Pavel Bure explains who's faster between him and Connor McDavid

[Guest]

Pavel Bure was interviewed last month and was asked about Connor McDavid. Interesting interview. There is a link below for the full interview. 

 

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Pavel Bure explains who's faster between him and Connor McDavid

 

BarDown Staff

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They didn't call him the Russian Rocket for nothing.

One of hockey's fastest players to ever lace up the skates - if not the fastest - Pavel Bure, is often compared to the game's current roadrunner, Connor McDavid.

Although their playing styles differ decades apart, one question hockey fans have pondered over the years is who would win in a race hypothetical between the two speedsters.

While we'll likely never know, although someone out there could likely calculate their speeds and match them up with old footage to find out if they really wanted to.

Back home residing in Russia, the former Vancouver Canuck doesn't do much media these days, but he did recently catch with Thomas Drance of The Athletic in a wide-ranging interview that is worth your read. Would be cool if McDavid raced Bure in his prime. 

 

Thomas Drance

 

✔@ThomasDrance

 

 

Spoke with Pavel Bure, who remains an enigma.

We talked McDavid, best on best international hockey, the ‘94 run, whether he’ll take part in the #Canucks’ 50th anniversary celebrations and how he was driven to entertain his fans via @TheAthleticVAN: https://theathletic.com/1292717/2019/10/15/one-on-one-with-pavel-bure-on-his-fans-the-94-run-and-why-connor-mcdavid-is-faster-than-he-was/ …

 

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6:43 AM - Oct 15, 2019

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Asked about McDavid, Bure didn't get too detailed but did say he thinks McDavid is faster than he was during his prime.

Have you seen much of Connor McDavid?

I see the highlights sometimes, yeah.

Does it look familiar to you at all?

 

Oh, no. I think he’s much faster and much stronger, you know?

He is?

I think so.

Does the way his speed plays and the way he can split defenders ever look familiar to you?

 I think he’s stronger, bigger and much faster. All those guys right now, they’re bigger and stronger than normal. He looks like he’s a big guy and he can skate really fast.

That's some high praise from the man who once wore No. 96 with the Canucks for No. 97.

Bure also touched on his favourite memories in Vancouver, the 1994 Stanley Cup run, the rocky ending that saw him end up in Florida, and a fantastic story about his good friend and legendary Canucks enforcer Gino Odjick coming to Russia to surprise him one year.
 

 

Do you have a great Gino story that you particularly hold dear?

Well, my best Gino story is when he came to Russia. He came to Moscow and wanted to surprise me, but nobody met him at the airport.

So he grabbed a cab and he went to KGB building. So he started knocking on the door of the KGB building, saying, “I’m Gino Odjick, I’m here to see Pavel!” One hour later they brought him to me. That was pretty funny.

Testing his luck a little there, huh?

Well, yeah. Those guys were surprised, because it’s like a 230-pound guy, scary, not shaved, with the scars — banging on the KGB’s door! Those guys came up with machine guns!

With the Canucks bringing various alumni back to celebrate the team's 50th anniversary fesitivities, could we soon see Bure back in Van City in the coming months?

I will try. I can’t promise you.

I’m really good friends with Francesco Aquilini. I’ve talked to him a lot and we go for vacation together. So I will try to make it.

I assume for the Sedin brothers’ jersey retirement?

Well, we will see. I have three little kids, so it can be a bit difficult, but we will see.
 

Bure's .59 goals per game is the highest percentage in Canucks history, as the Russian finished with 478 points (254 goals, 224 assists) in 428 games from 1991-1998. 

 

(h/t The Athletic's Thomas Drance)

 

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2019 by Guest

[MystifyNCrucify]

Coolest part of the story was Gino. Everything else meh

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, MystifyNCrucify said:

Coolest part of the story was Gino. Everything else meh

There is a link above the first picture to the full interview. Was having issues trying to post it all. 

Edited November 8, 2019 by Guest

[Nuxfanabroad]

Did Trev have a main squeeze, whose defence failed vs Pavel's artistry? There must be a tale that's not been told?..

[Rick Blight]

I still get chills remembering his early days with the Canucks.............

 

Kirk McLean skated behind his net toward a sliding puck. He reached out and stopped it. For a moment, he waited.

The goalie had done so countless times during his career in hockey, an unremarkable and routine play. But what happened on this night, Nov. 5, 1991, he would never forget. After a beat, McLean’s newest teammate on the Vancouver Canucks came rushing toward him. In one motion he swooped in, received the puck from his goalie and was off. McLean returned to his crouch in front of the net, but never took his eyes off the prized rookie, one of the most hyped imports in NHL history, as he disappeared into the other end.

A sea of fans inside the Pacific Coliseum began to rise, their roar cresting in anticipation as the Canucks winger whirred up the ice, leaving even his teammates in awe.

“The crowd was anticipating something,” McLean said. “Everybody was mesmerized. Most of the guys on the bench, as well, watching to see what would happen.”

His speed, McLean can still recall, was something to behold, almost unseen in the NHL at the time, and when paired with his inhuman agility seemed unfair to those he skated by. The result of the play, the kid’s first shift in the NHL, almost didn’t seem to matter. “He didn’t score, but certainly it showed what he was capable of doing at high speeds handling the puck,” McLean said. “Like a Connor McDavid does now.”

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Rick Blight said:

I still get chills remembering his early days with the Canucks.............

 

Kirk McLean skated behind his net toward a sliding puck. He reached out and stopped it. For a moment, he waited.

The goalie had done so countless times during his career in hockey, an unremarkable and routine play. But what happened on this night, Nov. 5, 1991, he would never forget. After a beat, McLean’s newest teammate on the Vancouver Canucks came rushing toward him. In one motion he swooped in, received the puck from his goalie and was off. McLean returned to his crouch in front of the net, but never took his eyes off the prized rookie, one of the most hyped imports in NHL history, as he disappeared into the other end.

A sea of fans inside the Pacific Coliseum began to rise, their roar cresting in anticipation as the Canucks winger whirred up the ice, leaving even his teammates in awe.

“The crowd was anticipating something,” McLean said. “Everybody was mesmerized. Most of the guys on the bench, as well, watching to see what would happen.”

His speed, McLean can still recall, was something to behold, almost unseen in the NHL at the time, and when paired with his inhuman agility seemed unfair to those he skated by. The result of the play, the kid’s first shift in the NHL, almost didn’t seem to matter. “He didn’t score, but certainly it showed what he was capable of doing at high speeds handling the puck,” McLean said. “Like a Connor McDavid does now.”

 

[-AJ-]

Different eras and technology. McDavid is probably faster, but if they were compared relative to their competition, I wouldn't be surprised if Bure was faster. 

[RRypien37]

Bure was faster in my eyes. He never seemed to actually slow down. He played the game at break neck speeds at ALL times he was on the ice. 

[J.I.A.H.N]

My best Pavel Bure story, was about my son.....

 

During my son's first year of hockey, I believe

 

My son was going down the ice on a rush, with another kid, I think my son was 6, at the time....The kid, Danny Erhman, goes through the whole team, and slides the puck towards my son....the puck slides past the goalie, and was laying on the goal line, my son skates right up to it, with the goalie out, and does the big slap shot, his feet go up in the air and he falls on the puck, the whistle blows and no goal.

 

My assistant coach, screams in horror, and as my son returns to the bench, and he asks my son, why didn't you just simply push the puck in the net? My son, still frustrated and upset, crys out...……."I wanted to score like Pavel Bure"...……...I howled with laughter, as my assistant moaned, and cried himself......LOL

 

It is my single most favorite memory of my son's entire hockey career, and I wish every parent felt as proud as I did with my son, at that moment...…..set your sights high son!

 

Set your sights high!

 

 

Edited November 8, 2019 by janisahockeynut

[6string]

The Mother Of All Elbows was another side Pavel had that we all apreciated too.

[EP-40]

1 hour ago, 6string said:

The Mother Of All Elbows was another side Pavel had that we all apreciated too.

someone should email that to ep.. i think hes up to it.

[*Buzzsaw*]

If Pavel was trained in today's sports environment with the improved science, I believe he'd be up there with McDavid.

[6string]

30 minutes ago, *Buzzsaw* said:

If Pavel was trained in today's sports environment with the improved science, I believe he'd be up there with McDavid.

His dedication would assure top flight honors.

[BrockBoester]

Pavel KGB says pay dat man his maneey

 

[goalie13]

This kid's going to be faster than both of them...

 

 

[filthycanuck]

6 hours ago, 6string said:

The Mother Of All Elbows was another side Pavel had that we all apreciated too.

 

Or this one: 0:47 when Pavel gets Marchment back for going low on him earlier

 

[filthycanuck]

2 hours ago, 6string said:

His dedication would assure top flight honors.

Not to mention the equipment in todays game. Those micron mega skates were like bricks!

[smokes]

1 hour ago, filthycanuck said:

Not to mention the equipment in todays game. Those micron mega skates were like bricks!

What if Bure used modern equipment?

[-DLC-]

13 hours ago, janisahockeynut said:

My best Pavel Bure story, was about my son.....

 

During my son's first year of hockey, I believe

 

My son was going down the ice on a rush, with another kid, I think my son was 6, at the time....The kid, Danny Erhman, goes through the whole team, and slides the puck towards my son....the puck slides past the goalie, and was laying on the goal line, my son skates right up to it, with the goalie out, and does the big slap shot, his feet go up in the air and he falls on the puck, the whistle blows and no goal.

 

My assistant coach, screams in horror, and as my son returns to the bench, and he asks my son, why didn't you just simply push the puck in the net? My son, still frustrated and upset, crys out...……."I wanted to score like Pavel Bure"...……...I howled with laughter, as my assistant moaned, and cried himself......LOL

 

It is my single most favorite memory of my son's entire hockey career, and I wish every parent felt as proud as I did with my son, at that moment...…..set your sights high son!

 

Set your sights high!

 

 

That is one of the best things I've ever read on here....I love this in every way!   Kids are the best.  I'm going to chuckle over this post for the entire day....what a beauty.

 

My son and Pavel.  Was a huge thrill for him....Bure gave every kid a reason to dream big.

 

[Crabcakes]

McDavid may be faster but in relative terms it's Pavel.  Skaters are better today than in the 90's