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An Interview with Pavel Bure
Translated from the Russian Playboy Magazine
The following is a Pavel Bure interview as translated from the September 1995 issue of the Russian edition of 'Playboy' magazine.When correspondent Genady Fedorov received the task of interviewing a Russian superstar of the NHL - either Fedorov, Mogilny or Bure - he presumed it would not be too difficult to lure one of them. But Sergei Fedorov was not answering messages left at his hotel room, and Alexander Mogilny was fishing on the banks of the Amur in Siberia. Pavel Bure too, had left the boundaries of North America for Moscow - for the presentation of the first issue of the Russian edition of 'Playboy'.
Q. What brings you to Moscow again? If I am not wrong, in the last half year, this is your third time here.
A. Strange question! I have my home in Moscow; I was born and grew up here; and my friends are here. I am now on my annual four week break, during which I always try to leave Vancouver.
Q. This year your hockey season finished early. When your team, the Vancouver Canucks, lost in the second round of the playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks and out of the playoffs of the Stanley Cup, did you continue watching this hockey marathon? Or do you halt all your hockey until the next season?
A. If the Cancuks lose in the 'struggle', then the hockey season for me finishes. I do not watch the games on television nor do I read hockey news reports. Of course, it is difficult to completely ignore the Stanley Cup games. I do not specifically follow them, but receive updates one way or another.
Q. How long after such a loss do you 'retire' for the season?
A. Normally for me 10-12 days is enough. I just rest at home and suntan by the pool.
Q. During the hockey season and competitive time, are you often with other people?
A. To be honest, in Vancouver I try and spned less time in the public, socially speaking. I have my friends, whose presence to me is gratifying. They visit me, and I spend my leisure time with them.
Q. There are many rumours about your polularity in Vancouver. For example, one local newspaper wrote that Pavel Bure fansatics broke into his home and stole photographs, clothing and other souvenirs. They say that it is difficult to show your face on the public streets, that the fans quickly swarm you.
A. Vancouver is not a very big city, and hockey has been with the city for about 70 years. Therefore, the Canucks are something of a local institution. In our club there are about 20 players, and so you can't escape from fans on the street. But in Moscow, it's a different thing. This is a big city, and here I feel a lot more comfortable, same as I do in New York. Which brings me to your first comment about the burgulary ... yes ... in all honesty these weren't fans, but thieves and they didn't take personal items, but money, gold articles, camcorder, and so on. This made me move to a new apartment.
Q. When the program 'Komsomol' (in Moscow) decided to do a live radio interview with you, it appeared that four telephone operators could not keep up with the phone calls.
A. Yes, it was pleasant to hear warm words of encouragement. Especially since they were calling from many regions of the country, such as the Urals, Siberia, the Far East and other neighbouring countries such as Ukraine and Belarus.
Q. Which questions do they ask you most often?
A. In general, people were just plain interested in how things were with me and wished me the best for the future. They did not question details about which they could read regularly in the newspapers.
Q. What, for you, compromises being a superstar in the NHL: the image, the way of life, the clothes or the high-priced contracts?
A. Probably, all taken together, although all of this is superceded by my responsibility to my hockey team. It is, very often, when a team loses, you are specifically the guilty one.
After every game, you are obliged to be available for the media, such as the press and TV, and answer questions. Nobody cares as to your mood at that time, and being a leader, to answer the questions is your resposibility.
After a game, it would be nice to change the damp from sweat, hockey gear, have a shower, change peacefully, and then go home. But immediately after every game, whether win or lose, you are obliged to be available for reporter's questions.
Q. Can Pavel Bure become a national hero in Canada, say something like Wayne Gretzky?
A. No, not Pavel Bure, nor any of my ex-compatriots can ever fully become 'one of our own' in Canada. For Canadians or for Americans to become truly 'one of our own', you'd have to be re-born and doit all in Canada.
'One of our own' I was and will be in Russia. Whatever the barriers and distances separated us from Russia, we remained her sons, and I am always glad not just to return here for my holidays, but am always ready to protect her sports integrity in important international competitions, for instance, those like the Olympic Games.
Of course if only I am invited to do so. I think that all the lads, playing in USA and Canada, also hold the same values.
Q. In the past season, some Russian publications wrote about some supposedly not so pleasant attitudes of some of your team-mates towards you. Is there any truth to this?
A. In full honesty, I can say that all that was written, had no basis to it. I am tired of these baseless rumours, about my contract, that they were ready to trade me to a different club, and that I refused to play the first few games.
Not only I, but the whole team was tired of theses type of rumours. The affair came to such a climax, that the general-manager, Pat Quinn, after one game, which I was forced to miss due to injury, was so infuriated at the comments of one of the Canadian TV commentators, that he made a special statement on national television.
Prior to this he almost physically attacked the same commentator, Don Cherry, who absolutely hates Bure, and in fact all Russians playing in North America, from the moment I started playing in the NHL.
After this, the newspaper rumours died down somewhat. But what's important in Russia, is that the Rumours arrive here a little later, and begin a second round, and are not complimentary to me.
Q. What is your relationship with the press?
A. Ingeneral, generous, although, like I have already indicated, there are certain individuals, who wish to portray all in a convenient perspective or blow up a scandal around me or anybody from my circle.
But in general, I am used to most situations, about what they write in the newspapers, and in deference, react more peacefully.
My father too, has stopped reacting with wonder about what he reads in the papers about his son. He once said to me, he probably wouldn't even be surprised to read some report that I had become the President of USA.
But in the overall picture I am glad, that my name remains in the newspapers. Even if some information is far from truth, it would be worse if they completely stopped writing about you. What would be terrible, would be indifference. But since they write about you, then I must be achieving something as a hockey player, and as a person.
Q. In the last season, you and your team's march to the Stanley Cup, the prize of North American hockey, was halted. Was it very painful to be so close?
A. I don't have any right to be hurt about my sporting luck. In the NHL, you are considered lucky to have even played in the Stanley Cup finals.
Q. After the loss in last years' finals, it appears that Sergei Fedorov found himself in a similar situation as Assistant Captain of the Detroit Red Wings, with whom you played more than one season on a famous line for the Central Red Army, and the national team. Did you feel sympathy for him?
A. Yes, I rooted for Detroit. I really wanted the team to win. I have many friends on the team, apart from Sergei, there's Slava Fetisov, and Slava Kozlov. I was heart-broken especially for Slava Fetisov, he's already 37 years of age, and maybe this is his last year in the NHL. In his career he's won everything he can, except for the Stanley Cup.
Q. Among your many fans are many young ladies. from what I've heard, you get thousands of letters from the young fans for the 'Russian Rocket'. Do you answer every letter?
A. Normally the letters contain requests for an autographed photo. I generally have my father and close friends help me out with the correspondence.
Q. The Russian word 'playboy' has long ago become an everyday word. Do you consider yourself a playboy?
A. (After a long silence) Any why not? I live for hapiness, and receive from life it's enjoyment.
Q. Are you leading a good life in Moscow?
A. In the morning, after which I spend the rest of the day with friends ... you know ... at the sauna or swimming pool. My Moscow habits differ from my Vancouver ones; I spend the evenings with friends at different places. On weekends, sometimes I go to the summer cabin.
Q. You have been often seen in the company of Natalia Kobzona.
A. I am just a good friend of Natalie, literally! Yes, we do go out often together to concerts, discotheques and theatre.
Q. The rumour is that this is a serious relationship, and that Natalia has flown a number of times to Vancouver to work out the final details.
A. This is the first that I have heard of it. I have not yet decided to have a family; for now or for the future!
Q. What other sports interest you? In the summer, Mogilny and Fedorov enjoy golf Your choice is tennis?
A. Yes, I play tennis practically every day. It was my father that taught me to love this game, from about the age of 10. In the beginning of course, he gave me lessons, but now we both play at about the same level.
In Vancouver, I have a regular tennis partnet at the Tennis Club. Apart from that, if I have the chance and time, I love to water-ski, or to sail on a motor-boat.
Q. At the end of summer - beginning of Autumn, in Moscow there's a big hockey tournament, the Spartak Cup, to which many Russian professional hockey players in the NHL will play. Will you be one of them?
A. No, I will not attend the Spartak Cup. I knew about this tournament from lastyear's event, and it banquets, presentations and gala evenings.
But I have to prepare myself for my own season, since last season was a mixed up year because of the lockout in the NHL, and as such I couldn't find my form for a long time.
For this season, I will be striving to show that style, which I am capable of playing. Since my main aim is to win with Vancouver the Stanley Cup.
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