Pavel Bure

Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed The Russian Rocket for his speed, Bure played forseasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. Trained in the Soviet Union, where he was known as Pasha, he played three seasons with the Central Red Army team before his NHL career.

Bure was born in Moscow to Vladimir and Tatiana Bure in 1971. At age 12, his parents separated, and Bure remained with his mother. Vladimir Bure, a Russian swimming legend, had dreams of Pavel becoming a professional swimmer, but Pavel aspired to play hockey at an early age. He attended his first tryout with the CSKA Moscow hockey school at the age of six despite his limited skating ability. Until that point, Bure had only played hockey on the streets with a ball. After Bure failed to impress in his first tryout, his father told him that if he did not show significant improvement within two months, he would withdraw him from the hockey school. By age 11, he was named the best forward in his league. Around that time, in July 1982, Bure was selected as one of three young Russian players to practice with Wayne Gretzky and Soviet national goaltender Vladislav Tretiak in a taped television special. By the time he wasyears old, he was named to the Central Red Armys junior team.

Source: Wikipedia