As we enter what feels like an everlasting offseason, we look back on some of the best transactions in Vancouver Canucks history, one of which came on this day (July 8) 20 years ago.
In 1995, the Canucks altered their franchise when they traded Michael Peca, Michael Wilson, and a first-round pick (Jay McKee, 14th overall) to the Buffalo Sabres for Alexander Mogilny and a fifth-round pick (Todd Norman, 120th overall).
Mogilny was drafted by the Sabres in the fifth round (89th overall) of the 1988 draft. The then 18-year-old defected from the Soviet Union to head overseas and pursue his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.
The Russian forward made a strong first impression in his rookie campaign, scoring 15 goals and 43 points in 65 games in 1989-1990. But he officially burst onto the scene in 1992-1993, when he scored 76 goals and 127 points in 77 games. Unfortunately for Mogilny, he tied for the league lead in goals with Finnish rookie phenom Teemu Selanne.
And after back-to-back first-round exits in the following two seasons, the Sabres decided to move on from Mogilny, shipping him to their expansion brothers, the Canucks.
The Canucks now had a running-mate for fellow Russian star, Pavel Bure…or so they thought.
In a November game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Bure was grabbed by a defenceman around the head as they fell into the boards. As he was falling, Bure got his skate caught up against the boards and tore his ACL. This ended Bure’s season after just 15 games, during which he scored six goals and 13 points.
However, Mogilny stepped up in his place. He exploded for 55 goals and 107 points in 79 games in his first season in Vancouver.
Mogilny played five seasons in Vancouver, where he finished with 139 goals and 308 points in 312 games. The Russian forward remains in the Canucks history books, as Mogilny sits in a tie for third in goals (55) and points (107) in a single season.
The biggest asset going back to the Sabres was Michael Peca, who went on to have a successful NHL career. He spent five years in a Sabres uniform, scoring 96 goals and 217 points in 363 games. Peca captained the Sabres during their 1999-2000 Stanley Cup loss to the Dallas Stars.
Peca and the Sabres could not agree on a contract extension, resulting in the player sitting out the entire 2000-2001 season. The centreman was then traded to the New York Islanders the following season, ending his tenure in Buffalo.
Wilson was less successful at the NHL level than Pecas was. He spent four years in Buffalo, suiting up in 231 games, scoring 11 goals and 34 points. Wilson bounced around the league, playing for the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers in the final four years of his career before hanging up the skates in 2002-2003.
The Sabres used their 14th overall pick to select Jay McKee. He had the longest tenure of the trio in Buffalo, but was not as successful as Peca. McKee spent 10 years in the Sabres organization, playing in 582 games, but only tallied 17 goals and 98 points.
After years of being overlooked, Mogilny was finally honoured for his remarkable NHL career as he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the 2025 class. It’s not every day that teams can trade for future Hockey Hall of Famers, but the Canucks did just that 20 years ago today.
