Valeri Bure - Playing Career

Playing Career

Bure played one season of junior hockey for HC CSKA Moscow before coming to Canada to play junior hockey in 1991. After his first season with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, second round, thirty-third overall. He played two further seasons before becoming a professional with the Fredericton Canadiens in 1994–95. That same season, he was called up to the Canadiens and played 24 games.

He played two full seasons for the Canadiens before being traded to the Calgary Flames in February 1998. He played three full seasons with the Flames, where he recorded his best season in 1999–2000, when he scored 35 goals and 75 points. In the 2001 off-season, he was traded to the Florida Panthers, where his brother Pavel was playing. His time at Florida was interrupted by injuries, playing only 31 and 46 games before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues as a deadline day pickup. He played five games in the regular season and six in the playoffs, without recording a goal. He returned to the Panthers as a free agent, and had a better season in 2003-04, scoring 20 goals in 55 games before being traded to the Dallas Stars, again at the trade deadline.

Bure underwent back surgery following the 2003–04 NHL season, and never played a game for the Los Angeles Kings after signing with them on August 12, 2005. On the Drew Marshall radio show he announced that he would not be returning to hockey and wanted to spend as much time as possible with his children.