News from July 1998

Russians love their Rocket

By MATTHEW FISHER -- Toronto Sun

While admiring the Russian Rocket's talent, he had always left me cold as a person until he appeared on television here earlier this month.

Like too many New Russians who unexpectedly had a chance to earn millions when the Soviet Union collapsed, the fiendishly quick Vancouver Canuck had previously come across as an arrogant prima donna more interested in discos and his reflection in the mirror than in hockey.

Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov and Slava Kozlov, all double Stanley Cup winners with the Detroit Red Wings, have always made themselves available to the media and the public whenever back at home. They empathized with their countrymen who are now suffering under a kleptocracy and acknowledged how lucky they were to have been chosen by the state to get one of the best hockey educations in the world.

But Bure, who has been whining a lot lately about how tough his hockey life has become in Vancouver, and may or may not be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, had been tough to deal with on the few occasions when he returned to Russia.

On the rare occasions when he would condescend to be interviewed he would either brush off the appointment at the last moment or denigrate those asking the questions as simpletons. It was as if all such encounters were a contest. Playing by his own childish rules, Bure always won.

One day a small group of western reporters waited about one hour for the chance to speak for a few minutes with the Russian Great One. When Bure finally appeared, he said with a smile as wide as Siberia that as this was Russia he would not speak English. When everyone switched to Russian, he announced that he was pressed for time and could only answer one or two questions, which he proceeded to do in a half-hearted fashion.

For all that, Bure is undoubtedly the most popular hockey player in Russia - far more of a favorite than the equally skilled, handsome and self-absorbed Sergei Fedorov of the Red Wings.

The national hockey bible, Sport, is forever devising mathematical formulas to prove that Bure is the best player in NHL. A usually unsentimental babushka I know gushes that the boyish Bure is the prettiest, most noble and pious man in the country.

I never knew what to make of Bure's staggering popularity here until I saw him on national television early this month. Watching him speak for nearly an hour was a revelation. He was patient, thoughtful, modest, magnanimous. He sounded like a great guy. The biggest surprise of all may have been that as a teenager he thought of studying to become a journalist if hockey didn't work out!

"I believe in God, and I am sure that my talent is from God," was how Bure began an interview which appears here in edited form.

"My father was a famous swimmer, many people say that I became a good hockey player because of him. Laziness is a typical part of the Russian character, but I was taught by my mother and coach to break my laziness. I never missed my training.

"Russian hockey had a very strong hierarchy, young players had to obey old ones. I had to carry sticks for Fetisov (and others). I was happy to do it because I respected them and because they asked me in a polite way. As I grew older, young players were carrying things for me. This is not something you would see in the West.

"When I came to Canada, it was hard in the beginning. I didn't speak English and it was a different culture. I stayed at Larionov's house and he helped me to understand the West. The NHL really impressed me. The play was strong and they made games into a real show with music, costumes, light. It was very different from Russia.

"The most important thing there is not what country you are are from but how well you do. I never felt any discrimination at all. I respect Canadians for creating the NHL. For me Wayne Gretzky is the best player in the world."

Bure amazed the audience with his answer to a very Russian question about who he paid protection money to in Canada to avoid getting murdered.

"My 'roof' in Canada is the 56% income tax that I pay to the government. Canada has no criminal structure at all, to be safe you just need to be a good taxpayer. "My work is in Canada but I live in Russia. I'm proud to be Russian and very happy with all I have. I'm not a superstar, I'm just a hockey player."

Pavel Bure may still look like a teenager, but he's 27 years old now. Could the Russian Rocket finally be growing up?

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Trading Bure akin to trading Ruth

By Bill Courage -- On The Ball News Service

Me and a few of the boys are talking hockey the other day. That's right, the heart of summer in the city, four years removed from anything close to a mounted threat on the Stanley Cup ? golf, tennis and jogging the seawall time of season. And we're in producer Larry Semkew's air conditioned CFOX studio jawing it up about puck. What is Vancouver Canucks general manager Burke going to get in return for Pavel Bure in the single, most important trade in franchise history?

Lindros, LeClair, Sakic, Scott Niedermayer? We're all chipping in our guesses, which really amounts to our personal shopping lists. And to a man, we're naturally thinking big. Why not? Go big or go home. We're talking about the most exciting player in the league here, instant offence, a player who puts fans in the stands. And we all get the feeling we may not have seen the best of Pavel Bure yet.

But no pressure, Burkie, poor bugger. He just takes over a listing ship and inherits the responsibility of trading Babe Ruth. Does anybody remember who the Red Sox got from the Yankees for Ruth? Name all of the L.A. Kings that went to Edmonton in the Gretzky deal. When you deal the big boys, bad things can happen.

It's one thing trading away potential. I mean we all loved Cam Neely out here from his awesome junior career with Ken Yaremchuk, Randy Heath and the Portland Winter Hawks. We would have loved to see him develop here in Vancouver, but c'mon, did we honestly expect him to become the most dominant power forward in the game?

Neely grew into stardom after the deal. Bure's already an established star with an incredible pedigree. Clearly Burke's priority is improving his hockey club at centre ice, the blue line and in goal. As tempted as it is to go for the big name, the marquee guy, Burke has to turn Bure into two, if not three players, who can help the Canucks.

It would make common sense then, that the biggest name in any Bure deal will be Bure. Just maybe we should all lower our expectations a little bit, or at least get more creative, while playing amateur general manager. Sure must be more relaxing a pastime than a job.

But Burkie, the good news is that here we are in the hottest week of the summer, and me and the boys are talking about your hockey club.

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Canucks announce broadcasting sked

Vancouver Television Broadcast Team: The 1998-99 NHL season will be VTV’s first carrying Vancouver Canucks games. The new station will carry 30 games in the lower mainland with simulcasts on CTV Sportsnet, enabling all of British Columbia and the Yukon to see the games. Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Robson will deliver his legendary play-by-play call for every game, former Vancouver Canuck Ryan Walter will add analysis, and VTV’s own Perry Solkowski will host each broadcast.

CKNW 98 Radio Broadcast Team Hockey fans have tuned into CKNW to hear the play-by-play of the Vancouver Canucks since the franchise played its first game in 1970. All 82 Canuck games will be carried by CKNW radio this season, however the broadcast team will change depending on the game date. Jim Hughson will call play-by-play for the majority of Canuck games. Where scheduling conflicts arise due to Hughson’s commitment to CTV Sportsnet broadcasts, John Shorthouse will deliver the call. Tom Larscheid will continue to provide the best in hockey analysis during every broadcast.

CTV Sportsnet Pacific NHL Broadcast Team Canada’s first 24-hour regional sports service, CTV Sportsnet, will broadcast 30 Vancouver Canucks games to sports fans in British Columbia and the Yukon Territories. John Shorthouse will handle the play-by-play duties while Ryan Walter provides analysis and Perry Solkowski hosts the broadcasts.

CTV Sportsnet National NHL Broadcast Team With a 44-game broadcast schedule reaching across Canada, CTV Sportsnet will deliver NHL games Nationally on Tuesday nights with Labatt Blue Tuesday Night Hockey. Jim Hughson will deliver play-by-play action, Craig Simpson will provide analysis and Darren Dreger will host the coast-to-coast broadcasts.

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Canucks announce pre-season sked

The Vancouver Canucks have now held training camp in Whistler, B.C. for four consecutive years. Meadow Park Sports Centre will once again serve as the Canucks’ hockey facility and The Delta Whistler Resort will be the Club’s official headquarters. Vancouver held training camp in Calgary, AB for it’s first four years in the NHL. Since then, the Canucks have moved training camp around British Columbia to Victoria, Courtney, Powell River, Duncan, Parksville, Kamloops and its current location, Whistler.

Following training camp, the Canucks begin their eight-game pre-season schedule against the Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings. The Canucks finish the schedule with a neutral site game versus the Kings on October 4th at Centennial Garden Arena in Bakersfield, CA.

1998-99 Vancouver Canucks Pre-Season Schedule:
 
Sunday Sept. 20       at Phoenix 2:00 p.m. 
Monday Sept. 21       at Calgary 7:00 p.m. 
Wednesday Sept.23     Phoenix 7:00 p.m. 
Friday Sept. 25       at Edmonton 7:00 p.m. 
Saturday Sept. 26     Edmonton 7:00 p.m. 
Wednesday Sept. 30    Calgary 7:00 p.m. 
Friday October. 2     San Jose 7:00 p.m. 
Sunday October. 4     at LA (Bakersfield) 5:00 p.m.

Note: All game times are local to the area where the game is being played.

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Bure's destiny up in air

After making waves to be traded,
Canuck's future remains uncertain

By Grant Kerr

Vancouver -- Arguably the best hockey player employed in Canada breezed through town earlier this month without leaving even the slightest hint about his future with the Vancouver Canucks.

Pavel Bure has managed to maintain the cloud of mystery that hangs over the talented Russian Rocket, who scored 51 goals last season in the National Hockey League for the last-place team in the Western Conference.

Bure left in April for his Moscow home without telling anyone why he apparently wants out of Vancouver. He had promised to disclose his reasons when the Canucks ended their regular-season schedule.

The brazen Bure dropped huge hints late in the season that he wanted to leave Vancouver before completing the fifth and final year of his contract. Reasons for his unhappiness are purely speculative. After all, he earned $5.5-million (U.S.) last season and could be paid nearly $10-million in the coming season.

Canucks new general manager Brian Burke talked with Bure and his agent, Mike Gillis, recently without learning what direction Bure plans to take.

Burke claims money is not an issue with Bure, who joined the Canucks in 1991, but wonders what the real issues might be.

"My goal is to keep him here," Burke said yesterday from Penticton, B.C. "If not, then we'll go to Plan B. I'm not sure exactly what is troubling [Bure]."

Bure began making waves after the Olympics in February. He had led the Russians to a silver medal, as their captain in Nagano. Bure came home to play again for coach Mike Keenan, who gave him plenty of ice time.

But Keenan did trade Bure's closest friend and fan favourite Gino Odjick to the New York Islanders at the deadline in March, and that seemed to make Bure even more insolent. With the Canucks doomed to finish in the basement, Bure went on a goal-scoring mission, finishing with more than 50 goals for the third time in seven years.

An explanation for his trade-me implication was promised, but never given. Bure shed no light on the situation during his brief visit this month, before leaving again for Russia.

Bure is Vancouver's biggest asset and, even at his huge salary, the most tradeable player as the Canucks seek to solidify their goaltending and defence.

Burke claims he is not under pressure from ownership to trade Bure. The Canucks began last season with a $36-million (U.S.) payroll and finished at about $32-million after a series of trades by Keenan in the absence of a full-time GM.

"All this is going to come down to is whether we can solve some other problems for him," Burke said about Bure. "Part of it I understand, parts I don't. The problems are issues he's raised."

Burke refuses to discuss those mysterious problems publicly and is trying to deal with Bure as quietly as possible in an aggressive media city.

The rebuilding of the Canucks by the straight-shooting Burke, the former NHL vice-president of hockey operations, hinges on solving the problems of a player who has scored 254 regular-season goals since leaving his homeland.

He's the team's most marketable player and an idol the Vancouver fans have identified with since the Canucks' improbable march to the Stanley Cup final in 1994. It was Bure who scored the spectacular double-overtime goal against the Calgary Flames in the opening round that capped an unlikely comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the series.

The Canucks are in desperate need of a No. 1 goaltender and Bure may be the bait Burke needs to make a trade for a proven stopper. Burke does not want to get into a bidding war for expensive free-agent netminders Curtis Joseph and Mike Richter, probably because the Canucks lost $30-million (Cdn.) on operations last season.

"We've got the depth and strength to make a trade for a goaltender if we have to," Burke added. The Canucks have goalies Garth Snow and Corey Hirsch under contract, although Hirsch played in the minors last season. Latvian stopper Arturs Irbe was Vancouver's best last season, but became a free agent July 1 and his status is in limbo.

ROCKET NUMBERS

Pavel Bure was Vancouver's best player last season because:
Goals: 51

Points: 80

Power-play goals: 13

Short-handed goals: 6

Game-winners: 4

Shots: league high 329

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NHL Unveils 1998-99 Game Slate

A total of 1,107 contests are on the docket for the upcoming season, with each team playing 82 total games; 41 at home and 41 on the road.

The season kicks off in Japan with GAME ONe festivities, which will be highlighted by two games between the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames at Tokyo's Yoyogi Arena on Oct. 9 and 10.

The 1998-99 season will also mark the debut of the expansion Nashville Predators.

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Article on Pavel in the July 1998 edition of Beckett

Pavel Bure is featured in the Beckett Hockey Card Monthly magazine on page 73 of the July 1998 edition.

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Sports Illustrated July 6th edition mentions Pavel

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No news on Pavel watch

The local newspapers reported that Vancouver Canucks GM, Brian Burke said he's had talks with Mike Gillis, the agent for Pavel Bure.

"We'll all sit down and talk again, but I have no idea when," said Burke.

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