The Vancouver Canucks are not confirming or denying reports they are set to retire Pavel Bure's No. 10 jersey, a spokesperson for the team said Thursday.
Bure will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Monday, along with former-Canuck Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic and Adam Oates.
“Pavel and Mats both had a tremendous impact on the NHL and provided fans many years of entertaining and inspiring hockey,” said Canucks President and General Manager, Mike Gillis, in a statement.
“Their impressive statistics and careers have earned them the prestigious honour of being Hall of Famers. Congratulations to Pavel and Mats on this much deserved honour.”
According to uncomfirmed reports, Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini was going to travel to Florida this weekend to give the Russian Rocket the good news.
But Canucks Sports and Entertainment said in a statement they cannot confirm the story and will refrain from commenting further in order not to detract from Bure being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
After the story broke, NHL season-starved hockey fans took to Twitter Thursday to celebrate, perhaps prematurely, the reported milestone.
“Canucks set to retire Pavel Bure's number 10. One more number up to the rafters. We finally have a hall of famer up there,” @ellicky tweeted.
Others joked that it took too long to retire Bure’s jersey.
“Canucks retiring Pavel Bure's #10 after like a bazillion years,” @parmvirthind tweeted.
Bure dazzled Canucks fans for seven seasons 1991 to 1998, registering 478 points in 428 games played.
He holds franchise records for most points scored by a rookie, most shorthanded goals and ranks in the top five in franchise history in game-winning goals, goals and hat-tricks.
Bure shares the franchise lead in playoff goals with Trevor Linden, registering 34 in 60 playoff games with Vancouver.
In 1994 his 16 playoff goals set a franchise record for most playoff goals in a playoff year and helped Vancouver to one win shy of a Stanley Cup Championship.
