News from November 1996

Friday, Nov. 29, 1996.

Canucks come out flat !

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Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1996.

Canucks harpoon Hartford

Pavel Bure came out dry, But Alexander Mogilny with 5 points, helped the Canucks overcome a determined Hartford team, and beat them 6-2. It was an ABC win for the Canucks. Alexander Mogilny with 5 points was the second star, Brashear with his first Canuck goal, and Corey Hirsch in a standout goalie performance, earning him the first star of the game.

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Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1996.

Canucks run out of energy and time

Toronto scored 3 first period goals to defeat a flu-ridden Canuck team. Canucks scored with less than 1 minute left to make it 3-2, but could not score the tying goal to set up overtime. Pavel was left off the scoreboard.

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Saturday, Nov. 23, 1996.

Words of Pavel after win over Rangers

It's the first time I had this feeling since probably those playoffs. You enjoy coming to the rink, you think you are going to win and that's what confidence is all about. I remember one playoff game against Toronto when we were down 3-0 in the first period. We just kept coming and we won that game in overtime. We had the confidence. This game against the Rangers was pretty similar."

Pavel and Canucks on a roll with a win over Rangers

Pavel Bure scored the insurance goal into the empty net with only half a second left in the game, to seal Vancouver Canucks 5-3 win over the visiting New York Rangers, after being down 2-0 early in the game.

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Thursday, Nov. 21, 1996.

Pavel scores in Canucks O.T. win over Blackhawks

In an exciting game tonight, Pavel Bure scored Canucks equalising goal in the second half of the third period to make it 1-1 against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. The Vancouver team then squeeked in the winning goal with just over a minute left in the over time. Pavel was again awarded the third star of the game. Pavel's younger brother Valeri, also scored a goal in his game for Montreal tonight.

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Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1996.

Pavel stars in Canucks win over Stars

Pavel Bure set up Vancouver Canucks game winning goal in a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars, after Trevor Linden scored Canucks first goal on a Bure rebound after a typical Bure rush. Pavel was also awarded the third star of the game.

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Saturday, Nov. 16, 1996.

Tired Canucks limp in then out !

Showing obvious signs of a hectic road-trip, the Vancouver Canucks were beaten 6-1 tonight.
With the score 2-0 in the first period a goal by Pavel was disallowed on a video-replay because of a skate-in-the-goalcrease infraction by Trevor Linden, effectively shutting out Pavel's scoring for the game, although having a good game.

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Bure brothers will face each other tonight in Montreal

It appears the Bure brothers will have their first NHL confrontation today after all.

Hab Winger Valeri Bure has recovered faster than expected from a bruised kidney and hip pointer and returned to the lineup Friday in Washington. Older brother Pavel was surprised to hear the Pocket Russian Rocket would be playing.

"I just talked to him the day before yesterday and he didn't know he would be back," said Pavel.

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Thursday, Nov. 14, 1996.

3 A's in Canucks win

It was Alexander, Alexander and Alexander in the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils tonight. Alexander Mogilny scored 2 goals and Alexander Semak scored into an open net to ace the Devils. Mike Fountain playing his very first NHL game, was the first star of the game. Despite being outshot 40-22, he still managed to record a shutout ! He is the 19th rookie goalie ever to score a shutout in his first NHL game. The last time being in 1985 when Daren Puppa aced Edmonton 2-0. Pavel also had a shutout!

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Wednesday, Nov. 13, 1996.

Pavel Stars in O.T. loss

Pavel Bure scored 2 goals, in a overtime loss to the struggling New York Islanders in this second game of a 4 game road trip. The Vancouver Canucks let a 4-2 lead slip away to lose 5-4 in the first minute of overtime. Pavel Bure was the second star of the game.
The Canucks next play the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night.

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Monday, Nov. 11, 1996.

Team Wins

In a fast wide open game, Vancouver Canucks beat the New York Rangers for the first time in the regular season since February 1988, and for the first time ever against goalie Mike Richter, 3-2. With less than 2 minutes left in the game, Richter prevented Pavel scoring with a miraculous save, leaving Pavel scoreless for the game, but who nevertheless played a strong game with many scoring chances.

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Saturday, Nov. 9, 1996.

Pavel Watch

Pavel Bure and the Vancouver Canucks left for Syracuse today, arriving in Syracuse at 4pm and proceeding to do a practice skate at 7:30 pm. On Sunday, they will proceed to the Onontago Community War Memorial Arena for a 11:00 am practice skate before travelling to catch a 2:00 pm flight to New York.

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Friday, November 8, 1996.

Pavel Scores in losing effort

The Vancouver Canucks played a listless and flat first two periods after having 5 days off, to lose to the St.Louis Blues 4-2. Pavel Bure scored Vancouver's 2nd goal with less than two minutes left in the 3rd period to pull Vancouver to 3-2. An empty netter with 3 seconds left finished the scoring for the game.

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Family Watch

Something was lost in the translation in the Tuesday's province (see the article here on Wednesday, November 6, 1996.BURE WEATHERS STORM, Blows off mob-link allegations) when Pavel detailed the history of his family's watchmaking business. Contrary to what was reported, the Pavel Bure who founded the family business - which supplied decorative watches to the Czars - was not the Canuck's great grandfather, but was, in fact, his great-great-great grandfather. According to the hockey player's father, Vladimir Bure, the original Pavel started the company and passed it to his son, Maxim, who in turn passed it to his son, Vladimir - who was the director when it ceased following the 1917 Russian Revolution. That Vladimir was the current father's grandfather. Clear ?

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Thursday, November 7, 1996.

Film sent in to the NHL on Pavel's mugging

The Canucks have forwarded videotape to the NHL that shows Simpson slash the back of Bure's legs, dig at him with the over-turned point of his blade then attack the Vancouver star.
"We expect the league to look after all the players and certainly the star players," Canuck director of hockey operations George McPhee said. "We're concerned about the treatment Pavel's been getting. He doesn't seem to be getting the protection he deserves and it may be because he strikes back. But that shouldn't be a factor."
Flames coach Pierre Page compared Bure's gloved knockdown of Simpson to the bare-knuckled knockout blow Tie Domi delivered to Ulf Samuelsson. Domi was suspended for 10 games.
"If Pavel would have dropped his glove and cold-cocked him, then it would be different," Canuck enforcer Troy Crowder said. "But he still had his glove on and swung just out of anger."

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Wednesday, November 6, 1996.

BURE WEATHERS STORM, Blows off mob-link allegations

Pavel Bure was in the eye of a media hurricane Tuesday at GM Place and he was remarkably calm.
The Vancouver Canucks star right winger stood and then sat patiently for about 30 minutes answering questions posed by virtually every media outlet in town on the subject of his business association with Anzor Kikalichvili, who was alleged in a report by U.S.-based sports channel ESPN to be a prominent member of the Russian underworld.
Bure handled the grilling with as much poise as he would a one-timer in the slot and maintained he's done nothing wrong and that he would stand by Kikalichvili until the charges are proven.
"He's a well-known person in Russia and I really don't think he's involved in crime," said Bure, although the NHL's security department is looking into the matter. "You can point to anybody and say he's a bad person. I don't believe rumors about myself that aren't true. It's what friendship is all about. You don't give up on somebody because somebody says he's bad."
Bure said he was upset to see local TV reports linking him to criminals.
"I was really disappointed yesterday when I saw this on the news," he said. "They were showing dead people on the street and afterwards my picture. But there's nothing I can do about it. All I can tell you is I don't know anything about it and I didn't do anything wrong."
Bure said he's heard the stories of NHL players facing extortion from criminals in the homeland but has no first-hand knowledge of it.
"I've never heard of it," Bure said. "My family still lives there. My mom, my grandmother. I think every Russian player still has family there. I see on TV there's mafia in Russia and in the States too, but I've never met anybody who's in the mafia."
Bure said he's know Kikalichvili well for about two years, but has known of him for 10 years.
"He's one of the first people to bring professional sport into Russia and one of the first to have his own company after communism fell apart," said Bure. He was doing lots of things for the athletes.
"I was looking for a partner for the family because we don't know business that well. We got together sort of mutually."
Bure said he entered into partnership with Kikalichvili in a venture to revive the family's historic watch-making business. Bure's great grandfather, also named Pavel Bure, was the last in the family line to manufacture the luxury watches for the Czars before the Russian Revolution in 1917.
Bure refused to divulge how much money he has invested in the company. He said 50 of the limited-edition watches have been manufactured so far.
"I gave one personally to Prime Minister (Viktor) Chernomyrdin and the mayor of Moscow and dropped one off to Boris Yeltsin," said Bure.
"It's promotion stuff right now. When I went to see the prime minister we talked about governmnet sponsorship for the company. They're interested because it's part of the restoration of heritage in the country."
Bure said the portrayal by Western media of a Russian society riddled with organized crime is exaggeration.
"I thought the same thing about the U.S. before I first went there," he said.

Meanwhile, Vancouver Canucks coach Tom Renney knows the allegations about Bure's business partner are a potential distraction but thinks the Russian Rocket will cope. "I don't think it will affect the team at all," said Renney.
"It's just something else that's part of the game. We're all here to help each other if need be. I have some concerns but we can't worry about it. My feeling is Pavel will be able to handle this just fine."

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Flames Incident Lightens Wallet

While Pavel Bure's business dealings were attracting the spotlight on Tuesday, his wallet was also lighter after the NHL ruled on the shenanigans in Saturday's chippy 4-3 win over Calgary.
Both the Vancouver Canucks winger and Flames defenceman Todd Simpson were fined $1,000 after two seperate altercations with each other. Simpson was given a match penalty for intent to injure when he jumped Bure near the end of the game.
Bure, who makes $5 million US per season, was understandably unperturbed about the fine, although he admitted there was some bad blood carrying over from the teams' previous game. In the season opener on Oct. 5, Simpson shoved an off-balance Bure as he was beating him to the outside, resulting in the Russian Rocket crashing headlong into the end boards. Although he wasn't hurt, Bure reportedly had headaches for a time afterwards.
"First of all, he tried to give me a really cheap shot in the first game," said Bure. "You don't do that to people who are falling down and going into the boards. But I don't think about that stuff when the game starts. I just want to win and try to create something for the fans."

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Monday, November 4, 1996.

Reports link Bure to Russian Mafia.... so what do you expect Pavel to say ?

Vancouver Canucks sniper Pavel Bure makes no secret of his business ties to Russian businessman Anzor Kikalichvili. However, he doubts news reports linking Kikalichvili to the Russian mafia.

"I don't think it's true," Bure told ESPN, the American all-sports cable network. "He's president of 21st Century Association, one of the biggest companies in Russia. He's involved in lots of stuff. He was one of the first guys who brought professional sports to Russia."

Bure, a native of Moscow, says they are in business together to revive the Bure family's watch-making business.

ESPN reported Friday that U.S. Intelligence and Senate investigators say Kikalichvili's company is suspected of being a front for the Russian mafia.

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Saturday, November 2, 1996.

Pavel Stars in Canucks Win

Pavel Bure set up Vancouver's first goal, and was the first star, in Vancouver Canucks 4-3 win over The Calgary Flames tonight. The win is the Canucks first four-wins-in-a-row since October 1993.
There were several attempted muggings of the Vancouver star, which culminated with Flames defenceman Todd Simpson jumping the Rocket from behind with 1:55 left in the action-filled scrappy game. While disengaging from the entanglement, Bure sucker-punched Simpson.

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Friday, November 1, 1996.

Pavel Assists in Canucks Win

In a scrappy and hard-hitting game, Pavel assisted in 4 of the 5 Canucks goals, in their 5-4 O.T. win over the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton tonight. Down a goal with less than two minutes left in the game, Pavel set up the tying goal, and then less than a minute into overtime, set up the winning goal, for the Canucks first overtime win this season.
Pavel also took a couple of good minor penalties when playing last man in defence in Edmonton attacks. It appears that one of the assists was taken off Pavel's tally after the game. This leaves him with 3 assists for the game.

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