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Pavel Gossip Line
Summarized from PBFC newsletter
- Imagine dunking Gino Odjick, having your photo taken with Pavel Bure, sumo wrestling with Dave Babych, battling with Kirk Mclean in ball toss or playing Twister with Cliff Ronning.
Those fans visiting Vancouver on Saturday, February 24th have a chance to meet Pavel at the Canucks Family Carnival '96 between 2:00 and 5:00pm at General Motors Place. Admission is $10 per person or $35 for a family of four.
- The winter 1995 issue of 'Okanagan Life' magazine features a small photo of Pavel on the cover with the cover story being '16 Celbrities who should make the Okanagan their home'.
"With some fanfare, the Russian Rocket could make the Kelowna Rockets a winning combination for starters. It might even guarantee someone builds a hockey rink where they can play. Now that the Rocket's knees are gone, he has to do something to stay active. If we hired him to focus on selling our fruit to the Japanese market, Pavel would have half the crop on ships to the Orient just by agreeing to send an autographed hockey puck with every box of apples. He is a perfect example of youthful drive and excellence. He'd be a local role model for our youth".
- Once again Kraft Dinner packages are featuring photos of NHL stars with some of their products.
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese or Pasta & Cheese products:
26 NHL Shooting Stars action cards on the backs of the boxes. Both Pavel and Alexander Mogilny are included.
- Kraft Peanut Butter:
12 NHL All-Star hockey disks plus one randomly inserted Hot Stamped Stanley Cup Disk.
- Jell-O Pudding Snacks:
18 Crease Keeper cards. Kirk Mclean of the Canucks is included in this set.
- Jell-O Instant Pudding:
14 Hottest Ticket Action cards.
- February 24: Pavel buys a new car, a Ferrari F355.
- February 25: MRI done on Pavel's knee. Prognosis is that the healing process is progressing normally. Permission is given allowing him to skate.
- February 26: Pavel skates for 10 minutes with the team during practice at the Burnaby complex.
- PBFC member Mahadi Hassan drove 2,000 miles from his home in Terrace, british Columbia to catch a Canuck homestand. Apparently he had done this a number of times before. During a Canuck practice at Burnaby's 8-Rinks, Mahadi was spotted by Nick (President of PBFC) because of the prominent PBFC membership patch sewn on the front of Mahadi's jacket. Nick introduced Mahadi to soem Canuck players (including Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny) wherein they signed all of his hockey cards and pictures.
Pavel was undergoing on-land training with the Canucks that day, and even though he later had to take his grandmother to the airport as she was returning to Moscow after a short visit. Pavel signed autographs and talked to about 100 fans that mobbed him at the exit to the arena.
- Pavel Bure did attend the NHL All-Star game, but due to injury, did not play.
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Rocket's rehab speeding along
by Iain MacIntyre - - Vancouver Sun
Injured Vancouver Canuck superstar Pavel Bure worked last week on his hockey sticks. Can his skates be far behind?
The Russian Rocket's smooth recovery from reconstructive knee surgery led Canuck CEO Arthur Griffiths to concede that Bure may indeed return to the lineup before the end of the season.
Griffiths said Bure and Canuck surgeon Dr. Ross Davidson will determine when Bure can play, and that may be as early as this spring. His statement seems to represent a softening of club policy regarding Bure's injury, as the Cancuks' position in November was that the 24-year old Russian would not be allowed to return this season.
"I'm not going to let Pavel come back early even if he want to", Davidson said after the anterior cruciate ligament in Bure's left knee was torn on November 9.
After tissue from Bure's hamstring was transplanted into his knee during surgery on November 15, davidson reiterated: "He's gone for the season".
Last week, as the muscular, limp-free Bure completed another day of rahibilitation at GM Place, Griffiths said: "We've always respected that Pavel's been a remarkable athlete".
"I talked to Ross last week and he said: "Don't hold your breath", but could he be in the play-offs? It's possible. A situation like this, I'm just happy he's recovering as well as he is. Physically, he's great".
Davidson did not return calls, but Canuck trainer Mike Burnstein cautioned that the medical staff isn't yet prepared to alter the timetable of Bure's recovery.
"He's coming along good with his rehab", Burnstein said. "But at this point we won't commit to him coming back any earlier".
Bure, who was preparing his sticks for a photo shoot at this weekend's NHL all-star game, said obviously he'd like to return to the lineup as soon as possible, but won't risk his career by playing too soon.
"I can tell you what Pat Quinn, the doctor - everybody - tells me, is they won't take any chances", Bure said. "If there's a chance I might hurt myself again by coming back, we'll wait until next year".
"I've got another 10 years to go in the NHL. I don't want to take a chance, even if it's a one percent change, to play a few games and then hurt my career".
Bure said he is pain-free, although his knee so far is restricted to staright up and down movements, not lateral.
And although he is able to ride a staionary bike, exercise in a pool and the weight room, he is not allowed any high-impact activity like jogging. He likely is still weeks away from skating.
"There's always a chance it might be this season", Bure said. "You never know what's going to happen".
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Bure could set rehab record
by Jim Jamieson - - Vancouver Province
Never say never.
When Pavel Bure made the astonishing statement last week that he thought he'd be skating within two weeks, it sounded like the most outrageous optimism.
The Canucks' superlative winger tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee November 9 in Chicago and had reconstructive surgery six days later.
The time frame to get back to full-out competition after such surgery is six to twelve months.
Bure is well known in the Canucks' dressing room for being a miraculously fast healer - but lacing up the blades less than two months after ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery?
The Canucks' are taking a conservative approach to the injury, they're not ruling anything out.
"I'm not surprised. If there's going to be a world record set in the rehab of an ACL, Pavel and his father are probably going to do it. His life is hockey and he's removed from that. He's like a fish out of water", claims Dr. Doug Clement, team physician.
"Only when he demonstrates he's ready. Only when he has the same power in both legs and the same range of motion will it be considered. It will be Ross's call". said Clement. (Dr. Ross Davidson performed the ACL on Bure).
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Pavel pledges early return
by Terry Bell - - Vancouver Province
Pavel Bure had a smile on his face one morning as he sat in the Montreal Forum watching the Canucks practicing.
First, the good news, his injured right knee appears good - he's further along the road to recovery than he's expected to be at this point and hopes to start skating within two weeks.
And second, he was watching his kid brother, valeri whirling around the ice with the Habs.
"You never know, there's a chance .. hopefully, I'll be back this year", Bure said. "It's much better than I thought it would be. I've been exercising, but not hard. Maybe I'll skate next week or the week after".
The younger Bure, meanwhile, is in the Habs lineup. A second-round pick in the 1992 June draft, the 21-year old right winger has nine goals and ten assists in 41 games.
It's no wonder Valeri thinks Pavel is the NHL's best player; the two are more than just brothers.
"We speak often", said Pavel. "He's probably my best friends, not just my brother. We're not close geographically, so it's good I'm spending time with him now".
Valeri doesn't expect many helping hints though, "He's on the Vancouver side, I don't think I'll be getting any advice from him", said valeri with a smile.
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Early birthday present
24th February 1996
Pavel purchased himself an early birtday present, acquiring a fiery red Ferrari F355. List price is $us130,000 plus taxes and extras.
The 3946 cc V-8 engine, comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox and seats only two people as the back seat is taken up with a mid-engine and rear drive.
Top speed is in excess of 180 MPH and does 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and 0-100 in 11.3 seconds. Nice ..... Rocket!
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