Canucks launch Russian Rocket
Pavel Bure, Jovanovski lead 7-player swap with Florida
Posted: Monday January 18, 1999 10:50 AM
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Bure scored 51 goals and 39 assists for the Canucks last season Ian Tomlinson/Allsport |
SUNRISE, Fla. (CNN/SI) -- The Vancouver Canucks
officially jettisoned Pavel Bure on Sunday, packaging the holdout All-Star
winger in a seven-player deal with the Florida Panthers.
Bure, a three-time 50-goal scorer, began the season by refusing to
play for the Canucks. He has spent its entirety in Moscow, playing with his
old Red Army team, and serving as long-distance fodder for trade rumors.
Now, the 27-year-old "Russian Rocket" is headed for Florida's Gold Coast,
with a new contract in his pocket, and a countryman -- Florida center
Viktor Kozlov -- as a linemate. Florida team officials expect Bure to join
the Panthers in New York for games Wednesday against the Islanders, and
Thursday against the Rangers.
"He can lift people out of their seats with his speed and flash,"
Panthers general manager Bryan Murray said. "We're also confident he'll
lift the play of some of our younger players."
The Canucks also sent defensemen Bret Hedican and Brad Ference to
Florida for defenseman Ed Jovanovski, centers Dave Gagner and Mike Brown
and holdout goaltender Kevin Weekes.
The Panthers also will send a first-round draft choice to Vancouver in
either 1999 or 2000. At that time, the Panthers will get a third-round pick
from Vancouver.
Bure, 27, is a four-time all-star who immediately gives Florida its
most electrifying scorer since it joined the NHL six years ago. No Panther
has scored more than 32 goals in a season, by Scott Mellanby in 1995-96 and
Ray Whitney last year.
"There's nothing like shooting the puck on goal," Panthers coach Terry
Murray said. "He has the opportunity to be a threat every time he's on the
ice. I hope he'll also have an effect on some of our other players."
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"No other offer was comparable." --
Vancouver GM Brian Burke | |
| | Whitney has been the
Panthers' top scorer this season with 14 goals. Only eight teams have
scored fewer than Florida's 103 goals.
Terry Murray said he would start Bure on the right wing with Kozlov.
The possibility of an all-Russian line with Bure, Kozlov and rookie Oleg
Kvasha also intrigues him.
"That's something I'm interested in seeing myself," the coach said.
"If Kozlov and Kvasha can step up to the next level, I think it'll be a
dynamite line."
Bure won the 1992 Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year,
scoring 34 goals in 60 games. He followed that with consecutive 60-goal
seasons, leading the Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup finals with 16
postseason goals in 24 games.
Jovanovski: "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play with one of the best players in the game, with Mark [Messier]." Elsa Hasch/Allsport |
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The Russian star scored 51 goals last season, one off the league lead.
But he demanded a trade during the offseason, citing personal reasons.
"He said management and the organization had not backed him up in the
past," Canucks president Brian Burke said. "He also did not like the
fish-bowl effect here in Vancouver. Those were the reasons he gave me. As I
said to our fans, I don't think anyone listening to those reasons at this
point will conclude that they add up to a refusal to play in Vancouver."
Bure has also been frustrated by contract squabbles he's had since
signing his last deal with the Canucks in 1994. He is in the last season of
a five-year deal that would reportedly pay him about $8 million.
Bryan Murray said he's already had preliminary talks with Bure's
agent, Mike Gillis, about a contract extension. He expects something to be
done before the end of the season.
"I wouldn't trade for a player I anticipate having any problems with,"
he said. "I can tell you that."
Amid swirling speculation of an impending trade last week, Burke had
said he would trade Bure by Monday or hold off until the March 23 trading
deadline. "We've beaten this thing to death," Burke said. "This has
involved shopping trips to try and jack the value up. Trading a player like
this is not easy. ... If I thought I could've received a better deal, I
would've waited."
Jovanovski, 22, has been a defensive mainstay since Florida took him
with the No. 1 pick of the 1994 draft. He had three goals and 13 assists
this season, recently playing some of the best hockey of his career.
"I'm excited," Jovanovski said. "I'm looking forward to the
opportunity to play with one of the best players in the game, with Mark
[Messier]. And there's a lot of young talent there."
Gagner, 34, has four goals and 10 assists this season. Squeezed out by
the Panthers' young talent, he will become the Canucks' No. 2 center behind
Messier.
Burke also was high on goaltender Weekes, himself a holdout since
refusing a two-way contract from the Panthers, which would pay him at
different levels based on whether he was in the NHL or the minors.
Weekes has been playing for Detroit of the International Hockey
League, going 14-3-6 with a 2.09 goals-against average.
"We wanted to get the goaltender in," Burke said. "That was a holdup
and then there was a holdup on my insistence that we get a first-round pick
as well."
Bryan Murray said he would not give up a first-round pick unless he
got something in return, so they agreed Sunday on the third-round pick as
compensation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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