News from July 2000
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Pavel Bure won`t play in the "Spartak Cup"
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, Well known Russian ice-hockey player Pavel Bure (in pic) won`t play in the "Spartak Cup". He is undergoing the course of rehabilitation in Moscow after the serious injury he got last January at one of the NHL games.
Pavel Bure seen playing tennis as he is undergoing the course of rehabilitation in Moscow after the serious injury he got last January at one of the NHL games.
Cats open vs. Canucks at home Pavel Bure never got to play against his old team last season. He was injured both times the Panthers faced the Vancouver Canucks. It won't take long this coming season for Bure to get that opportunity. The Panthers open their 2000-01 season against the Canucks on Oct. 6 at National Car Rental Center. And Bure will get to go up against his younger brother, Valeri, when the Panthers face the Calgary Flames at home on Nov. 10. Those are just a couple of highlights on the Panthers' regular-season schedule that was released Thursday. The 41-game home slate includes 24 Friday and Saturday games, up from last year's 19. That pleases Panthers president Bill Torrey, who said the Panthers do better at the turnstiles on those days. "It's obviously a great boon to our fans," Torrey said. "There's no question that weekend dates, particularly those during the early part of the year, are much stronger than the weekdays." The Panthers will play 15 home games on Fridays and nine on Saturdays. Included on the home schedule are four back-to-back Friday/Saturday games. Torrey said the early part of the schedule looms as the most demanding. After opening against the Canucks at home, the Panthers will play five of their next six games on the road. Included in that stretch are road games against the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and perennial Western Conference power Colorado. "It's a tough way to start, but it kind of gets your attention right off the bat," Torrey said. The Avalanche, who did not play in South Florida last season, play at NCRC on Dec. 9. The Devils, who swept the Panthers in the opening round of this year's playoffs, make their first visit to South Florida on Oct. 25. New Jersey's remaining visit to National Car Rental Center will be on Dec. 22.
NHL release 2000/2001 schedule PANTHERS TO OPEN 2000-01 SEASON OCT. 6 VS. VANCOUVER CANUCKS Game at National Car Rental Center First of 24 Weekend Home Contests. SUNRISE, Florida - The Florida Panthers will open the 2000-01 season, their eighth in the National Hockey League and third at National Car Rental Center, at home on Friday, October 6, at 7:30 p.m. vs. the Vancouver Canucks. It is expected to be the long-awaited first meeting between Panthers right wing Pavel Bure and his former club. In addition, the Panthers will host the Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils twice this season - on Wednesday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m. and on Friday, December 22 at 7:30 p.m. The Panthers will play 25 weekend (Fridays and Saturdays) home games during the 2000-01 campaign, including the opener on October 6 and the season finale vs. the New York Rangers on Saturday, April 7 at 3 p.m. The Cats will bring "Hockey Night in South Florida" back to Fox SportsNet in the 2000-01 season, as the cable network is scheduled to televise a minimum of 75 regular-season games during the year. "I am extremely pleased to announce the 2000-2001 Florida Panthers schedule," said Bill Torrey, president of the Florida Panthers. "We have worked very hard with the League to create a schedule that would best serve our season ticket holders and all the great hockey fans in South Florida. Our schedule will assist us in serving our new 'mini-plan' season ticket holders and the number of weekend dates should allow all of South Florida to see, what we think, will be our most exciting season yet."
Bure gets big assist on Igor's signing Pavel Bure had considerable influence in the Florida Panthers signing unrestricted free agent Igor Larionov Saturday. The Panthers gave the 39-year-old centre $200,000 US to sign, plus $1.6 million US to play this season. The club has an option for a second year at $2 million US and if it chooses not to exercise that option, it must buy out Larionov at another $200,000 US. This guarantees Larionov $2 million US for one season and $3.8 million US if he plays two seasons as Bure's centre. If the two Russians can rekindle the chemistry they first enjoyed when Bure provided the legs and Larionov the smarts in Vancouver, the Panthers will be able to move Viktor Kozlov onto a second line with Rob Niedermayer, thereby increasing the chances of offence from more than one line. The Detroit Red Wings, Larionov's old team, offered him just a one-year deal at $1.5 million US and gave the Russian permission to begin talks with other teams at the draft. Vancouver wasn't given much of a chance to bid on his services and given the Canucks' situation at centre, were almost certainly not interested. "He's a highly respected person," said Panthers GM Bryan Murray. "He's not a guy who is going to come in and take over the room, but among a certain group of players (Russians) he will be very influential." Larionov, a great soccer fan, was attending Euro 2000 and wasn't answering his phone this week. "We'll probably play (Sergei) Fedorov more and fill in with others guys like (Doug) Brown unless we go out and get somebody," said Wings coach Scotty Bowman of the loss of the centre he considers the best playmaker whom he ever coached.
The Wings, meanwhile, could also lose veteran Larry Murphy, who's another unrestricted free agent. And Lyle Odelein got three years and a total of $7.2 million US to sign with Columbus Friday.
Panthers waste no time, sign free agent C Larionov SUNRISE, FLORIDA (TICKER) -- The NHL had barely released its list of free agents today when the Florida Panthers signed 39-year-old center Igor Larionov to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2001-02 season. Financial terms were not disclosed for Larionov, who was paid $1.7 million last season. Larionov spent the last five seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, helping them win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1997 and 1998. Last season, he was sixth on the team in scoring with nine goals and 38 assists in 79 games. "Igor is a skilled, veteran player that at least for the short term fills a real need in the organization, and that is for a playmaking center," said Panthers general manager Bryan Murray. "We project that most of the the time, if not all of the time, he can be the center for Pavel Bure." Larionov will be reunited with Bure, with whom he played the 1991-92 season with the Vancouver Canucks. He joined Vancouver in 1989 after helping the Soviet Union capture the 1983 World Championship as well as gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. The 5-10, 170-pound Larionov spent three seasons with the Canucks before returning to Europe and playing for Lugano of the Swiss League in 1992-93. He came back to the NHL and spent two seasons with the San Jose Sharks, who traded him to Detroit four games into the 1995-96 campaign. "We believe that his poise and character, along with what he can add to our younger players in the organization, is well worth bringing him on board with the Panthers," Murray said.
In 663 NHL games, Larionov had 138 goals and 369 assists.
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