The Lost Shifts: Episode 1 - Pavel Bure - A Series By Kevin Wong (In Association With PassItToBulis)

On March 15, 2020, 17 years will have passed since Pavel Bure last graced the ice of a National Hockey League rink. Memories of Bure continue to be shared to this day -- fables of a figure whose sublime displays of skill and immeasurable popularity changed the landscape of the NHL one stride at a time. There were thousands of rushes, all of which compelled audiences to rise from their seats and opponents to relent to whatever brilliant, creative maneuver he had crafted within his imagination. He was a king of style, though not at the expense of results. Bure was an innovator and a uniquely-dynamic force -- especially when he was healthy. He was in a special class as a Vancouver Canuck -- phenomenal each time he stepped on to the ice, and a celebrity off of it, even among non-hockey fans. He attracted fans from everywhere, his popularity transcending the confines of the hockey world. Without him, Canucks nation as we know it would not exist. In spite of a major knee injury in November 1995 and the subsequent setbacks that would prematurely end his career, Bure was considered to be the NHL’s most fearsome goal scorer throughout his time in the league and might have been one of the most prolific ever if not for the injuries. He was the sixth-fastest player in NHL history to reach 400 goals at the time of his accomplishment, eclipsing that plateau in 635 games. Every time Bure was healthy he was capable of 60 or more goals, achieving such grand totals primarily without the support of other elite players. Who knows how much more plentiful his career totals would have been with a centerman who could alleviate some of his burden. He was majestic, even without help. From his debut on November 5, 1991 against the Winnipeg Jets to his final game against the New Jersey Devils in March 2003, the hockey world was treated to a show so spectacular that to inform new hockey fans about this legendary player with words alone would never suffice. Most words and stories about players from days of yore originate from memory, but such recollections are prone to distort over time and details have a tendency to become obscure. Before social media, comprehensive television contracts and online video allowed moments to become instantaneously accessible and virtually imperishable, only few could truly witness the brilliance of Pavel Bure on more than just an occasional basis: the CBC and local television networks such as BCTV might have aired a game a few times per month, whereas most home matches could only be seen live at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Highlight packages on CKVU’s Sports Page and TSN’s SportsDesk attempted to offer glimpses of every goal, but would sometimes skip moments to save time in their broadcasts. In other words, to really understand the inner workings of a player’s game was essentially extremely difficult for anyone but the most dedicated fans of the sport. One could not study a player through on-demand viewings as they can now. Such little relative coverage caused the dissemination of often vague and sometimes inaccurate reports about players; in Bure’s case, he developed a unfair reputation as a one-dimensional, moody breakaway artist when he was anything but that. He was fearless, relentless, and willing to push his physical limit to cover as much ice as possible and separate the puck from his opponent. To ensure that truths about Bure’s game are preserved in history, I present to you now, in association with Pass It To Bulis, the first episode of a brand new series detailing not only the style of play and nuances of Bure’s game, but the way in which other historical players contributed on the ice as well. Very little is remembered about the specific styles of so many former NHLers, and so throughout numerous installments we will explore and revisit their games with footage and analysis. This project began in 2012 and has now been relaunched with remastered audio, video, and a brand new series format for your viewing pleasure. Each episode will examine one game and capture the essence of that player’s performance within a condensed, four-to-five minute video presentation. This is Episode I of The Lost Shifts. Today’s topic: Pavel Bure. In this episode, we examine Bure’s performance in Game 7 of the Smythe Division Semi-Finals between the Vancouver Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets. Pavel Bure was a rookie that year, amassing 34 goals and 60 points in 65 games. Most notably, however, he finished the regular season with 22 goals in the final 23 games of the schedule and paved a clear path to the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year -- the first Canuck to accomplish this feat. Read the breakdown of Bure’s game at Pass It To Bulis: Enjoy this first episode. Follow @CambieKev on Twitter if you like this content and want to support future videos.