You’ve seen him in the background of a thousand Instagram posts. Usually, he's holding a glass of wine or smiling next to a Christmas tree. Most people just know him as Valeri Bure, the guy who married D.J. Tanner. But honestly? Reducing him to "Candace Cameron Bure's husband" is kinda like calling a Ferrari just a "red car." It misses the whole engine.
Valeri wasn't some random guy Candace met at a Hollywood party. He was a legitimate Russian hockey phenom who moved across the world as a teenager. He didn't speak the language. He just played.
Today, they’ve been married for nearly 30 years. In Hollywood terms, that’s basically an eternity. But their story isn't just about red carpets and Hallmark movies. It's about a 1990s "meet-cute" involving a Joey Gladstone introduction and a transition from professional sports to high-end Napa Valley winemaking.
The Night Dave Coulier Played Matchmaker
It sounds like a sitcom plot, but it’s real. Back in 1994, Dave Coulier (yes, Uncle Joey) invited his Full House co-stars to a charity hockey game. Candace was there with Bob Saget and Lori Loughlin.
She wasn't looking for a husband. She was just watching the game.
Then she saw him. Valeri was the "super cute, blond-haired" Russian on the ice. Dave introduced them after the game, and the rest is history. They didn't wait around, either. They were engaged in Paris and married by June 22, 1996. Candace was only 20. Valeri was 22.
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People at the time probably thought they were too young. They weren't.
More Than Just an Athlete
If you aren't a hockey fan, you might not realize how good Valeri Bure actually was. He wasn't just a benchwarmer. He played 10 seasons in the NHL. We’re talking about the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, and Florida Panthers.
- The Stats: He racked up 400 career points.
- The Peak: In the 1999-2000 season, he scored 35 goals for Calgary.
- The Family Legacy: His brother is Pavel Bure, the "Russian Rocket" and a Hall of Famer. Together, they once set the NHL record for most goals by a pair of siblings in a single season (93 goals).
His career didn't end on his own terms, though. Back and hip injuries are brutal. By 2005, he had to hang up the skates. For an elite athlete, that's a mid-life crisis waiting to happen at age 31. Instead, he pivoted.
The Napa Valley Pivot: Bure Family Wines
Most retired athletes buy a car dealership or become commentators. Valeri went to the dirt. Specifically, the dirt in St. Helena.
He had fallen in love with wine during his time playing in Montreal. The veteran players there taught him the ropes. So, in 2006, he and Candace launched Bure Family Wines.
This isn't a "celebrity vanity project" where they just slap a name on a bottle. Valeri is deeply involved. They bought a tiny two-acre plot in a high-end neighborhood—we’re talking neighbors like Grace Family Vineyards. They only produce a few hundred cases a year.
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If you look at the label, you'll see a bird of prey. It’s a nod to his Russian heritage and his great-grandfather, who was a watchmaker for the Tsar. But look closer at the bird's talons. It’s clutching a hockey stick.
It’s a cool way of saying he hasn't forgotten where he came from, even while he’s producing $200 bottles of Cabernet.
That "Deep Brokenness" Everyone Talked About
Last year, Candace got surprisingly real on her podcast. She admitted that their marriage hasn't been a straight line of happiness. She used the term "deep brokenness."
It was a shock to fans who see their polished social media.
Apparently, around 2020, they hit a wall. It was a "rough season" where they weren't sure they'd make it. It’s weirdly relatable. Even with the money and the fame, they struggled with the same stuff everyone else does—communication, ego, and life transitions.
Their son, Lev, actually stepped in. He gave them some pretty blunt, faith-based perspective that helped them reset. Now that their three kids—Natasha, Lev, and Maksim—are grown, the Bures are in their "empty nester" phase.
"You have to find your relationship again when the kids get older," Candace recently noted.
Life in 2026: The New Generation
The Bure family tree is growing fast. Their daughter Natasha just got married in September 2025 to actor Bradley Steven Perry. Lev is married and working in the family wine business. Maksim is finishing up college and playing hockey himself.
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Valeri stays mostly out of the spotlight compared to Candace. He doesn't do the talk show circuit. He doesn't have a reality show. He seems content running the winery and being the backbone of the family.
Key Takeaways for Fans
If you're following the Bures, here's the "real talk" on why their dynamic works:
- Shared Pivot: They supported each other through massive career shifts (his retirement, her move to GAF).
- Privacy Boundaries: Valeri remains the "quiet" partner, which balances Candace’s public-facing life.
- Legacy Focus: They’ve successfully integrated their kids into their businesses rather than just their fame.
If you want to understand the couple better, skip the tabloids. Look at the winery or the old NHL highlights. That’s where the real Valeri Bure lives. He's a guy who reinvented himself twice and managed to keep a marriage together in a town that usually breaks them.
To get the most out of following their journey, pay attention to how they handle this new "empty nest" era. It’s often the most telling time for long-term celebrity couples. You can check out the Bure Family Wines website if you want to see the literal fruits of Valeri's second act, though be warned—the production is so small that most vintages sell out via a mailing list before they ever hit a shelf.