Candace Cameron Bure’s Husband: Children and Growing Family

Candace Cameron Bure’s husband is Valeri Bure, a former professional hockey player who built an impressive sporting career before turning his attention toward family and winemaking. The couple married in 1996, beginning a partnership that has now spanned three decades.

Their story started at a charity hockey game, with a little help from someone familiar to Full House fans. Dave Coulier introduced them, creating a connection between Candace’s television world and Valeri’s life on the ice.

Since then, they have raised three children, navigated demanding careers and spoken about the work involved in staying together. In 2026, their family entered another chapter as they became grandparents.

For viewers discovering more about Candace through Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, her marriage offers a different perspective on the actress beyond her screen roles.

Who Is Valeri Bure?

Valeri Bure is a Russian former professional ice hockey player whose NHL career included time with several teams.

He played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars. His playing career took him through different cities and placed him in one of the most demanding professional sports environments.

He also represented Russia internationally. At the 1998 Winter Olympics, he earned a silver medal, followed by a bronze medal at the 2002 Games.

Those achievements form a substantial part of his own story. Although many television viewers first encounter his name through Candace, Valeri had a career and public identity established through hockey.

His life after the sport brought a different set of priorities, including more time with his family and a business venture built around wine.

How Did Candace Cameron Bure Meet Her Husband?

Candace and Valeri met at a charity hockey game when she was 18 and he was 20.

The introduction came through Dave Coulier, her Full House costar. Candace attended the game with fellow cast members Bob Saget and Lori Loughlin, making the occasion an unexpected meeting point between television and professional sports.

Coulier introduced Candace to Valeri, who was playing in the game.

Years later, the memory remained part of the couple’s public story. When Candace reflected on their first meeting in a 2021 Instagram post, Saget recalled Valeri giving her his sweaty jersey after the game.

It is a small, slightly funny detail that makes their introduction feel personal. Before there was a wedding, children or a shared business, there was a hockey game and a young couple getting to know each other.

They Married in 1996

Candace and Valeri tied the knot in 1996, when she was 20 years old.

Marrying young meant that many of their adult milestones happened within the relationship. Parenthood followed, alongside the responsibilities of his hockey career and her work in entertainment.

By 2026, they had reached 30 years of marriage.

That length of time can make a celebrity relationship look simple from a distance. In their case, Candace has also discussed difficult periods, giving a more complicated picture than an anniversary photograph alone might suggest.

Their marriage has included changing careers, raising children and adjusting as those children became adults. The relationship they began in their early twenties has continued through several very different stages of family life.

Why Did Valeri Bure Retire From Hockey?

Valeri retired from professional hockey in 2005 following back and hip injuries.

The physical demands of the sport were an important part of that decision. He also cited wanting more time with Candace and their family.

By then, the couple had three young children. Stepping away from hockey changed the structure of his working life and created room for a different daily routine.

Retirement from professional sport can involve a considerable adjustment. Training, travel and competition have shaped an athlete’s schedule for years, and leaving that environment brings questions about what comes next.

For Valeri, the next chapter included both family time and an interest that would become a business.

Valeri and Candace Started Bure Family Wines

After his hockey career ended, Valeri moved into the wine business.

He and Candace opened Bure Family Wines in 2006, creating a shared venture outside their original professions.

The change was significant. Professional hockey and winemaking involve very different kinds of work, even though both require patience, preparation and attention to detail.

For readers who know Valeri only as a retired athlete, the winery helps explain how his professional life continued to develop. Retirement from hockey did not mean the end of his working ambitions.

It also gave the couple something they could build together while their children were growing up.

Candace and Valeri Have Three Children

Candace and Valeri are parents to Natasha, Lev and Maksim.

Their daughter, Natasha, was born in 1998, when Candace was 22. Son Lev followed in 2000, and their youngest child, Maksim, arrived in 2002.

Those early parenting years overlapped with Valeri’s hockey career, placing family responsibilities alongside the schedule of a professional athlete.

Over time, their household changed from one centered on raising young children to one in which their children were making independent lives.

Candace has continued to speak about family as an important part of her world. Her comments about the children also show that their relationships have evolved, with the younger generation eventually offering advice and support to their parents.

Candace Has Spoken About a Difficult Period in Their Marriage

Candace has publicly discussed a rough patch that she and Valeri experienced in 2020.

Speaking on her podcast, she described a period when their relationship was struggling and they questioned whether they would get through it.

It was a personal admission from someone whose marriage is often mentioned as an example of longevity in entertainment.

Her account should be understood as her own description of that time. It does not provide every detail of what happened between them, and there is no need to guess at private causes.

What she chose to emphasize was the role their children played in encouraging them to reconsider the relationship and their commitment to each other.

Their Children Offered Marriage Advice

According to Candace, their children spoke to them at length about marriage during that difficult period.

She described a conversation lasting around 45 minutes, with one of her sons using the Bible as part of the discussion.

Candace credited that intervention with helping her and Valeri through the situation.

The moment reverses the usual direction of family advice. Parents spend years guiding their children, but adult children can eventually become people their parents listen to as well.

Faith was part of the conversation as Candace described it. More broadly, her account shows how seriously the children took the relationship between their parents.

It also adds a meaningful detail to the family’s story without suggesting that a long marriage is free of uncertainty or effort.

What Candace Said About Valeri on Special Forces

Candace discussed her relationship dynamic while appearing on Season 5 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

In a preview for the October 15 episode, she became emotional while talking about a weakness she identified in herself as a leader. She described Valeri as an “alpha” and herself as a “beta,” connecting that explanation to the support he provides at home.

Her comments were made in the context of a demanding television challenge. The series pushed her into circumstances where she had to examine how she responds under pressure.

They offered her perspective on the marriage, rather than a complete account of how every household decision is made.

For viewers, the moment connected a public challenge with a personal relationship she has relied on for many years.

They Became Grandparents in 2026

The Bure family expanded again in 2026 when Natasha and Lev both welcomed children.

Natasha married Bradley Steven Perry in September 2025. Their daughter, Winnie, was born in October 2026.

Lev married Elliott in January 2024, and the couple welcomed their son, Bond, in August 2026.

Bond arrived 10 weeks early and spent nearly six weeks in the hospital before going home at the end of September.

That experience brought concern alongside the happiness of welcoming a baby. His homecoming was an important milestone for the family.

With two grandchildren arriving within a short period, Candace and Valeri entered a new stage together, this time watching their own children become parents.

Three Decades of Marriage and a Growing Family

Valeri Bure’s story includes Olympic medals, an NHL career and a move into winemaking. His marriage to Candace has developed alongside those changes, beginning with their introduction at a charity hockey game.

They married young, welcomed three children and continued through the adjustments that come with long careers and family life.

Candace’s public reflections have included gratitude, affection and an acknowledgment of difficulty. That combination gives their relationship more depth than a simple account of a lasting celebrity marriage.

Now, with Natasha, Lev and Maksim grown and grandchildren joining the family, Candace and Valeri have another chapter to share. The couple who met through hockey in their youth are experiencing family life from an entirely new position, as grandparents together.