News from April 2007

Damaged goods?

Bure's knee had problems from start, orthopedist says

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Pavel Bure's reconstructed right knee was destined for a series of injuries when he joined the on Jan.17, according to the team orthopedist.

Since the trade, Bure twice injured his knee, and on Monday had a second reconstructive surgery in Birmingham, Ala. His first reconstruction was in 1995, after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament with Vancouver.

Dr. David Attarian told The Palm Beach Post there were problems with the knee when he first examined Bure -- three games after the goal-scoring threat arrived from the Canucks.

"That's all news to me," Panthers general manager Bryan Murray said when told of Attarian's comments.

Attarian said his examination revealed Bure's first reconstruction was already stretching when the Panthers signed him, and "that set him up for a series of injuries," Attarian said.

Bure, who was in Moscow when the Panthers made the trade, joined the team on a road trip in New York. The team asked physicians to look at Bure's knee and they said he was fine. Attarian examined Bure when the team returned to Florida.

Bryan Murray said there was little difference in Bure's healthy and reconstructed knee when the Panthers first examined him.

"He was fit and healthy enough to play," Murray said.

Bure was diagnosed with a muscle strain Feb. 5 which could have actually been a partial tear, Attarian said. The Panthers signed Bure to a $46.5 million contract while he recovered from that injury.

Attarian said an arthroscopic surgery he conducted March 5 -- after Bure's second knee injury with Florida -- showed the reconstruction done in 1995 had failed.

Attarian said he knew a second reconstruction was necessary but Bure wanted to try to play on the injury. Bure got as far as practice but his knee never came close to being fit enough to play.

"A lot of information was never made public," Attarian said. "We [Attarian, Panthers president Bill Torrey and Bryan Murray] felt it would be OK to conceal it if he was able to play safely."

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Pavel Bure Out for Remainder of Season

Official Panthers Communique

-- CNN News

Pavel Bure, seen here trying to score on the Rangers in January, had his first reconstructive surgery in 1995.
© Ezra Shaw/Allsport

After Pavel Bure injured his right knee against the Colorado Avalanche on March 3, 1999, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee on March 5. The procedure determined that the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction was no longer functional. At that time, Pavel made the decision that he wanted to attempt the rehabilitation and bracing in an effort to play the remainder of the season.

After three weeks of extensive rehab and limited skating, the medical staff and Pavel were not happy with the progress. The decision was made last Friday to send him to Birmingham, Alabama, to meet with Dr. James Andrews, world-renowned sports knee specialist.

Pavel was seen this afternoon by Dr. Andrews in Birmingham at the Alabama Sports Medicine Clinic. After the evaluation, it was confirmed that Pavel's previous Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction was no longer functional and that rehabilitation and bracing was not going to allow Pavel to return to his previous elite level of hockey.

This evening, Dr. Andrews performed a re-do of the right ACL reconstruction utilizing a portion of Pavel's patellar tendon.

It is expected that Pavel will return to full competitive hockey in approximately 6 months.

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Bure undergoes reconstructive surgery to repair ACL

By JEFF SHAIN -- AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) -- Pavel Bure's star-crossed season came to a premature end Monday when the Florida Panthers superstar underwent reconstructive surgery for a torn right knee ligament.

Bure, who came to Florida two months ago in a trade with Vancouver, opted for surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament following an examination by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

The high-scoring Russian will miss the rest of the season and might not be ready when training camp starts in September.

``It'll be a hard summer for him,'' Panthers general manager Bryan Murray said in a conference call late Monday night.

The knee is the same one on which Bure had reconstructive surgery more than three years ago. He played just 11 games this season, getting 13 goals and three assists.

``He came to the conclusion to just get the operation done now,'' Murray said. ``We'll sacrifice him for the balance of year to have him for balance of his career, which we hope will be a long one.''

Bure had not played since March 3, a 7-5 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in which he was bent backward by an open-ice check from Adam Foote.

The high-scoring Russian continued to play and scored three goals in the first two periods as Florida jumped to a 5-0 lead. But he sat out the third as the Avalanche roared back with seven goals.

The news is a huge blow to the Panthers, who are struggling to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. Florida trails Boston by five points for the final playoff berth, and also is five behind Carolina for the Southeast Division lead.

Bure's teammates had not yet been told of the surgery, Murray said.

``They knew he was hurting,'' he said. ``They've taken it upon themselves to try as hard as they possibly can to stay competitive in this race.''

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Bure to see specialist

-- Slam

Pavel Bure will be examined on Monday in Birmingham, Ala., by knee specialist Dr. James Andrews.

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Russian Rocket still on the mend

-- Slam

SUNRISE, Fla. (CP) -- Pavel Bure is still suffering from a right knee injury and remains out of Florida's lineup.

"It's still swollen," Bure told the Miami Herald. "It's getting better. My muscles have gotten even stronger than my left leg. I don't really have lots of pain. It's just that it don't feel really comfortable and obviously I can't go 100 per cent, so I don't want to put lots of pressure on it."

Bure's surgery on March 5 was expected to keep him out for two or three weeks.

He had scored a hat trick in a game against Colorado on March 3 before leaving after the two periods. In the first, his right knee had buckled when Colorado's Adam Foote dumped Bure on his back. Bure tore cartilage in his right knee and aggravated a muscle strain and bruised bone injury that had knocked him out for eight games.

The Colorado game was his fourth game back from that injury. When he was asked if he thought he had come back too quickly, Bure evaded the question.

"It doesn't really matter right now," he said. "Now we have to deal with the present."

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Pavel on TV

On http://www.nhlpa.com today we have an interview with Pavel Bure (video format). Also, on Friday they will be posting part two of the interview on their site as well. In addition, once the interview has been up for a while, it will be posted on Pavel's personal web page on www.nhlpa.com.

Also...the interviews are taken from the Be A Player! The Hockey Show Feature that we shot a couple of weeks ago. Here is the information for the Pavel feature on Be A Player!.

Pavel Bure Profiled This Week On NHLPA's "Be A Player! The Hockey Show"

THIS WEEK...

NHLPA- Pavel Bure is profiled this week on "Be A Player! The Hockey Show" airing in Canada on TSN (Sat, Mar. 27 @ 12:30 pm EST, Mon, Mar. 29 @ 3:00pm, Thurs Apr. 1 @ 4:30am, Fri, Apr. 2 @ 1:00 am EST) and in the United States on ESPN2 (Tues, Mar. 23 @ 8:30am and Fri, Mar. 26 @ 1:30am EST).

Brett Lindros and the "Be a Player!" crew head south to the new home of the 'Russian Rocket' Pavel Bure in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Pavel talks about his first memories of skating and playing hockey, being drafted by Vancouver and friend and former teammate, Gino Odjick. He also discusses his move to the sunny south and one of his best moments in life, being part of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994. All this and more with Pavel and Brett on the "Be A Player! Profile".

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Florida Star Bure Just Wants To Get Back

by Erin Brown -- EuroReport

When the National Car Rental Center opened in Sunrise, Florida for the 1998-99 season, it had practically everything a fan could want while watching a hockey game. However, even with the generous number of seats, skyboxes and bathrooms, Florida Panthers fans still longed for one thing: a superstar on the ice.

For five years, fans looked to veteran goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck for excitement, as he made save after save to keep the defensive oriented Panthers in games. After a turmoil filled season in 1997-98, the Panthers only franchise player departed for Philadelphia, leaving the team without a known star.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, a discontented Pavel Bure trained in Russia with his former Red Army team. Prior to training camp, he had asked to be traded, stating he wanted to leave Vancouver for personal reasons. Vancouver GM Brian Burke refused to entertain the star's request, but when the Canucks season could either be salvaged by a midseason trade or dissolve into a high draft pick, Burke pulled the trigger.

In what will likely turn out to be the of the biggest deal of the season, Burke sent Bure, defenseman Bret Hedican and a third round pick to the Panthers for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Kevin Weekes, Mike Brown, and a first round pick in either 1999 or 2000.

"The reason we got him was to be an offensive, skilled player," Panthers GM Bryan Murray said at the time. "We suspect he'll be an asset to our offensive production as well as our overall game. [Bure] is a guy that will bring energy to the offense and to our team."

The energy he brought to the Panthers is simply an understatement. In his first game in 10 months, Bure electrified the Panthers with two goals in a 5-2 win over the NY Islanders. The next night, he added another goal in a 2-1 victory over the Rangers. And to think, at this point, Bure didn't feel his play was at his highest level.

"I was training everyday by biking, running, and skating," said the 27-year old Moscow native. "But you can't be 100 percent no matter how much you train. You have to play in games, otherwise you're not 100 percent."

Nevertheless, Bure continued tearing into NHL goaltenders. On 26 January, he netted his 10th career hat trick in a 3-3 tie with Philadelphia. About a week later, Bure proved instrumental in the Panthers 5-2 victory over the Maple Leafs, scoring a goal and two assists.

"He takes the puck to the net very well," Murray noted.

Indeed. The Panthers realized they finally had the superstar who would push them into the playoffs, maybe further. Exit Vanbiesbrouck, enter Bure.

There's no doubt with the arrival of the Russian Rocket, Bure-mania was energized Panther fans for the first time since the "Year of the Rat". In his home debut against the Montreal Canadiens, game programs with his picture on the cover sold out before the opening face off, as did several $200 jerseys with his name and trademark No. 10 on the back. Nonetheless, he continues to disregard the hype.

"One person can't do it all by himself," Bure reiterated. "It has to be a team effort."

With the Panthers ready to face Pittsburgh on 5 February, the true test was set to see whether or not the Panthers could withstand yet another playoff caliber team in order to add to their point total. Unfortunately, the answer never came as Bure strained his right knee in the 3-0 loss. The Panthers were back to their old selves again, struggling to claim the eighth seed in the East.

"I hate to sit out," Bure told EuroReport. "I like to play the game, not watch. It is really hard, but I am just happy that the team is doing so well and pulling together to try and make the playoffs."

Bure's injury kept him out for eight games and in that time, the organization saw why he is such an asset to any team. When Bure skated with the Panthers, the team record was an impressive 4-1-1. During his absence, the Panthers went 2-3-3. Bure managed to keep himself busy while the team struggled, as he signed a five-year contract, with an option for a sixth year. Terms of the deal were not made public.

"When we traded for Pavel we thought it was very important to sign him to a long-term contract," said Murray. "He will help us establish a real credible hockey club in South Florida."

Bure was also excited to sign the long-term contract with the Panthers, but admits he was never concerned about it. All he wanted to do was "play hockey."

"I think this is a great organization," he added. "They know how to treat people properly and I think we have a great bunch of guys who know how to play hockey. They obviously know how to win considering they went to the Stanley Cup Finals."

He returned to action against Philadelphia on 24 February, despite going pointless. Two days later, the right winger returned to form, scoring twice against Detroit in a 5-5 tie. He also made a bit of history that night when he scored on his second goal, which was Florida's first penalty shot in team history.

Again, the Panthers looked to see how well they could withstand the power of a playoff-bound team when they faced Colorado. The Panthers went up 5-1 on Bure's second hat trick of the season, embarrassing the Avalanche before a sellout crowd. But the third period exposed all of the Panthers weaknesses, including Bure's, as the Panthers lost 7-5.

In the third, Bure re-injured his right knee and after leaving the ice, the Panthers folded like a cheap lawn chair, giving up six goals in a matter of 18 minutes. As if the Avalanche comeback wasn't enough, the Panthers received news that Bure would be out two to three weeks with bone contusions, fluid on the knee and a new meniscus tear. On 5 March, he underwent arthroscopic surgery and feels he is recovering nicely.

"Injuries are a part of the game and sooner or later, they're going to happen," he said. "The reality is that I have to get on the ice as soon as I can."

After being re-evaluated by doctors on 16 March, Bure (3-13-16 in 11 games) was granted permission to skate at half speed. While his return date has not been set, he may be ready for the Panthers upcoming four-game homestand that starts on 24 March. But aside from rushing back to score goals for the Panthers, he has something else in mind.

"Right now, my goal is to just get healthy and we'll take it from there."

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Bure return soon

by LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun

Pavel Bure could be back in action next week His knee strain is almost healed and the Panthers would love to have him back in uniform to face the Rangers for an eighth-place showdown on Wednesday or at the latest, Florida's game against Nashville on Friday.

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New books and posters featuring Pavel Bure

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Pavel Bure's return is not far off

by Brian Biggane -- Palm Beach Post

Pavel Bure's return is not far off. The question is: Can the Panthers hang around long enough in the playoff race for him to make a difference?

Bure resumed skating Wednesday, two weeks to the day after an injury to his right knee -- the second in less than a month -- required arthroscopic surgery. The plan was for him to step up workouts Friday and, if all goes well, return to game action next week.

-Tony Gallagher.
Vancouver Province, page A45.

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Done in the Sun?

Pavel Bure's injury imperils Florida's chances for a postseason berth

by Kostya Kennedy -- Sports Illustrated 15th March 1999 edition

Bure, who had 13 goals in 11 games, made the Panthers one of the NHL's most explosive teams.

Pavel Bure, who'd scored a hat trick before pain in his right knee forced him out of the game after two periods with Florida leading 5-1, underwent arthroscopic surgery last Friday to repair a torn meniscus, and he's expected to miss the next two to three weeks. (He had already missed eight games in February because of pain in that knee.) Without their new star the Panthers (61 points at week's end) seem certain to lose ground in the battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Bruins (64), Rangers (62), Canadiens (59) and Capitals (59).

Not since Mark Messier's 1991 arrival in New York has a team been as immediately defined by a new player as the Panthers have by the Russian Rocket, a holdout who was acquired from the Canucks on Jan. 17 for a package that included defenseman Ed Jovanovski and a No. 1 draft pick. Since landing in South Florida, the 27-year-old Bure has transformed a dull franchise known primarily for rubber rats and the suffocating neutral-zone trap into one of the most explosive teams in the league. (Florida had gone 5-4-2 with Bure in the lineup and 17-19-15 without him.)

Despite not having the benefit of an offensive defenseman or a topflight center to dish him the puck, Bure, using pure speed to generate opportunities, scored 13 goals in his first 11 games with the Panthers. That pace, while almost certainly unsustainable, computes to 97 goals over an 82-game season. In his brief time in Florida, Bure has had two hat tricks, one shorthanded goal, the first penalty-shot goal in Panthers history and five power-play goals, which tied him for the club lead. "He gives our team a completely different look," says Florida general manager Brian Murray, who signed Bure to a five-year, $48 million extension last month. "He's a threat every time he's on the ice."

His impact has been felt off it, too. Local TV ratings have jumped some 20%, and any merchandise with Bure's name has rocketed off the shelves in Miami-area stores. Panthers coach Terry Murray, Brian's brother, credits Bure's presence with energizing Florida. "It's an intangible, a buzz you can feel in the locker room," he says.

So what happens when the guy who brings the buzz goes down with an injury? "You can get by the first two or three games on emotion," Terry says, "but the longer a star player is out, the more it wears down your team."

The Bure buzz may turn to the Florida fizzle.

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Rocket repaired

-- CNN

FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida (Ticker) -- Superstar right wing Pavel Bure underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee Friday and will be sidelined two to three weeks.

Bure had the surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, hours after an MRI revealed bone contusions, fluid on the knee and a cartilage tear. The surgical procedure was performed by team physician Dr. David Attarian, according to a Panthers spokesman.

Bure aggravated his strained right knee in Wednesday's crushing 7-5 loss to Colorado and sat out the third period, when Florida surrendered six unanswered goals.

The 27-year-old Bure was playing only his second game after missing eight with the original knee problem. On Wednesday, he showed how valuable he is to the Panthers by recording his second hat trick of the season, helping them build a 5-0 lead.

The aggravated injury comes at a bad time for Florida, which is ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Boston for the final playoff berth.

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Panthers Bure to undergo knee surgery Friday, out 2-3 weeks

SUNRISE, FLORIDA (TICKER) -- Florida Panthers superstar right wing Pavel Bure will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee Friday and will be sidelined two to three weeks. Bure aggravated his strained right knee in Wednesday's crushing 7-5 loss to Colorado and sat out the third period, when Florida surrendered six unanswered goals.

The injury took place when Bure was bent backward by an open-ice check from Colorado's Adam Foote in the first period.

"It was getting worse and worse in the second (period),'' Bure said after the game. "With about five minutes to go in the second, there was just so much more pain. The doctors said it was not safe to play.''

Bure underwent an MRI this afternoon at the Cleveland Clinic in Fort Lauderdale. The results showed bone contusions, fluid on the knee and a new meniscus tear.

The surgery will repair cartilage, and Bure's full recovery is expected.

The 27-year-old Bure was playing only his second game after missing eight with the original knee problem. On Wednesday, he showed how valuable he is to the Panthers by recording his second hat trick of the season, helping them build a 5-0 lead.

The aggravated injury comes at a bad time for Florida, which is ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Boston for the final playoff berth.

Since he was acquired from Vancouver in a blockbuster deal on January 17, Bure has 13 goals and three assists in 11 games. His two hat tricks already place him second on the team's all-time list.

Bure was injured in the first period of a 3-0 loss at Pittsburgh on February 5, but three days later he signed a five-year contract extension worth a reported $47 million that keeps him among the NHL's highest-paid players.

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Panthers collapse without Pavel

Pavel Bure scores his second of
three goals for the night

SUNRISE, FLORIDA (TICKER) -- Pavel Bure sat out the third period, and so did the Florida Panthers.

Bure recorded a hat trick before resting his sore right knee and the Panthers collapsed without him, surrendering six unanswered goals in the third period and losing to the Colorado Avalanche, 7-5.

It looked like Bure's night. After Kvasha opened the scoring on the power play midway through the second period, Bure recorded a natural hat trick, the 11th of his career.

He beat Patrick Roy on a shorthanded breakaway with 5:24 left in the first period before notching consecutive power-play goals in a 6:06 span of the second. Mellanby finished off a 2-on-1 with Dvorak with 4:48 left to stretch Florida's lead to 5-0.

"After our sixth goal was disallowed with a man in the crease, that was the crack in the door I think they talked about on their bench," Murray said. "That was a disappointing goal."

As for the loss of Bure, he said, "It hurts, there's no doubt. I think after the second or third shift, I'm sure they saw he wasn't coming out, there's something wrong. And they get excited about that, also. But it's 5-1 going into the third period."

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