Editing Valeri Bure (section)

===Montreal Canadiens===
Upon turning professional in [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]], Bure spent the majority of the season with Montreal's [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) affiliate, the [[Fredericton Canadiens]]. He had 23 goals and 48 points in 45 games for the club.<ref name="NHLStats" /> Bure earned a recall to Montreal late in the season and made his NHL debut on February 28, 1995, against the [[New York Islanders]]. His first goal came two weeks later, on March 15, against goaltender [[Wendell Young]] of the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].<ref name="0001FlamesMG" /> In 24 games with Montreal, Bure scored 3 goals and added an assist.<ref name="NHLStats" /> Playing in his brother's shadow – Pavel had become a superstar in Vancouver – Valeri struggled to live up to the expectations placed on him.<ref name="PodnieksPlayers">{{cite book |last=Podnieks |first=Andrew |title=Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL |publisher=Doubleday Canada |year=2003 |location=Toronto |pages=109–110 |isbn=0-385-25999-9}}</ref> He scored 22 goals and 42 points in his first full season in Montreal, [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]], but scored only 14 goals the [[1996–97 NHL season|following season]].<ref name="HabsHistory">{{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Valeri-Bure |title=Quick on the ice and skilled with the puck, Valeri Bure left his mark as a member of the "Smurf line" |publisher=Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club |access-date=2014-05-21 |archive-date=2014-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503034143/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Valeri-Bure |url-status=dead }}</ref> He battled injuries that season; two concussions and a kidney injury limited him to 64 games, 13 fewer than the previous season.<ref name="PodnieksPlayers" />

At {{convert|5|ft|10|in|cm|spell=in}} tall, Bure was a smaller player in the NHL. His [[line (ice hockey)|linemates]] [[Saku Koivu]] (five foot ten) and [[Oleg Petrov]] (five foot nine) were similarly diminutive, and the trio were known in Montreal as the "[[The Smurfs|Smurf]] line".<ref name="HabsHistory" /> After playing 50 games for the Canadiens in [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]], Bure was traded. He was sent to the [[Calgary Flames]] in a February 1, 1998, deal in exchange for [[Jonas Höglund]] and [[Zarley Zalapski]].<ref name="0001FlamesMG" /> The deal was welcomed by Bure, who appreciated both the ability to play closer to his family on the west coast as well as increased opportunity by joining a young Flames team.<ref name="FittingIn">{{cite news |last=Pap |first=Elliott |title=Younger Bure fitting in |work=Vancouver Sun |date=1998-02-28 |page=G3}}</ref> He recorded his first career [[hat trick]] in one of his first games in Calgary, against the [[Edmonton Oilers]].<ref name="0001FlamesMG" /> Bure appeared in 16 games with the Flames that season and scored 38 points in 66 games combined between Montreal and Calgary.<ref name="NHLStats" />