Naslund Hanging from the Rafters, Bure Hanging out to Dry
By critically canuck 14 Dec 2010 COMMENTS(0) Fan-Attic
With long time Canuck captain and all-time points leader Markus Naslund's number 19 now hanging from the rafters, it is time to address the elephant in the room. Yes, we're talking about what to do with Pavel Bure (shown at left, with Naslund in 1997).
And we're not the only ones wondering. Back in the summer when it was announced that the Canucks would be celebrating Naslund with the franchise's highest honour, Mike Gills was queried on this very idea and he responded by saying they would need to look into it adding something about ensuring that honourees have the "right character".
Gillis now has this to say, "he's on our radar." He added, "part of it is the person and it didn't end the way people had hoped. But there are two sides to the story. He's a private person and I don't think it's any deviation from the criteria." From the man who was player agent for both Naslund and Bure, and now the man in charge of the decision making, this is an interesting development.
If anyone needed reminding, Bure was the Canucks' first, and arguably only (the careers of Daniel and Henrik still being open books) true superstar. He will likely wind up in the Hockey Hall of Fame at some point, and having played the majority of his career here would represent the only member of hockey's hallowed hall to have done so.
During the Naslund love-in of the last week much has been made about crediting him with "saving" the franchise in the wake of the Mark Messier era. While this smacks of revisionist history more than anything else, the argument that Bure did the same during his day is an easier point to make.
When Bure arrived in Vancouver, the Canucks were in the middle years of the Pat Quinn era and finally on the ascent. With the Russian Rocket on board, the sky was the proverbial limit. Unlike Naslund (or the Sedins for that matter), Pavel was no work in progress. From his opening game, as a Macualy Culkin fresh faced 20 year old in the body of a Greek God, it was clear that this was not just another Canuck highly touted European prospect. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And we were all overjoyed to be along for the ride.
It was Bure's explosive talent that marked the turning point for the franchise from cottage industry to global entity. In short order, the Canucks were a drawing card on the road (something that continues to this day) and a new stadium was being built (bringing with it another pro sports franchise); you might say that GM Place was the house that Bure built. When it was recently discovered that number one NFL draft pick Sam Bradford, despite being born and bred in football mad Oklahoma, dreamt of playing for the Vancouver Canucks because of his adoration of Pavel Bure, you fully realized the extent of Bure's influence.
Of course, after two 60 goal seasons, a brush with the Stanley Cup, numerous All-Star recognitions, knee injuries and one final 51 goal campaign, the petals were off the rose. Pavel wanted out. And the adoring faithful were hurt. And it's this seeming lack of character that is the biggest reason to argue against honouring him with jersey retirement.
But as much as Markus Naslund (and the Sedins for that matter) get due recognition for being honest honourable men, such characterization should be taken in the context of time and place.
By the time Naslund made it to the NHL, it was a reasonably easy adjustment. After all, that trail had been blazed many times over by his countrymen. And with a good grasp of the English language, not to mention, a free society, it was hardly the culture clash that young Russians arriving in North America in the wake of the fall of communism had to endure.
Make no mistake, young men like Alex Mogilny (who pretended he was afraid of flying so he could stay in Buffalo and shag his girlfriend) or Pavel were breaking fresh ground on so many levels, making mistakes along the way. Really, it is any wonder that Russian players are labelled greedy malcontents while the Swedes get tagged as stoically honest?
As Mike Gillis has rightly noted, there are two sides to this story. And while we could explore further, it's all really "he said, she said" at this point, not that anyone is talking anyway. In the end, it could be said that the Canucks had zero experience in handling Pavel's potential prima donna antics. It's no stretch to say that there were missteps by both parties.
What is clear is that Bure was the most remarkable player to play for this team. While his point totals do not rank near Naslund (in part to his injury problems and in part to his request to be traded), his point and goal per game totals are off the charts and will likely never be surpassed. He is as responsible for the development of the Canucks' brand as any single player. And in the entertainment business, what is more important than that?
The biggest problem facing Mike Gillis right now is what if you threw a party (ring of honour or jersey retirement) and the guest of honour didn't show? Some have rumoured that Bure has requested to not be recognized or affiliated with any club - a further extension of his shy retiring persona. Indeed, like his boyish lookalike, he'd rather be "Home Alone".
But really, such honours are not about the player as much as they are about the organization and its fan base and honouring those who are worthy whether they want it or not.
In the end, Gillis knows Pavel as well as anyone. His latest comments have opened the door for some official recognition. And you'd think if anyone can mend the fences between the organization and its fallen superstar, it would be Gillis. He should even be able to pronounce his name properly, something he had difficulty with when introducing inaugural retired jersey inductee Stan Smyl (Mike, that's Smeel, not Shmeel) at Saturday night's party.
You would think that we will know Pavel's fate rather soon. With two more ring of honour inductees to be named before season's end, if he's not one of them, then perhaps something bigger is in the works down the road. We hope there is.
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