Ask me who my favorite Canuck of all time is, and I would tell you that Pavel Bure is my favorite of all time. In the 90's, no Canuck electrified the Vancouver faithful like the Russian Rocket. Sure, the Canucks of the 90's had the likes of Kirk McLean, Gino Odjick, and Trevor Linden, but the one player who truly put Vancouver on the map was Bure. He had joined the Canucks for the 1991-92 season, and immediately showed his goal scoring prowess and speed, hence the nickname. That year, he would go on to win the Calder Trophy, and for the next two years, he would post back to back 60 goal seasons. The 1993-94 season would see the Canucks make the Stanley Cup Finals, with Bure playing a significant role in the team getting past the Flames in the first round. Though the Canucks fell one game short of the Stanley Cup, Bure looked like he was going to be the next breakout superstar. However, a knee injury in the 1995-96 season would sideline him for most of the season, and would be the first of three knee injuries that would eventually force him into retirement. A falling out with upper management marred his time in Vancouver and would eventually force his trade to Florida, where he scored back to back 50 goal seasons. He would finish his career as a New York Ranger and would serve as general manager of the Russian National Team in the 2006 Olympic Games. While he hasn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame (to this point) and while it is unknown where he stands with the Canucks faithful today, his offensive numbers when he was healthy, as well as his speed, are as much a part of Canucks history as anything that defines the team.
No comments:
Post a Comment