Valeri Bure facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Valeri Bure
Bure in 2010
Born	(1974-06-13) June 13, 1974 (age 51) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	CSKA Moscow Montreal Canadiens Calgary Flames Florida Panthers St. Louis Blues Dallas Stars
National team	Russia
NHL Draft	33rd overall, 1992 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1990–2004
Medal record Ice hockey Representing  Russia Winter Olympics Silver 1998 Nagano {{{2}}} Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City {{{2}}} World Junior Championships Bronze 1994 Czech Republic {{{2}}}

Valeri Vladimirovich "Val" Bure (born June 13, 1974) is a former professional ice hockey player from Russia and America. He played as a right winger for 10 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His career spanned from 1995 to 2004.

Valeri played for teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars. The Canadiens picked him 33rd overall in the 1992 NHL entry draft. He played in one NHL All-Star Game in 2000.

In the 1999–2000 season, Valeri led the Flames in scoring with 35 goals and 75 points. That year, he and his brother Pavel set an NHL record. They combined for 93 goals, the most by two brothers in one season.

Valeri left Russia in 1991 to play junior hockey in Canada. He played for the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was the first Russian player in that league's history. He also played for Russia in many international games. He won a bronze medal at the 1994 World Junior Championship. He also won two medals at the Winter Olympics. Russia won silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002.

Valeri retired from hockey in 2005 due to back and hip injuries. Today, he runs Bure Family Wines in St. Helena, California. He owns the winery with his wife, actress Candace Cameron Bure. They have been married since 1996.

Early Life and Family

Valeri Bure was born on June 13, 1974, in Moscow, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His parents are Vladimir and Tatiana Bure. His father, Vladimir, was an Olympic swimmer. Vladimir won four medals for the Soviet Union in the Olympics between 1968 and 1976.

Valeri's family had a special history. His ancestors made valuable watches for Russian tsars from 1815 to 1917. Because they were skilled craftsmen for the royal family, they were given noble status.

When Valeri was about nine years old, his parents separated. In 1991, he moved to North America with his father and older brother, Pavel. Pavel was starting his career in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks. Valeri's mother joined them two months later. They first lived in Los Angeles. There, Vladimir continued to coach both Valeri and Pavel in hockey and fitness.

Playing Career Highlights

Junior Hockey Years

Before leaving the Soviet Union, Valeri Bure played three games for HC CSKA Moscow in the 1990–91 season. When he arrived in North America at 17, he joined the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was the first Russian player ever in that league.

In his first WHL season (1991–92), Valeri scored 49 points in 53 games for the Chiefs. The Montreal Canadiens chose him in the second round of the 1992 NHL entry draft, as the 33rd overall pick. Scouts said he was a good skater and smart around the net. They also noted he was a good passer and had a quick shot.

Valeri returned to Spokane for the 1992–93 season. He led his team and was second in WHL scoring with 147 points. His 68 goals that season are still a record for the Chiefs. He was named to the WHL's West Division First All-Star Team. In his final WHL season (1993–94), he scored 102 points. Overall, he had 298 points in three seasons with Spokane. This places him fourth on the Chiefs' all-time scoring list.

Starting in the NHL: Montreal Canadiens

In the 1994–95 season, Valeri became a professional player. He spent most of that season with the Fredericton Canadiens, Montreal's minor league team. He scored 23 goals and 48 points in 45 games there.

Valeri was called up to Montreal late in the season. He made his NHL debut on February 28, 1995. His first NHL goal came on March 15. In 24 games with Montreal, he scored 3 goals and had 1 assist.

In his first full season with Montreal (1995–96), Valeri scored 22 goals and 42 points. However, he scored only 14 goals the next season. He also dealt with injuries, including two concussions and a kidney injury. These limited him to 64 games.

Valeri was a smaller player in the NHL, standing at 5 feet 10 inches tall. He often played on a line with other smaller players, Saku Koivu and Oleg Petrov. This line was sometimes called the "Smurf line" in Montreal. After playing 50 games in the 1997–98 season, Valeri was traded. He went to the Calgary Flames on February 1, 1998. He was happy about the trade, as it brought him closer to his family. He also felt he would get more chances to play on the young Flames team.

Success with the Calgary Flames

Valeri's scoring ability really shined in Calgary. He became one of the team's top scorers. In the 1998–99 season, his 26 goals and 53 points were third best on the team. At one point, he scored the game-winning goal in four straight games for Calgary.

When star player Theoren Fleury left the Flames, Valeri had to step up as a leader. He did just that in the 1999–2000 season. He used his speed and skating skills very well. By mid-December, he was eighth in league scoring. Valeri was chosen for the World team at the 2000 All-Star Game. He played on a line with his brother Pavel. Pavel was named the game's most valuable player. He scored three goals, with Valeri assisting on two of them.

Valeri finished the season as the Flames' top scorer with 35 goals and 75 points. He was 14th overall in the NHL. He was also the only player on the team to play in all 82 games. His brother Pavel scored 58 goals for the Florida Panthers that year. Together, the Bure brothers scored 93 goals, setting an NHL record for siblings.

In the 2000–01 season, Valeri's scoring went down a bit, but his 27 goals were still second on the team. He had 55 points. He had some disagreements with his coaches, who wanted him to play more defensively. Valeri found it hard to change his style. He was rumored to have asked for a trade from Calgary. On June 24, 2001, the Flames traded Valeri to the Florida Panthers.

Later Career: Florida, St. Louis, and Dallas

Valeri joined the Florida Panthers for the 2001–02 season. He had a knee injury that needed surgery, causing him to miss 37 games. Another knee injury ended his season early. He played only 31 games and had 18 points that year.

In the 2002–03 season, Valeri stayed with the Panthers but struggled to score. He also broke his wrist. With only 5 goals and 26 points in 46 games, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 11, 2003. Another knee injury kept him out for most of the rest of that season. He had two assists in five regular season games and two assists in six playoff games for St. Louis. After the season, he returned to Florida.

Valeri was healthy for the 2003–04 season. He was one of the Panthers' top scorers. He reached 20 goals for the fifth time in his NHL career. As the trade deadline neared, he was Florida's leading scorer with 45 points. The Panthers traded him to the Dallas Stars on March 9, 2004. Valeri played on the Stars' top line and had 7 points in 13 games. He also added three assists in five playoff games.

After the 2004 playoffs, Valeri became a free agent. He did not play in the 2004–05 season because the entire NHL season was canceled due to a labor dispute. He signed with the Los Angeles Kings for the 2005–06 season. However, he never played a regular season game for them. A back injury during the preseason required surgery. A second surgery on his hip caused him to miss the whole season. At 31 years old, he decided to retire from hockey after these surgeries.

Playing for Russia

Bure (far right) and his brother Pavel (center-right) meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) in 2001.

Valeri first played for the Russian national junior team at the 1994 World Junior Championship. He was the top scorer for Russia with eight points in six games. Russia won the bronze medal, and Valeri was named to the tournament's All-Star Team. That same year, he played for the senior team at the 1994 World Championship. He scored three goals in six games.

After playing one game at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, Valeri played in his first of two Olympic Games in 1998. This was the first time he played with his brother Pavel since they were briefly teammates in 1991. Valeri scored one goal in the tournament. Russia reached the gold medal game but lost to the Czech Republic, winning the silver medal.

Valeri returned for the 2002 Salt Lake Games. He scored a goal in that tournament, and Russia won the bronze medal. Russia invited him to play at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. However, he did not have an NHL contract at the time. He chose not to play because he lacked proper insurance in case of injury.

Life After Hockey

Valeri Bure married actress Candace Cameron on June 22, 1996. They met in 1994 at a charity hockey game. They have three children: a daughter named Natasha (born 1998) and two sons, Lev (born 2000) and Maksim (born 2002). Valeri became an American citizen in December 2001.

Valeri said his family was the reason he retired from hockey in 2005. He felt he could have returned from his surgeries. However, he wanted to spend time with his children and allow his wife to return to acting. Valeri and his family are Christians.

In 2007, Valeri and his wife opened a restaurant in Florida called The Milk and Honey Café. They closed it when the family moved to California. Now, they run a winery in Napa Valley called Bure Family Wines. Valeri became interested in wine early in his NHL career. He said it grew into a passion. He loves the process of making wine, from the vineyard to the bottle. He uses a special label for his company. It is a changed version of the Russian imperial seal that his great-grandfather used on his watches.

In 2010, Valeri returned to the ice for a TV show. He was a contestant on the second season of Battle of the Blades. This show paired former professional hockey players with figure skaters. Valeri's partner was Ekaterina Gordeeva. They won the competition and shared a $100,000 prize. They donated the money to charities of their choice. Valeri's donation went to Compassion Canada.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and Honors

See also

In Spanish: Valeri Bure para niños

• List of family relations in the NHL
• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards