Hockey

“That’s a Failure of Management“: Pavel Bure Speaks on Canucks’ Issues and Disagrees With Alex Ovechkin

Published: Feb 15, 2025, 1:52 PM
1 min read
Updated: Jul 24, 2025, 10:56 AM
Fact checked by:
Marco D'Amico
Pavel Bure takes part in a press conference at the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 12, 2012 in Toronto

Pavel Bure takes part in a press conference at the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 12, 2012 in Toronto (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The hockey world was buzzing with excitement as the NHL unveiled its newest creation—the Four Nations Face-Off. Fans across North America eagerly anticipated the spectacle, knowing that the best players in the world would take the ice. But for Pavel Bure, the legendary Russian Rocket, there was something missing.

“It’s a great competition for the fans,” he admitted in an RG interview. “But without Russia, it’s not complete. A Canada-Russia matchup would be something special—people all over the world would tune in to watch. Still, the Four Nations Face-Off is an exciting event. Professionals in Russia are closely following the tournament”.

The Gravitas of the Montreal Canadiens

Bure’s passion for international hockey wasn’t just talk. He had experienced firsthand what it meant to play on the biggest stages. He recalled his first-ever goal against an NHL team, back in 1990. The Montreal Canadiens had come to Moscow for the Club Super Series, and a 19-year-old Bure found himself staring down one of the greatest goalies of all time, Patrick Roy.

“I had heard so much about the NHL teams, but I had never seen them play in person,” he reminisced. “And suddenly, there they were—the most famous hockey team in North America. I ran out, took my shot, and scored. It was a huge moment for me.”

Years later, Bure found himself on the other side of the hockey world, dazzling crowds in Canada as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. He was no stranger to the passionate fan base, but one thing still caught him off guard.

“When we played Montreal in Vancouver, about 30 percent of the stadium was cheering for the Canadiens,” he chuckled.

“It didn’t matter where they played—Montreal had fans everywhere. They told me, ‘Pasha, we love Vancouver, but when you play the Canadiens, we root for them.’”

His time in Canada was filled with unforgettable memories. His first NHL All-Star Game took place in Montreal, where he scored two goals while playing alongside the great Wayne Gretzky. It was a dream come true.

“If hockey was super popular in Vancouver,” he explained, “then in Montreal, it was a religion.”

Advice To Young Russians

When asked to choose between Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin for his ideal forward line, Bure refused to pick just one.

“Both,” he said without hesitation. “I’d play with both of them. That would be a dream line. Gretzky is an outstanding playmaker, and Ovechkin—well, he fits in with any team. If I were a GM, I’d take them both.”

As the discussion turned to young Russian stars, Bure reflected on advice given by Ovechkin to Montreal prospect Ivan Demidov: “Less showing off, and your career will go better.” Bure, however, had a different approach.

“We play for the fans,” he said with conviction. “People come to see bright, exciting hockey. If Demidov wants to score a lacrosse goal, he should go for it! Sure, there’s a line between entertainment and showing off, but that’s why they loved me—because I played for the fans.”

Building a Winner

The conversation then shifted to Vancouver’s recent struggles, particularly the trade of J.T. Miller after internal conflicts. Bure, ever the competitor, believed the issue should have been handled sooner.

“If you’ve got a talented player who doesn’t fit into the team, that’s a failure of management,” he said. “If it gets to the point where you have to trade him, something has already gone wrong.”

Finally, the inevitable question arose: Could the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup again?

“Why not?” Bure grinned. “They’re leading their division, Sergei Bobrovsky is in top form, and they’re a well-balanced team. But the fight for the Cup is going to be wild. Anything can happen.”

With that, the Russian Rocket left his mark once again—not with his dazzling speed on the ice, but with the wisdom of a hockey legend who had seen it all.

Head of News Department
Sergey Demidov is Head of News at RG.org and has covered global sports since 2007. His work spans the Olympics, FIFA World Cups, IOC events, and Stanley Cup Finals. A former sports department deputy chief editor at Gazeta.Ru and TASS News Agency, and current senior editor at NHL.com/ru, Sergey has interviewed stars like Alex Ovechkin and Jaromir Jagr, former WADA and FIFA presidents Craig Reedy and Sepp Blatter, and coaches like Fabio Capello. He specializes in hockey and publishes in English and Russian.
Interests:
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James Murphy
James Murphy
NHL Reporter

James Murphy is a veteran sports journalist covering the NHL, NCAA and CHL hockey for RG.

With 25 years of experience covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA, CHL and more, Murphy has seen it all when it comes to hockey. His hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a diverse array of hockey media personalities who have lived and worked in and around the game. Murphy also currently co-hosts The Eye Test podcast with Pierre McGuire and, along with McGuire, interviews NHL owners and executives, as well as NHL and NCAA head coaches and players daily.

The Arlington, Massachusetts, native began his writing career in hockey in 2001, when the Boston Bruins raised one of his childhood idols, Ray Bourque’s No. 77, to the rafters before their 2001–02 season opener. For 22 of his 25 years as a hockey reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins daily, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals, multiple NHL drafts and countless Stanley Cup playoffs. He did all that for the Boston Metro, NHL.com, NESN.com and ESPN Boston.

In addition to his print work covering the Bruins, Murphy also made regular TV appearances on NESN, Fox 25 Boston, ESPN and NHL Network. From 2008 to 2012, Murphy hosted The Hockey Primetime Show on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and made numerous appearances on national and international radio shows.

Ironically, his three years not covering the Bruins were spent covering their archrivals, the Montreal Canadiens. From 2012 to 2015, Murphy was based in Montreal and covered the Canadiens for NHL.com and TSN.ca. He also appeared regularly on TSN 690 radio and CTV.

Murphy returned to Boston in 2015 and left the media business to work in sales and marketing for LiveBarn, a Montreal-based sports streaming company, for four years. In 2019, Murphy once again became a Bruins beat reporter, this time writing for Boston Hockey Now. He spent four seasons working for BHN before arriving at RG in 2024 and also dedicated more time to The Eye Test podcast.

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