TORONTO, 6 August 2003 — New York Rangers star Pavel Bure’s career could be in jeopardy due to lingering pain in his knee after surgery, according to the player’s agent.

Mike Gillis told Canadian sports website Sportsnet.ca that Bure still had significant discomfort in his right knee, eight months after the forward’s second arthroscopic knee surgery within a 10-week period.

“Pavel came into New York from Moscow on Wednesday for tests that confirmed he still has ligament damage,” Gillis told the website.

The “Russian Rocket” hasn’t played in five months, since the Rangers once again failed to make the NHL playoffs. But despite the long layoff, he continues to feel pain in the knee.

“Whether he’ll be able to play next year, no one can say,” Gillis added.

“This isn’t something that’s in his mind. Pavel did three weeks of rehab in Florida immediately after the season, he’s been working out in Moscow, he’s in great shape.

“He has great leg strength and done everything possible to come back and play, but the situation is what it is and after seven operations that knee is just not healthy.”

Bure managed 19 goals and 11 assists for 30 points in 39 games with the Rangers last season.

He surprised some observers by coming back relatively quickly after the surgery, as original reports said he might not play at all in 2002-2003.

Since coming into the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks in 1991-92, Bure has been one of the league’s top scorers.

He has twice scored 60 or more goals in a season in his career and won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as leading goal scorer in his first two seasons with the Florida Panthers.

Florida dealt Bure to the Rangers in 2002.

Demitra Awarded Huge Arbitration Payoff

In Toronto, Pavol Demitra of the St. Louis Blues was awarded the second-largest NHL arbitration payoff on Monday as an adjudicator awarded the team’s leading scorer $6.5 million for next season.

Demitra earned $3.975 million last year and took the team to arbitration for this year’s contract. His hearing, the first of this year’s two-week arbitration period, was held on Friday. Demitra led the Blues in scoring with 36 goals and 93 points last season in 78 games, making him the sixth highest scorer in the NHL.

John LeClair of the Philadelphia Flyers received $7 million in an arbitration ruling in 2000.

The Blues do have the option of walking away from the contract. If they do — and the Blues have said they were looking to reduce their payroll — Demitra will become an unrestricted free agent.

St. Louis has 72 hours to decide whether to accept the ruling.