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Fanspeak: Pavel Bure voted greatest Canuck in franchise history

Pavel Bure

Retired Vancouver Canucks forward Pavel Bure, of Russia, speaks after the NHL hockey team inducted him into their “Hall of Heroes” during a news conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, Nov. 1, 2013. The team will retire Bure’s No. 10 Saturday night before the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

AP

This summer, NBC Sports’ social media team is conducting the #NHLGreatest initiative, designed for fans to choose the best player in each franchise’s history. Balloting was conducted through three platforms — Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — with thousands of votes being cast. The results of this initiative will be released throughout the month of August, in conjunction with PHT’s Team of the Day series.

Vancouver Canucks

1. Pavel Bure -- 836 votes

2. Trevor Linden -- 332 votes

3. Markus Naslund -- 159 votes

4. Mark Messier -- 97 votes

When you think of the Canucks, often times memories go straight to 1994 and their run to the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers. While they lost that series in seven games, one of the most memorable players during their playoff run that season was Pavel Bure.

The “Russian Rocket” led all playoff goal scorers in those playoffs with 16 and had 31 points overall. Had things gone differently in that Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, it’s possible he would’ve won the Conn Smythe Trophy and canonized as the patron saint of Vancouver.

Instead, all he did was score 254 of his 437 career goals for the Canucks in a career marred by injuries. For the NHL, he was the human highlight reel using his blazing speed to get behind defenses and make goaltenders quake as he came roaring in to score. His back-to-back 60-goal seasons in 1992-93 and 1993-94 stand out as his best work in Vancouver and reasons why they retired his No. 10 last season and led to his election to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

While he doesn’t have the all-time standing in goals or points the way Naslund and Linden do, Bure’s breathtaking play helped make him the fans’ choice as the greatest player in franchise history.

By the way, congrats to the fans who attempted to swing the vote for Messier. You cracked the leader board.

Follow @JoeYerdonPHT