constant bright spot. Last week, the Russian right winger led all scorers with four goals, three assists and seven points. Kneel and salute him, because Bure did all that in just two games. (The Canucks were shut out twice.) The Russian Rocket is King of the Right Wings. He opened the week by recording his third hat trick of the season in a 7-0 rout of Los Angeles, Dec. 15. Oh by the way, he also had an assist in that contest. The following night, Bure scored once and added two assists in a 5-1 victory over Phoenix. ----Return to Headline List----
Canucks salvage a tieDALLAS (AP) -- Brian Noonan's goal with 10:06 to play completed Vancouver's rally from a three-goal deficit and earned the Canucks a 3-3 tie with the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.Guy Carbonneau's first goal of the season pushed Dallas' lead to 3-0 in the first minute of the second period. But Vancouver began chipping away, closing to 3-1 at 3:07 of the period on defenseman Chris McAllister's first NHL goal. Mark Messier's 13th at 18:04 of the second period narrowed Dallas' lead to 3-2. The Canucks tied it 3-3 midway through the third period when the puck went past Dallas goalie Ed Belfour and into the net off a sliding Noonan for his seventh goal. Canucks goalie Arturs Irbe made three tough saves in overtime to preserve the tie. Pavel was left pointless for the game. ----Return to Headline List----
Russian Rocket won't change view on moveJim Jamieson, Sports Reporter The Province
Although the immediate issues that led to Pavel Bure's trade request last summer have been dealt with, the ball is still in the club's court to keep Bure on the same trajectory. His return to pre-injury form has been the bright light in an otherwise dismal season, with only the play of rookie defenceman Mattias Ohlund mitigating the disaster. Heading into Tuesday night's games, Bure was second in the NHL scoring race behind Colorado's Peter Forsberg with 22-22-44 in 36 games and it's clear from his demeanor both on and off the ice that the joie de vivre is back. "I'd have to say I'm pretty happy right now, not just with hockey but with everything in my life," said Bure before the Canucks took on the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at GM Place in the final game before the Christmas break. "(But) nothing has changed. "We've resolved some of the problems, some of them big ones, but there are still some left. It's not up to me." Canucks senior vice-president of hockey operations Steve Tambellini said: "The issues have been dealt with to the point where we can go forward now. I have no reason to think Pavel is not happy." But the key to Bure staying that way will be how the Canucks organization reinvents itself after the sacking of GM Pat Quinn, said Bure's agent Mike Gillis. The organization needs to show clearly that it's back on the rails and going in the right direction. "I think Steve is accurate in the portrayal of current issues -- we've cleared up the contractual matters," said Gillis, who is based in Kingston, Ont. "(But) we're still in a holding pattern to see how this works out. "I keep hearing they're going to hire a GM. A whole lot needs to be done with the organization out there to put it back to where it needs to be." Bure was amused at a report that he had bought a load of expensive furniture for his West side mansion -- implying this meant he's decided to stay here. "Yeah, I bought some furniture, but it was for my apartment downtown -- not my house," said Bure. "Sometimes I do something and people make assumptions." ----Return to Headline List----
Bure scores in losing bidVANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) _ The Dallas Stars scored on all three of their power-play chances with a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.Pavel Bure brought the Canucks within a goal by tapping in a pass from Bret Hedican. ----Return to Headline List----
Bure clearly has designs on staying in VancouverVancouver Sun, Saturday, December 20, 1997, ppC5.SCENE & HEARD: Despite the cat-and mouse game he continues to play with the media, Pavel Bure doesn't plan on going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, why would the Russian Rocket commission a designer to make huge purchases on his behalf at both New-Look Interiors in North Vancouver as part of a decorating binge for his new Vancouver home ?....----Return to Headline List----
Tired Vancouver team outhussledJeff Hackett stopped 20 shots for his second straight shutout and Dimitri Nabokov scored twice in his NHL debut to help the Chicago Blackhawks end a seven-game winless streak with a 5-0 blanking of the Vancouver Canucks."My dream was to score my first goal in my first game and I got two, so that was much better," said Nabokov, who was using the sticks of Vancouver defenseman Adrian Aucoin. "We played perfect tonight and everybody played hard and the goalie Hackett was unbelievable tonight." "I guess they outworked us," Lumme said. "We didn't get anything going and they took everything away. You have to give them credit but at the same time we killed ourselves." Vancouver has been shut out two straight games for the first time since losing three consecutive 2-0 decisions in January 1984. After the game, Keenan had the players riding execise bikes and then had a team meeting. ----Return to Headline List----
Bure bucks upLindros contract could bolster Rocket's pocketTony Gallagher The ProvinceThe Eric Lindros contract finalized Wednesday left most of the top agents in the NHL wondering just how the new deal will be interpreted. Clearly there will be a dispute, and nobody is more affected than Pavel Bure, the Russian rocketing to the top of the scoring race. The Flyers would like everyone to believe Lindros will make just $8.5 million US next season. The agents would prefer to believe the signing bonus really applies to next season's salary because in reality the Flyers have essentially committed $12.3 million in additional money to acquire one more year of the player's services. They'll be arguing over this one for months, and perhaps the most interested party will be Bure's Kingston agent Mike Gillis, who along with the Canucks will be faced with working out the Rocket's salary for next season. "We're still sorting it out and until we see what Pavel's results are this season, we won't have a clear understanding of what the total effect of this deal will be, but it will be significant," said Gillis. If Bure gets 50 goals or 100 points this season which is pretty much a given if he remains healthy, he will be paid the average salary of the top three players in the league. Even with Lindros pegged at $8.5 million, Bure would be guaranteed $8 million next season because Paul Kariya will be at $8.5 as well and Joe Sakic comes in at $7 million making an average of eight. A different interpretation on the Lindros deal or the finalizing of Jaromir Jagr's new deal could push Bure even higher. Gillis, who recently negotiated a $1 million settlement for Bure over the issue of back pay during the 1994 lockout, was also on the warpath looking after his man's reputation. His indignance was triggered in part by colleague Kent Gilchrist referring to Bure as needing "near constant maintenance" and being "either injured and/or underachieving," but also because he feels the Rocket has long been under-appreciated and taken for granted here. "As far as maintenance goes, the issues he had with the team were addressed in short order and put to rest in short order as far as the money issue was concerned," said Gillis, who had no problem with Gilchrist's suggestion the Canucks should trade Bure. "The suggestion he's underachieving is unacceptable. "There is no substantive proof he's ever fudged an injury or underachieved when he's not hurt. He's had one bad year when he had a soft tissue injury last season. But if he's an underachiever, how do you explain the fact he comes back to camp the following year as the team's best conditioned athlete and perhaps the best conditioned in the league? "When you consider his size and where he goes on the ice, he plays with absolute courage. He goes into areas where other players simply won't go. Everything is done at high speed and at high risk. That's why he's so exciting and one of, if not the best, players in the league. "He's been at peak level from day one of training camp despite all the turmoil that has gone on with this team. For this he's called an underachiever?" Through the Quinn years it became popular to take runs at Bure and anyone else who dared express either a desire to play somewhere else or the need for management to get off it's posterior and improve the team, as was the case with Esa Tikkanen and Alex Mogilny. The chance of that changing over the next few months is slight however, as coach Mike Keenan himself frequently leads the charge at his players, Bure and Mark Messier thus far the notable exceptions. If that exception changes however, it's clear Gillis will not leave his man unprotected. Come to think of it, he won't be underpaid either. ----Return to Headline List----
Irbe blanks Sharks for a pointThe former San Jose Shark has been sensational in goal this week for Vancouver, allowing just one goal in 11 periods.Elliott Pap Vancouver SunSAN JOSE -- Mike Keenan waited 13 games before tapping Arturs Irbe on the shoulder and giving him an opportunity to start in goal for the Vancouver Canucks.As it turned out, it may have been 13 games too late. Irbe has been absolutely sensational this week in leading the Canucks to two wins and a tie, the latest decision a finger-chewing 0-0 draw Thursday night against Irbe's alma mater, the San Jose Sharks. The little Latvian has allowed just one goal in 11 periods since relieving incumbent Kirk McLean to start the second period last Saturday in a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He shut out the Los Angeles Kings Monday, held the Phoenix Coyotes to one goal Wednesday and broke the Sharks' hearts with a number of brilliant saves. Vancouver's best scoring chance came at the 4:33 mark of the third period when Pavel Bure and Mark Messier broke out 2-on-1 during a San Jose power play. Vernon made a wonderful save off Messier to preserve his shutout. ICE CHIPS -- The Canucks chartered home immediately following the contest and will open a two-game homestand Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks . . . The Dallas Stars are at GM Place Tuesday. Pavel Bure has 25 points in 16 games under Mike Keenan, which is about a 130-point pace over the course of a full season. Mark Messier has 18 and is close to a 100-point pace. JUST THE STATS The Canucks out-hit the Sharks 8-4 according to the official scoresheet, which seemed surprising low. Vancouver was credited without a single giveaway while the Sharks had six turnovers. Mattias Ohlund played 28:05, Pavel Bure 28:45, Mark Messier 27:12 and Trevor Linden 25:18. ----Return to Headline List----
Canucks crunch toothless CoyotesPavel Bure scored one goal and set up two others and Arturs Irbe made 23 saves to win his second straight start, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.Pavel set up Gino Odjick on the winning goal. Pavel was voted as the first star of the game. Pavel is now second in the NHL scoring title.
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Vancouver gets typical taste of MoscowFather of hockey star Pavel Bure opens restaurant in the east side to show 'Canadians what real Russian food is like.'Bruce Constantineau, Sun Business Reporter Vancouver SunVladimir Bure says his new Russian restaurant in East Vancouver is typical of many Moscow eateries. Nothing fancy. Just good Russian food and good Russian music. "We didn't plan a five-star restaurant or anything like that," said Bure, best known as the former personal trainer and mentor of his superstar son, Pavel. "This is a typical Russian restaurant and we want to show Canadians what real Russian food is like." At Little Moscow, you can start off with a bowl of ukha tczarskaya and follow that up with some pelmeni Siberian before tucking into a main course of veal krucheniki. Translation: Sturgeon soup, perogies with meat and veal stuffed with walnuts and prunes. The restaurant, on East Hastings near Nanaimo, represents Bure's first venture as a restaurateur. His partner, Rafail Brodsky, operates an East European grocery store on the adjoining property. It's a far cry from overseeing the physical development of professional athletes. So what made the former Olympic swimmer choose the restaurant business? "I had lots of offers to do something like this. People kept saying 'Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it.' Vancouver doesn't really have lots of places for Russians, so I decided, why not." The restaurant is like a banquet hall and since opening in September, it has hosted many private functions for Vancouver's Russian community. The private catering business has been good, Bure said, but he'd obviously welcome more public patronage of the facility. He said he spent nearly every day there this summer getting the place ready for business but it's less demanding of his time now. "Now, when I'm free, I'm there." While he enjoys the new venture, he hasn't abandoned the personal training business since his well-publicized split with Pavel and he is currently a swim coach for one client. Future business with more customers seeking his physical fitness expertise is a distinct possibility, he said. "If somebody needs it, I'll do it." ----Return to Headline List----
Bure scores hat-trick in Canucks romp
Pavel Bure recorded his league-high third hat trick of the season and Arturs Irbe stopped 23 shots as the Vancouver Canucks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 7-0 demolition of the Los Angeles Kings. The Canucks cruised to their biggest win of the season exactly a year to the day after an 8-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues, who were coached by their current head man, Mike Keenan. Bure staked the Canucks to a 2-0 lead before the game was 14 minutes old. As Los Angeles goaltender Stephane Fiset fell trying to get into position, Bure took a pass from Alexander Mogilny just off the right goalpost and wristed it into an open net for his 19th goal of the season with 16:15 to play in the period. Less than 10 minutes later, Bure picked up a loose puck and beat Fiset on a breakaway. He scored a nearly identical goal on the power play late in the second period to make it 5-0 and cap his ninth carer hat trick, which is one shy of the club record held by Tony Tanti. Martin Gelinas and Gino Odjick each recorded a goal and an assist, and Trevor Linden and Dave Scatchard also scored for the Canucks. Odjick recorded his first goal since October 26th when he completed a 2-on-1 with Bure, blasting a shot by Chabot. Pavel was first star of the game. ----Return to Headline List----
Canucks get burned by turnoversPeter Forsberg scored twice and added an assist in a four-goal first period and Craig Billington recorded his first win in three weeks as the Colorado Avalanche handed the Vancouver Canucks their fifth straight loss, 5-2.Mark Messier got Vancouver on the board when he tipped the puck under Billington's pads on an assist from Pavel Bure. McLean surrendered four goals on 15 shots and was replaced by Arturs Irbe, who stopped all 13 shots he faced over the final two periods. ----Return to Headline List----
We're bleeding: KeenanBut not to death, says wait-and-see Canucks coachTerry Bell, Sports Reporter The Province
That rumor swirled Wednesday afternoon, even as Canucks head coach Mike Keenan was holding court and telling anyone who'd listen that his floundering 9-18-4 team is not yet in panic mode and that no deal is imminent. "We're certainly suffering from a lack of depth on defence," said Keenan, who insisted he needs time to evaluate the talent that's gone 5-5-2 since he was hired on November 13. "It'd be foolish to say we have all we need and we have to stay vigilant. "But before making an acquisition we'll see if that (lack of depth) will work itself out in the near future. We'll see what we can build without scrambling around in terms of trades." Asked if the team, winless in its last five games and pointless in its last four, isn't in dire need of a shakeup now, Keenan said: "As long as we haven't bled to death É we're bleeding but we haven't bled to death." But the defence was a bloody mess Tuesday night in the 7-5 loss in Detroit. There was so much congestion in front of the Canucks' net that CKNW might want to haul Jim Hughson out of the broadcast booth and send in eye-in-the-sky traffic reporter Sarah Daniels. Still, Keenan said he wants to see his defence corps with a healthy Dave Babych and Adrian Aucoin. Babych is still out with a sore back and Aucoin made his return to the lineup on Tuesday after a groin injury. Rookie Mattias Ohlund missed the Detroit game with the flu and Bret Hedican may miss Saturday's game against Colorado. Hedican returned home to St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday after the death of his grandmother. The suggestion is that the Canucks need to ship one of their Russian wingers -- Mogilny or Pavel Bure -- for a No. 1 defenceman. Keenan feels Ohlund can evolve into that role, but isn't sure when that could come about. Keenan feels the much-maligned Dana Murzyn can be a competent NHLer if he works on his conditioning. "Dana's hit a bit of a wall. He has to improve his foot speed and at this point in his career that means conditioning." Keenan also figures that if his team has four solid defencemen it could be enough. "If you have four pretty competent defencemen it's a good start," he said. "A lot of teams struggle to come up with four. Teams I've coached in the past made do with four." Meanwhile, Steve Tambellini, the team's GM-by-default, reiterated Wednesday that he's been making and getting lots of calls. "There has been lots of discussions," said Tambellini. "There are a lot of teams looking for the same thing, but that doesn't mean you can't get anything done. "We can't panic right now. You have to step back and take a look at things." "I hope he's calling people every day," said Keenan. "In New York we made lots of calls. We led from start to finish, but we still made a critical move at the trade deadline." As head coach/GM in St. Louis, Keenan did everything but install a revolving door on the Blues dressing room and you wonder how long his patience will last with the Canucks. CANUCKS TRADE SPEC There is speculation the Canucks are trying to trade Pavel Bure or Alexander Mogilny for blueline help and extra grit up front. A quick look around the NHL produced the following speculation: Philadelphia: The Flyers need a right winger and might be willing to part with Chris Therien, their 6-foot-4, 230 pound defenceman. Therien is starting to play the kind of hockey the Flyers thought he would when they drafted him and he's hitting guys every night. Big centre Chris Gratton is a big sore point because he's earning $10 million US this year, 90 per cent of it in signing bonuses. That ticked off John LeClair. Don't forget the Flyers still haven't signed Eric Lindros long term and might be reluctant to pick up another huge contract. New York Islanders: Mogilny's name comes up a lot and it's no secret the Isles would like some more scoring. The Islanders have some young defencemen, including Scott Lachance and Bryan McCabe. C Travis Green, a Casltegar product, could also be available. Florida: The Panthers asked about Mogilny last year and were trying to deal with Detroit for Sergei Fedorov earlier this year. - Robert Svehla is untouchable and D Ed Jovanovski is playing better after a slow start and a six-game stint on the forward line. The feeling, though, is that the Panthers will wait to see if a healthy Rob Niedermayer and Viktor Kozlov can rejuvenate their offence. New Jersey: Speaking of Niedermayers, wouldn't Rob's older brother Scott look great on the Vancouver blueline? Scott would like to play in Vancouver, but it's hard to imagine the Devils adapting either Mogilny or Bure to that grinding trap they use. Then again, the Devils did add to an already strong blueline, getting D Doug Bodger in the recent deal that sent RW John MacLean to the Sharks. New York Rangers: You hear this one all the time and you know what's coming, right? Alexei Kovalev is a favorite of Keenan's and Mark Messier likes him, too. But that's about all they have to trade. Washington: The Capitals need one more forward to become a contender and they have a number of defencemen. Brendan Witt is a guy everyone asks about, but the Caps love him. Sergei Gonchar hasn't enamored himself to either coach Ron Wilson or GM George McPhee. ----Return to Headline List----
Canucks to Visit Children's HospitalImmediately following their 11 am skate at Burnaby 8-Rinks today, Pavel Bure will accompany fellow Vancouver Canucks, in their annual visit to the Vancouver Cildrens' Hospital at 2pm.----Return to Headline List----
Canucks Lose 7-5 in a ShootoutSteve Yzerman had a goal and an assist during a four-goal first period as the Detroit Red Wings extended their home winning streak to four games with a 7-5 victory over the struggling Vancouver Canucks."Now we have to start from ground zero and regroup," Keenan said. "We have to rebuild our confidence. I would imagine it has to be pretty much at a low ebb again. We have played three of the top teams. We are not ready to compete with them yet." The Canucks took a 2-1 lead midway thorugh the opening period when Messier took a pass from Pavel Bure and beat Hodson. The Red Wings set a season high with 21 shots on goal in the first period and outshot the Canucks, 44-32. ----Return to Headline List----
Canucks come out Flat in lossScott Pellerin scored twice to cap a three-goal second period and Grant Fuhr had to make just 17 saves as the Blues spoiled Mike Keenan's return to St. Louis with a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.Adrian Aucoin scored the only goal for Vancouver, which is winless in its last four games (0-2-2) following a three-game winning streak. The Canucks also fell to 0-2 on their three-game road trip after a five-game unbeaten streak away from home. Pavel's line was benched most of the second half of the game, due to a lacklustre performance. This benching showed up in the Canucks lack of shots on goal particulary in this period of time. McLean finished with 15 saves for the Canucks, who were 0-for-5 on the power play. Vancouver went 17 minutes without a shot on goal in the third period. ----Return to Headline List----
Slapshots - An interview with PavelBy Kitt Amundson--- Slapshots
At just 26 years old, he is in his 7th NHL season. He was the sixth fastest player in NHL history to score 100 career goals, with Wayne Gretzky, Joe Nieuwendyk, Maurice Richard, Teemu Selanne and Mike Bossy ahead of him. Only Gretzky and Bossy have scored more goals in their first three full NHL seasons. In the 1995-96 season, his back to back 60 goal seasons make him the eighth player in NHL history to score 60 more goals twice in a career along with Phil Esposito, Mike Bossy, Jarri Kurri, Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1992, went to the Stanley Cup finals in 93-93 and has played in two NHL All-Star games.
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Pavel Scores Hat-Trick in Losing EffortEric Lacroix scored twice and Shean Donovan added a goal and an assist as the Colorado Avalanche offset Pavel Bure's hat trick and extended their unbeaten streak to six games with a 6-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.Joe Sakic added two assists to extend his point-scoring streak to five games as Colorado improved to 6-0-1 in its last seven contests against Vancouver. Bure, who tallied goals at even strength, shorthanded and on the power play, registered his second hat trick of the season and eighth of his career. He also recorded an assist and a two minute penalty. He was voted as the second star of the game. ----Return to Headline List----
tsn.ca Internet Player of the WeekIn one of the closest votes to date, Vancouver's Pavel Bure narrowly edged out Mike Modano for the tsn.ca Internet Player of the Week honor. Bure was the pick of 34% of the 1,003 internet surfers who took part in our poll. Modano, who led the league in scoring over the last seven days, was selected by 33% of the voters. Bure, who has helped the Vancouver Canucks bounce back from a terrible start under new head coach Mike Keenan, had four goals and five points over the last seven days. Modano led all NHL'ers with five goals and eight points for the week. ----Return to Headline List----
Three Pavel PicturesHere are 3 pictures taken from the latest (Vol:28 No.2) edition of the Canucks IceAge magazine.
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Tickets now on sale for Canucks Superskills CompetitionVancouver (BC) - Tickets are now on sale for the 1997 Vancouver Canucks Superskills Competition, presented by McDonalds Restaurants of Canada. This Canuck vs. Canuck competition which raised over $24,000 last year will take place on December 22, 6:30 p.m. at General Motors Place. Tickets are available through the Orca Bay Box Office, all TicketMaster outlets or charge by phone at 280-4400. Prices include all taxes and range from $10 for an adult, to $8.75 for youth and $35 for a family of four.This fun-filled event has Canuck players divided into blue and silver teams and facing off against each other to compete in the categories of Hardest Shot, Fastest Skater, Accuracy Shooting, Breakaway Relay Puck Control Relay and Rapid Fire. In addition, the Vancouver Canucks, in partnership with the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association, will invite 14 Pee Wee aged players, as selected by the PCAHA, to compete alongside our NHL stars in the same skill categories. Proceeds from this event will be directed towards the BC Benevolent Association, CKNW Orphans Fund, Vancouver Childrens Fund and the BC Centre of Excellence. The Centre of Excellence is a resource centre for minor hockey associations, coaches, players, referees and parents offering coaching clinics and seminars throughout the province. The Centre provides an extensive resource video library to support the various minor hockey associations and organizations in British Columbia to further develop the game from grass roots to elite levels. For those minor hockey teams looking for a great Christmas team celebration activity, the Vancouver Canucks are pleased to offer a group rate of $6.00 per person for all teams of 15 or more interested in attending this event. Teams can contact the Orca Bay Group Sales Department at 899-GOAL (899-4625) for further details. Teams are encouraged to wear their jerseys and come cheer on their fellow associations participating in this competition. This is a great opportunity to watch Pavel in a relaxed setting, without his helmet on. ----Return to Headline List----
Canucks lose in a sloppy gameMike Keenan got a good look at the sloppy play that landed him a job in Vancouver."I wondered when the ugly head would rear itself. And tonight, the monster didn't disappoint. I'm extremely disappointed," the Vancouver coach said Thursday night after the Canucks' 3-2 loss to San Jose. Mike Keenan got a good look at the sloppy play that landed him a job in Vancouver. Jeff Friesen and Stephane Matteau scored 30 seconds apart in the third period as the San Jose Sharks snapped a five-game winless streak with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Sharks entered the third period trailing 1-0, but they tied it at the 4:32 mark on Jarrod Skalde's fourth goal. Friesen's 12th goal, at 7:59, gave Vancouver the lead for good, and Matteau scored 30 seconds later for a 3-1 advantage. Mike Vernon stopped 19 shots for San Jose, which halted its four-game losing streak. Dana Murzyn and Dave Scathard scored for the Canucks, who had their four-game unbeaten streak snapped. Pavel Bure was held scoreless, halting NHL's longest goal (5 games) and point (10 games) scoring streak at this point of the season.. "We know that Vancouver's a team that likes to go on the offense," said Jarrod Skalde, who tied the game 1-1 early in the third period. "They've got three of the best players in the world (the line of Mark Messier, Pavel Bure and Alex Mogilny, which was held pointless). They like to cheat offensively, so we just stayed with our system. We knew they'd eventually break and we took advantage." ----Return to Headline List----
Fan letter on meeting Pavel in TorontoDear PBFC,Hello my name is Lindsay Pink and I am writing to tell you about a wonderful meeting I had with Pavel this past weekend. My friend and I went to Toronto to watch the Canucks game on the 29th. We stayed at a hotel in Toronto and it turned out the Canucks were staying there too. We arrived around 6:00 as did the Canucks, my friend and I were sitting in the lobby and Gino Odjick came walking by. I smiled at him and he came over and talked to us for a while. He asked us what we were doing and I said waiting for Pavel. He told me he would get him for me. I thought he was joking but he walked over to the phone and phoned Pavel's room!!!! He told us Pavel said he would be down around 7:00-7:15!!! I couldn't believe it. Well 7:00 rolled around and Pavel came walking around the corner, he was with someone so I didn't want to be rude and interrupt so we just sat in our chairs and watched him walk by. As he was walking by he looked over smiled and said hi ! I was so amazed, I wasn't wearing any Canucks stuff he was just being friendly. I thought that was amazing but it gets better. My friend and I were allowed to watch thier practice in the morning so we went to watch the Leafs first, then the Canucks came on!!! Pavel only stayed on for about 10 minutes, he was so cute during the practice, he was fooling around with Walker and Sillinger. Anyways after the practice we waited for Pavel and we were told he would be ready in 15 minutes. I waited very impatiently for Pavel to come out. While we were waiting Mattias Ohlund came out and talked for a bit he is very nice, we got our pictures taken with him but he was late for the bus so he couldn't talk long. Then out came Pavel. There were two guys in front of him trying to talk to him but he told them, " just a second I have to talk to these girls!" He came over and he was told that I was his biggest fan. He shook my hand and I asked him for a hug he said, " Sure you can!" when I hugged him my face touched his!!!!!!! It was amazing!!! I was wearing my black jersey and had my white one with me, Pavel signed the white one and said, "Wow you have two jerseys", I said actually I have 3 ones at home." he said, " wow you really are my biggest fan" I got him to sign the picture that I got from the fan club ( the one when he's riding the bike) he looked at it for about a minute laughing. He asked me where I got it and told me he didn't rememeber when they took it. He said he couldn't believe they were giving pictures of him out like this. He was so funny. I told him that I saw his goal on Friday ( the one he scored from the ice) he looked at me and smiled! Goal? GoalS I got two that night! I told him one was an empty netter so it doesn't really count. He laughed and said "all goals count". We talked for a bit more and he left but I gave him a lettter I had written and he took it and said thank you. As he was walking away down the hall he turned around and smiled at me. He started opening it but put it is his inside pocket cause some people wanted to talk to him. Then we were back at the hotel and the Canucks had to check out before the game, Many of them walked by as we were waiting for my mom to take us to the game. Then Pavel comes by, he was talking with Hedican and looked over and said, " hi guys!" I was so surprised, I thought he would just walk on by. I couldn't believe how nice he was. All those rumours that he didn't like taking pictures and was a snot to his fans are false. Believe me Pavel was the nicest person I have ever met. The game was amazing as well, he scored a shorthanded goal and played well throughout the game. He was named 2nd star. I would just like everyone to know that Pavel is a very nice and sweet person, he took time out of his busy schedule to talk to me. I am blown away at how friendly he is. I would just like to say thank you to him for making my dream come true. It was much more than I had anticipated!
Thank you, ----Return to Headline List----
Russian Rocket achieves liftoff despite stalled talks on tradeGary Mason Vancouver SunThe Jump is back. You see it now after every goal that Pavel Bure scores. That unmitigated gesture of joy. The reflex of someone who has scored the Stanley Cup winner in overtime. No one in the league does The Jump like Pavel. Then again, few score goals like him either. Bure's most famous dance followed his Game Seven over-time winner against Calgary in the 1994 playoffs. That set the standard for post-goal exuberance. On the weekend in Toronto he almost duplicated it. Did you see it? After his third-period short-handed back-breaker against the Leafs. Bure jumped up and down like he was skipping rope, before launching himself into the arms of his teammate, Mark Messier. It was his 14th goal, his 30th point. It put him in the Top 10 in scoring. The old Pavel, it seemed, was back. Which is what people are saying. He's skating like the Russian Rocket who once ripped people out of their seats with his rushes. Before he lost a year to a knee injury and another year with a mangled back. Before his confidence lost a street fight. Bure often seemed disinterested on the ice, while developing a playboy image off it. Many people expected him to be packaged in a trade somewhere. Even Bure silently wondered whether he'd find the form he had. Today, he doesn't want to compare himself to the player he was. "I am who I am right now and I feel real comfortable," he said after practice Monday. This is how much he enjoys scoring goals. In practice, he slipped one by Arturs Irbe on the short side. He pumped his fist several times. In practice. His teammates see a difference. "He looks like he's enjoying going out there and burning guys, which is his game," says defenceman Dave Babych. "I remember when he first came here he would turn it on and you could just see it in his eyes. He just loved to do what he wanted to do, which is score goals." Yes, score goals. Defence, well, that was for other people. Pavel's job was to get people screaming in the stands. But Babych has been impressed with Bure's defence, especially while killing penalties. "Hell, I remember when he first came here his penalty killing was waiting outside the blue line and trying to get a breakaway. "Now he's doing what he has to do and still getting breakaways." Mike Keenan has been the recipient of Bure's return to form. Is this coach's timing good or what? Or has he played a part in it? Many think he has. That he understands the psyche of superstars. "Star players have to be star players and the only way they can be star players is to give them every difficult situation that can arise in a game and let them respond to it and give them ice time," says Keenan. Keenan calls Bure "Rocketman." He loves his speed. He loves what Bure can do with the puck, how he can fill defenders with doubt. So, you might assume all this means Bure has dropped his trade demands? Now that he's smiling more and jumping into teammates' arms more. Now that he looks so darn happy. Wrong. Bure is still giving the same tired response to questions about his future with the team. "Well, I'm a Canuck today and I'm just enjoying being here ...." You know the rest. Before Pat Quinn was fired, he indicated that a couple of the outstanding issues with Bure were close to being resolved. Those issues included money he felt he was owed from the lock-out season and relief from some tax measures he faces in Canada. "One month ago and right now I'm still feeling the same way," says Bure. When Keenan was asked about Bure's comments, he probably summed the situation up perfectly. "I think he's happy as a player. Maybe he's not happy as a businessman." Once upon a time, Pavel Bure was worth the price of admission alone. He may be again. It looks like the old Pavel is back. The one with The Jump. ----Return to Headline List----
Valeri joins Pavel Bure on Russian team for NaganoMOSCOW - Three more players were added Monday to Russia's Olympic hockey team roster.The players are Valeri Bure of the Montreal Canadiens, Sergei Krivokrasov and Alexei Morozov of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bure's brother, Pavel, a star winger with the Vancouver Canucks, had already been named to the team. The Bure brothers have never played together in their professional careers. ----Return to Headline List----
Bure scores another short-handed goal
Brendan Shanahan and Martin Lapointe scored third-period goals and Chris Osgood made a pair of key saves in overtime as the Detroit Red Wings rallied for a 3-3 tie with the Vancouver Canucks. Alexander Mogilny scored twice, including a penalty shot, and Pavel Bure added a goal for Vancouver, which improved to 6-1-2 in its last nine games and 4-1-2 under coach Mike Keenan. "I'm ecstatic," Keenan said. "We had one day's rest and came off a long road trip. I am happy as can be about the point. It's a great point, a super point for us. We're playing the championship team who was in here rested for us. They had the schedule advantage and a big manpower advantage. We have to be excited about the team." Pavel Bure's fifth goal in as many games tied the score at one. Bure picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated in on a breakaway. Osgood made the intial save, but Bure posted his 15th goal of the season on a great second effort as he skated by the net. Nibbles Pavel Bure was voted in as the third star of the game. Pavel Bure got the Molson player of the month award for November after scoring eight goals and 20 points in 13 games. He donated his $1,000 cheque to the Trevor Linden Foundation. .......Who says the two Russians, Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny can't play on the same team ? Since Mogilny joined the team 11 games ago he has six goals and five assists. Bure has 8-8-16 in the span, and the team has gone 7-3-1.
The December 5, 1997 issue (Vol.51, No.13) of the Hockey News features Pavel on the cover. ----Return to Headline List----
Russian Bure jerseys now availableDiversified International Inc.has offered for sale Russian player jerseys, including that of Pavel Bure on the World Wide Web.This is a special arrangement for paid up Pavel Bure Fan Club members only. The website is not advertised anywhere else on the Internet. Pavel Bure Fan Club membership number must be provided to obtain this special offer.
Go to ----Return to Headline List----
PBFC announces new web site.http://www.dragonfire.net/~pbfc/The Pavel Bure Fan Club is pleased to announce yet another web site that has been set up primarily for the benefit of PBFC members, but which can be viewed by all fans of Pavel.The Pavel Bure Fan Club hockey card web site has been created for photos of all hockey cards ever issued of Pavel Bure. If you ever wanted to know what those rare cards of Pavel Bure look like, here's your opportunity to check them out. Likewise, if you have a card, but are unsure of it's proper name or year of distribution, you can match them up on this web site. Special thanks to club member Lynda for programming the web site. She has a wonderful dedication to Pavel at Pasha's Palace, so have a quick peek at her other nice work. Likewise special thanks to Ken Fok for providing the cards. This site took hundreds of man hours of scanning and programming, so we hope all our hard work brings a lot pleasure for Pavel Bure card fans.
If you enjoy this site please visit: ----Return to Headline List----
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