Valeri Bure Hockey Career: 400 NHL Points, Calgary Peak and Olympic Medals

Valeri Bure is a former Russian NHL right winger who played 621 regular-season games and recorded 174 goals, 226 assists and 400 points. His best season was 1999–2000 with the Calgary Flames, when he scored 35 goals and added 40 assists for 75 points. He also represented Russia at two Winter Olympics, winning silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002.

The main distinction in Valeri Bure’s hockey career is that he built a substantial professional record of his own, separate from the more widely discussed career of his brother Pavel Bure. Here are the numbers, teams and Olympic results behind it.

Valeri Bure’s NHL career at a glance

The career totals are listed on NHL.com’s player profile and independently in Hockey-Reference’s season-by-season log. The Olympic medals are confirmed by the International Olympic Committee’s athlete profile.

Which NHL teams did Valeri Bure play for?

Bure appeared in NHL regular-season games for five clubs: the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars. He entered the league with Montreal, developed his strongest scoring numbers in Calgary and later moved among Florida, St. Louis and Dallas. The sequence matters because a box score from the 2002–03 or 2003–04 season can show more than one team for the same player.

Bure was selected by Montreal in the second round, 33rd overall, of the 1992 NHL Draft. For readers comparing eras, remember that a point in hockey is awarded for either a goal or an assist: his 174 goals plus 226 assists add up to 400. These are regular-season numbers rather than a combination of regular season and playoffs.

Why his 1999–2000 Calgary season stands out

In 82 games during 1999–2000, Bure scored 35 goals and set up 40 more for 75 points. Both the totals and the full 82-game appearance count show why this season is the clearest reference point for his offensive peak. In 1998–99 he had 26 goals and 53 points, and in 2000–01 he recorded 27 goals and 55 points. That three-season sequence captures more of his Calgary form than a single career average would.

His brother Pavel scored 58 NHL goals in 1999–2000, while Valeri scored 35. The combined figure was 93 goals. The two brothers should not be confused when looking up award histories, statistics or highlight reels: Pavel was the larger goal scorer, but Valeri’s 400-point NHL career was substantial in its own right.

Valeri Bure at the Winter Olympics

Bure competed for Russia at Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002. In Nagano, the team advanced to the gold-medal game and finished with silver. Four years later, Russia took bronze. The IOC records exactly one silver and one bronze Olympic medal for Bure, not an Olympic gold.

Those results provide the clearest international milestones alongside his NHL work. They also distinguish an Olympic team result from an individual’s NHL statistics: medals belong to the national-team competition and do not add to league points or goals.

What did Valeri Bure do differently from Pavel Bure?

Both brothers were forwards with high-level international experience, but their league careers followed different paths. Valeri’s strongest NHL stint was with Calgary, where he combined finishing and playmaking. Pavel is best known as an elite goal scorer and amassed a different set of headline career totals. When a search asks for “Bure hockey,” check the first name and team before using a statistic; otherwise it is easy to credit one brother with the other’s achievements.

One practical way to compare careers is to use the same statistic and denominator for both players: regular-season NHL games, goals, assists and points. A season peak is useful, but it should not be presented as an entire-career average.

Understanding the stats and the sport

An assist credits a player who helps produce a teammate’s goal; a goal credits the scorer. Teams can create additional scoring opportunities on a power play, while icing can interrupt attacking possessions. These rules help explain game reports from Bure’s era as well as today’s NHL.

Frequently asked questions

How many points did Valeri Bure score in the NHL?

He scored 400 regular-season points: 174 goals and 226 assists in 621 games.

Was Valeri Bure an NHL All-Star?

Yes. He appeared in the 2000 NHL All-Star Game during his peak Calgary season.

Which season was Valeri Bure’s best?

By total points, 1999–2000 was his best: 35 goals and 40 assists for Calgary.

Did Valeri Bure win an Olympic gold medal?

No. The IOC lists a silver medal in 1998 and bronze in 2002.

Are Valeri and Pavel Bure related?

Yes. They are brothers and both played professional hockey at the NHL and international levels.

When did Valeri Bure play his final NHL season?

His last NHL games came in the 2003–04 season, finishing with the Dallas Stars.

Sources and image credit

Career statistics: NHL.com, Hockey-Reference; medals: IOC Olympics.com and Olympedia. Numbers and medal claims checked on October 12, 2026.

Featured photograph: Movieguide®, 2010; already cropped on Wikimedia Commons, uploaded without additional changes. Photo credit and file history; license CC BY-SA 2.0. The photo portrays Bure at an event rather than during NHL gameplay.