Page "Pavel Bure" Paragraph 30

Bure held out well into the 1998 – 99 season until he was traded on January 17, 1999, to the Florida Panthers, with Bret Hedican, Brad Ference, and Vancouver's third-round choice in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft ( Robert Fried ) for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes, and Florida's first-round choice in the 2000 draft ( Nathan Smith ).

Talks between general managers Burke and Bryan Murray had begun in late-December, with the two meeting at the 1999 World Junior Championships in Winnipeg.

After the trade was completed, Bure explained in a joint-interview with the Toronto Sun and The Province that he felt he was alienated by Canucks management ever since arriving in North America from Moscow.

He cited having stayed in Los Angeles for two weeks before any Canucks representative came down to see him, in addition to several bitter contract negotiations.

Bure also claimed that the constant allegations of him threatening not to play during the 1994 playoff run were planted by someone within Canucks management.