Bure plans league for retired international stars
Pavel Bure’s number is retired by the Vancouver Canucks. (USATSI)
Hockey Hall of Famer Pavel Bure last appeared in an NHL game during the 2002-03 season before injury issues resulted in a premature end to his career at the age of 31.
More than a decade later Bure is leading the charge to help get retired players back on the ice in a competitive setting in something other than the annual alumni games that take place around the NHL.
Bure is the chairman of the new World Legends Hockey League, a six-team circuit that will feature national teams from Russia, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Finland that is set to officially begin play in November. The league will have an All-Star event to kick things off in October that will feature a team of Russian players taking on an All-Star team of players from the rest of the world, including the United States and Canada.
To be eligible for the league players and referees much be at least 45 years of age and played in IIHF-sanctioned games representing their country.
The league has the backing of the IIHF and in a statement announcing plans for the league IIHF president Rene Fasel called it “an excellent idea.”
Each team will consist of 27 people: 20 players, two of whom have to be goalies, and a seven-person management team.
Bure, who doesn’t turn 45 until next March, spent 11 seasons in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. During his playing days he was one of the most electrifying players in the league and one of the best goal scorers to ever play in the NHL, finishing his career with 437 goals in only 702 games.
He scored at least 58 goals four different times, including back-to-back 60-goal seasons in 1992-93 and 1993-94.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
It’s not yet known which players will play in the league, but given the countries that are participating the possibilities include everybody from Nicklas Lidstrom (Sweden), to Alexander Mogilny (Russia), to Teemu Selanne (Finland).
Along with Bure, Alexei Kasatonov and Alexander Yakushev are also part of the leadership for the new league.
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