Vancouver Canucks: Another Pair of Bures in the Petterssons?
By Isha Jahromi
Looking beyond the Sedins and the Vancouver Canucks, it is rare to see siblings make the the NHL, let alone individually thrive. Lucky for the Canucks, they always get the best of the family bunch.
Both Daniel and Henrik Sedin twins once told Iain MacIntyre that if it weren’t for their older brothers, they would not be playing for the Vancouver Canucks. Though Stefan and Peter Sedin had different friend groups growing up, they would always play hockey with their little bothers.
“Peter and Stefan were excellent hockey players who chose university and engineering over sports” said Henrik. Both Peter and Stefan did play minor and junior hockey.
But, lets be honest.
If elders Peter and Stefan showed the elite talent and chemistry that their younger brothers eventually did after, they may have considered professional hockey.
As luck would have it, and thanks to Brian Burke, the two Swedish phenomenons became pillar Vancouver Canucks players.
Valeri and Pavel Bure
Daniel and Henrik might be the best example of the Canucks snagging the most talented hockey sibling[s]. Yet, it is up for debate only because Pavel Bure – the better of the Bure brothers with all respects to Valeri Bure – began his NHL career, and played his best hockey in Vancouver.
Must Read: Vanncouver Canucks Prospect: Elias Pettersson
Pavel and younger brother Valeri chose different developmental paths; thus, making it difficult to compare their junior careers. Pavel played all of his junior career and some professional hockey in Russia before joining the Canucks. Valeri on the other hand, played junior hockey with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League.
Pavel was bar-down the better player. However, Valeri did have elite talent. He just struggled to consistently remain healthy in the NHL. Fortunatley, Pavel and Valeri had the opportunity to play together in Florida with the Panthers for just over a season.
Pavel Bure drafted 113th overall in the 6th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft:
NHL Regular Season: Games played 702, 437G, 341A, 779pts, 1.11ppg
NHL Post-Season: Games played 64, 36G, 35A, 70pts, 1.09ppg
Valeri Bure drafted 33rd overal in the second round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft:
NHL Regular Season: Games played 621, 174G, 226A, 400pts, 0.64ppg
NHL Post-Season: Games played 22, 0G, 7A, 7pts, 0.32ppg
With recently drafted Elias Pettersson exceeding expectations in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this season, it begs the question for Canucks fans: Did we land the better brother again?
Emil and Elias Pettersson
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With all the respect to Emil Pettersson, his younger brother is already surpassing him as the more elite prospect. It took Emil a couple years of marinating before he began scoring at a point-per-game rate in the SHL. While, Elias is blowing Reddit up everyday as he keeps registering points !
Emil is currently playing in the AHL for the Nashville Predators affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. Like the Canucks draftee, the elder brother is extremely dynamic. Emil has developed into a legitimate prospect for the predators as he is excelling in North-America.
Elias is showing the Canucks and the hockey world that he is the real deal. With superstar qualities, he is becoming the Canucks’ top prospect behind Brock Boeser – who has 9 goals and 19 points in 18 games NHL games this season.
Of course, keep in mind as co-contributor Harman Dayal said in a recent piece that included Elias, the bigger ice and playing style in the SHL suits the young Pettersson’s frame and game. But the same can be said for Emil, who took longer to dominate in the SHL. In addition, Emil’s scouting report in his draft year mentioned the same thing as brother Elias’:
Therefore, other than having to gain more weight than Emilhad to before moving out West, Elias looks to be the superior Pettersson brother right now. However, since neither have played in the NHL yet, the jury is still out. Along with the potentiality of someday seeing them suit up for the the same NHL club.
Emil Pettersson drafted 155th overall in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft
SHL Regular Season: GP107, 28G, 37A, 65pts, 0.061ppg
Elias Pettersson drafted 5th overall in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft
SHL Regular Season: GP18, 9G, 14A, 23pts, 1.28ppg
Next: Vancouver Canucks: Anton Rodin Era Comes to an End
As a Personal Relations boost, the Vancouver Canucks should try to keep the theme of Swedish brothers going and attempt to acquire Emil from Nashville. In the deal, the Canucks can finally part ways with Jordan Subban by sending him to Music City to join his own brother PK Subban.