When it comes to hockey, especially in the NHL, they certainly love their nicknames. Wayne Gretzky is "The Great One", Mario Lemieux is "Super Mario", Maurice Richard is "Rocket", the list goes on and on. One player in particular, for the lore of the Vancouver Canucks had a great nickname for his style of play.
If someone mentions the nickname "The Russian Rocket", it is not lost on those who know their hockey that it belongs to Russian forward Pavel Bure. During his time with the Canucks, Bure earned the nickname and became one of the most loved players in team history.
That said, how did Bure become "The Russian Rocket" in his seven seasons with the Canucks?
The Russian Rocket takes center stage in British Columbia
The lore of Bure starts before he makes his NHL debut in the 1991-92 season. Back during the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected 113th overall in the sixth round. However, at the time, if a player was 18, he was only allowed to be picked in the first three rounds. If he was selected later, the rules stated that he had to have played at least two seasons (a minimum of 11 games per season) for his elite-level European club. At that time, it was the Central Red Army of the Soviet Union.
After the draft, the Soviet Union denied the contract between Bure and the Canucks. It was not until October 1991 that the Canucks settled with the Soviets, paying $250,000 to get Bure to play for them. Following the settlement, Bure signed a four-year deal worth a reported $2.7 million at the time.
During his rookie season, Bure tallied 34 goals and 60 points in 65 games, earning him the Calder Trophy as the Rookie of the Year. His 26 first-place and 27 second-place votes helped him beat out future Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who had 183 votes compared to Bure's 222. This is where his blazing speed and goal-scoring prowess really showcased what he could do not only in the NHL, but internationally.
Bure followed up a stellar rookie season with back-to-back 60-goal seasons (1992-93 and 1993-94). He finished those seasons with 110 and 107 points, respectively. He was also the first Canucks player to earn NHL First All-Star Team honors in 1992-93. His back-to-back 60-goal seasons at the time saw him become the eighth player in history to reach that mark.
During the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he finished second in scoring with 16 goals and 31 points in 24 games. Bure also helped lead the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final, but ultimately lost to the New York Rangers in seven games.
After a brief lockout during the 1994-95 season, Bure finished with 20 goals and 43 points in 44 games. After a couple of injuries took him out for most of the 1995-96 and 1996-96 seasons, Bure capped off his final season with the Canucks, tallying 51 goals and 90 points in 82 games.
During his seven seasons with the Canucks, Bure had 254 goals, 224 assists, and 478 points in 428 games. Furthermore, he had 161 even-strength goals, 69 power-play goals, and 24 shorthanded goals.
In the end, Bure finished with 437 goals, 342 assists, and 779 points in 702 games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012, becoming the first Canucks player to be elected to the Hall. While he did finish his career with the Rangers in 2002-03, he played most of his 12-year career with the Canucks. His No. 10 was retired in 2013 and will forever be immortalized as a legend in Vancouver.
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