As a life-long Pavel Bure apologist, it broke my heart to see him retire from the NHL years before the rest of the league’s stars typically called it quits. I had always crossed my fingers for a comeback, but my brain knew that it was way too much to expect from a player whose knees had turned into a fine ooze.

But as it turns out, there’s still hope for those who wish to see the Russian Rocket on the ice again, in the form of a whole new old-timer’s league set to launch in the fall.

The World Legends Hockey League, of which Bure is the chairman of, will consist of teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, and Sweden. To join these teams, you must be at least 45 years old and a preferably have IIHF tournament experience.

The league will kick things off with an exhibition all-star game featuring Team Russia taking on players from the rest of the world, before proceeding to a round-robin tournament that will last about two months. Come January, the two best countries will take each other on in a final to decide a champion.

For starters, this is an excellent move for players who don’t feel that they can handle the day-to-day rigors of their professional leagues, but wish to still pursue the game that they love. Whether you’re a player like Bure who had permanent injury risks if he stayed in a fast-pace high contact NHL, or someone like Teemu Selanne who just couldn’t keep up with the younger talent, a league like this would level the playing field for these guys.

This is especially good for those who aren’t sure what to do “after the game”. Even if you’re financially set, having a diminished purpose in life when you’re still twenty years from retirement age is a heartbreaking concept; you can only golf and vacation so much before it gets stale, and not everybody wants to coach or scout. Giving these players a reason to practice and play for a little while longer as they transition into new lives is a great idea.

This is a no-brainer. Alumni games pack arenas everywhere, whether it’s a prequel to a Winter Classic or the Hall of Fame Legends Game, or some obscure event that the local team puts on. Why? Because people want to take in the history. Adults want to see their heroes one more time or get the chance they never had. Parents want their kids to see what the big deal was about a Pavel Bure or a Dominik Hasek, and this gives that opportunity.

While you can’t exactly have 41 home games in a 20,000 seat arena, I’m sure that you can put together some good crowds in small to medium sized rinks for a tour of high-profile talent.

At the end of the day, it’s good for us to remember the progression of the sport, and how we got to where we are today. Seeing some of the best talents in the game’s history take each other on is a fun ode to that, and keeps these players relevant beyond their athletic peak. Seeing as they sacrifice their bodies for our entertainment, it’s a great idea to let them use them in a less-intensive but still true-to-heart setting.

Where this league goes still remains to be seen. One would expect that the style of play won’t be as intense as the NHL; maybe not completely non-contact, but non-checking would be unsurprising. Who opts in and who doesn’t? If Bure is the only star player, then the league obviously won’t gain steam, but if you see some of those Niklas Lidstrom or Sergei Fedorov types out there, anything’s possible.

North America is another hurdle too. How do you get them into the mix? Divvying it up into 6-8 regions and giving them their own league in a year wouldn’t be a crazy idea if the European Tour succeeds. Have the continents face each other in a best-of-five series. Heck, this year works out, you can start this league in Late June and end it in Late September, meaning the hockey season will never truly end!

Actually, maybe hold off on that last one. You just know that Jaromir Jagr will try to play in both. But in short, Bure and his group are on to something here with this idea. Fingers crossed that it succeeds.