Pavel Bure

Mats Sundin's immediate reaction told the story. "Are you serious?" he said. "You made my whole year. " Sundin, who played 13 of his 18 NHL seasons with Toronto, couldn't quite believe the call from the Hall of Fame. Sundin, Joe Sakic, Pavel Bure and Adam Oates were elected to the Hall on Tuesday. Sundin is the second Swedish player in the Hall, joining Borje Salming, another Maple Leafs icon. The induction ceremony is Nov. 12 in Toronto. Among those eligible this year for the first time but not elected was Brendan Shanahan, who is the league's chief disciplinarian.

Mats Sundin's reaction told the story. "Are you serious?" he said. Sundin, who played 13 of his 18 NHL seasons with Toronto, couldn't quite believe the call from the hall. That would be the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sundin, Joe Sakic, Pavel Bure and Adam Oates were elected to Hall of Fame on Tuesday. The induction ceremony is Nov. 12 in Toronto. Among those eligible this year for the first time but not elected was Brendan Shanahan, who is the league's chief disciplinarian.

In an opening-day game of the World Junior Hockey championships, Pavel Bure scored two goals and an assist to lead the Soviet Union past the United States, 4-2.

Mats Sundin's immediate reaction told the story. "Are you serious?" he said. "You made my whole year. " Sundin, who played 13 of his 18 NHL seasons with Toronto, couldn't quite believe the call from the Hall of Fame. Sundin, Joe Sakic, Pavel Bure and Adam Oates were elected to the Hall on Tuesday. Sundin is the second Swedish player in the Hall, joining Borje Salming, another Maple Leafs icon. The induction ceremony is Nov. 12 in Toronto. Among those eligible this year for the first time but not elected was Brendan Shanahan, who is the league's chief disciplinarian.

Vancouver forward Pavel Bure was suspended for one game and fined $1,000 by the league for a forearm blow Wednesday against Buffalo defenseman Garry Galley. . . . Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials are demanding a thorough review of the Pittsburgh Penguins' financial condition before giving the team $12.9 million in public funds.

The Kings' management does not understand that no pro sports team was ever successful in Los Angeles without a player of superstar caliber. The present King team is full of mediocrity (discounting Rob Blake, but he is not a scorer) and management's hope of developing a superstar out of the present roster is a child's dream. Get real! Pavel Bure will not be available forever. Meanwhile, the franchise is losing money and credibility left from Wayne Gretzky's times. ART GARIN, Los Angeles

Highly rated Pavel Bure has left the Soviet Union and will play for the Vancouver Canucks this season, Le Journal de Montreal reported. The newspaper said Bure, 20, has been missing in Moscow since Sept. 5. It said Bure, his younger brother and his father were staying at the home of his agent in Manhattan Beach. Bure, a left wing, was left off the Soviet team for the Canada Cup because he refused to commit to a three-year contract with the Red Army club.

The Vancouver Canucks suspended Pavel Bure without pay Wednesday after the club's leading scorer made good on his threat not to show at training camp at Whistler, Canada. Last month Bure cited "personal reasons" for wanting to be traded and said he would never play in a Vancouver uniform again. * Peter Stastny and Michel Goulet, two former Quebec Nordique teammates, will be inducted into hockey's Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov.

The New York Rangers probably will have to continue their race for a playoff spot without forward Pavel Bure. Bure probably will not return this season because of knee problems, according a report in the New York Post. The Rangers trail the New York Islanders by six points for the eighth and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

The Russian Rocket enjoyed a successful landing in his South Florida debut Wednesday night. Pavel Bure set up Oleg Kvasha's winning goal at 6:18 of the third period, helping the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Sunrise, Fla. "It's great to play in front of fans that really support us," said Bure, who was showered with cheers from the fans at the sold-out National Car Rental Center every time he touched the puck. "First of all, I'm really happy we won."

The New York Rangers probably will have to continue their race for a playoff spot without forward Pavel Bure. Bure probably will not return this season because of knee problems, according a report in the New York Post. The Rangers trail the New York Islanders by six points for the eighth and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Rangers acquired forward Pavel Bure in a trade with the Florida Panthers on Monday night. New York, which also acquired a second-round pick, sent defenseman Igor Ulanov and young defenseman Filip Novak to Florida, along with its first- and second-round picks in June's draft, and a fourth-round pick next year. The Rangers, who have fallen to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, missed the playoffs the last four seasons.

Pavel Bure had two goals and an assist in his return to the lineup, and the Florida Panthers withstood a four-goal third period by the Montreal Canadiens for a 7-5 victory Monday afternoon at Sunrise, Fla. Bure, back after sitting out five games because of a broken left hand, helped the Panthers end a five-game home losing streak. Pierre Dagenais, Ivan Novoseltsev, Brad Ference, Viktor Kozlov and Kristian Huselius also scored for the Panthers.

Pavel Bure dropped his paddle, raised his arms in victory, then removed the "Florida Panthers Ping-Pong Championship" belt from around his waist and returned it to his locker--proudly hanging it alongside his pads, skates and helmet. With his 21-5 win over Robert Svehla, Bure gave another teammate an idea of what it is like to be an opposing goaltender. Whether it is table tennis or on the ice, it has been difficult to stop the Russian Rocket this season.

This time there was no last-second heartbreak for Florida Panther goalie Roberto Luongo. Pavel Bure saw to that. Bure had two goals, including the winner, and two assists Wednesday night as the Panthers defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 5-2, at Sunrise, Fla. Bure's 31 goals tied him with Markus Naslund of the Vancouver Canucks for the NHL lead. Those goals weren't there the last time the teams met, Jan. 19 at Buffalo. That time, Luongo played brilliantly, but received no offensive support at all.

After leading the Florida Panthers to victories all season, Pavel Bure is leading them into the playoffs. Bure scored a pair of goals as the Panthers won their third consecutive game and clinched a spot in the postseason for the first time in three seasons with a 4-2 victory Saturday night over the Montreal Canadiens at Sunrise, Fla. "Pavel has had that effect many times," Florida Coach Terry Murray said. "To see Pavel come down the ice and score is what we needed.

Pavel Bure scored his 50th goal of the season in a losing cause as Andrew Cassels scored twice to lead the Calgary Flames to a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night at Vancouver, British Columbia. Marty McInnis put Calgary ahead for good, breaking a 1-1 tie with a short-handed goal with 1:38 left in the second period, as the Flames ended a six-game winless streak in a contest between two teams out of playoff contention.

Pavel Bure's holdout has already lasted longer than some soap operas--and it's not likely to be resolved this week while the Vancouver Canucks are in town to play the Mighty Ducks and Kings. Brian Burke, the Canucks' general manager, said Wednesday at the Pond he does not have a deal lined up for the dynamic right wing, who has demanded a trade.

Pavel Bure keeps scoring, and the Florida Panthers keep on winning at Boston. The Panthers, the only team in the NHL with a winning record all-time at Boston, got a goal from Bure and two goals and an assist Mark Parrish as they defeated the Bruins, 5-1, at Boston on Saturday night. Bure's goal, his league-leading 39th, sealed the victory in the third to improve Florida's record to 6-4-3 at Boston. "It is nice to keep scoring," Bure said.

Thanks to Pavel Bure, Mike Vernon got the victory. That's all that really mattered to the Florida Panthers. Bure equaled a career high with four goals, while Vernon weathered a shaky debut as the Panthers' goalie by finishing strong Saturday to hold off the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning, 7-5, at Sunrise, Fla.