Pavel Bure, last seen in NHL with the NY Rangers, is my all-time favorite hockey player. The first time I saw him play was for Russia at the Olympics in Nagano in 1998. He scored five goals in one game against Finland, I remember his blinding speed and unbelievable puck control. From that moment I was forever changed from a regular hockey fan to a Pavel Bure hockey fan. He was the ultimate as far as pure goal-scorers go, always able to find an opening in the defenses and getting where the puck was going to be. And on breakaways and penalty shots he probably was one of the most feared shooters a goalie could think of. Sadly, I'm writing all this in past-tense. Throughout his career, Pavel suffered knee injuries almost on a regular basis. It was only those that kept him from becoming an even greater legend than he is, and ultimately they forced him to retire far too early. When he played in the NHL he was arguably the best offensive player, in today's NHL he would have been the best. Inarguably. Unquestionably. Positively. I truly miss Pavel, hockey really will never be the same without him.