Ray Bourque

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Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Height Weight	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 220 lb (100 kg/15 st 10 lb)
Pro clubs	Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche
Nationality	Canada
Born	December 28, 1960 (1960-12-28) (age 47), Saint-Laurent, PQ, CAN
NHL Draft	8th overall, 1979 Boston Bruins
Pro career	1979 – 2001
Hall of Fame, 2004

Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque (born December 28, 1960 in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a district of Montreal) is a Hockey Hall of Famer who currently holds the records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL) and has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins. He played for the Bruins and Colorado Avalanche.

[edit] Playing career

After a stellar junior career with Sorel and Verdun of the QMJHL, in which he was named the league's best defenceman in 1978 and 1979, Ray Bourque burst onto the NHL scene in 1979 after being drafted in the first round, 8th overall, by the Bruins. Bourque immediately asserted himself as one of the best defencemen in the league, and won both the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-Star selection, the first time in NHL history a non-goaltender had ever achieved such a distinction.

Bourque was a solid force for Boston for twenty-one seasons (1979–2000), famous for combining offensive prowess at a level that few defencemen in league history had ever achieved – he was a perennial shot accuracy champion at All-Star Games—and near-unparalleled defensive excellence. The Bruins' reliance on his on-ice mastery was so total that—while Bourque was very durable throughout much of his career—the team was seen by many to flounder whenever he was out of the lineup.

Bourque's prowess led him to become one of the most honored players in NHL history. During his career he was selected to thirteen First Team (the most in history) and six Second Team All-Star squads, second in total in league history only to Gordie Howe and most amongst defencemen. In 1990 Bourque finished second to Mark Messier in the closest race ever for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the league's Most Valuable Player award. He also served as Boston's team captain for fourteen seasons, the longest tenure in Bruins' history and the second longest in NHL history. He won the Norris Trophy as the top defenceman in the league five times, third all-time (tied with Nicklas Lidström) only to Doug Harvey and Bobby Orr.

Early in 2000, Bourque requested a trade from the fading Bruins so he would have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. The Bruins facilitated a deal and on March 6, 2000, Bourque was traded to Colorado with Dave Andreychuk for Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Pahlsson, and a first round draft pick.

Although Bourque played just a season and a half with the Avalanche, he proved to be a force both on the ice and in the locker room, leading Colorado defencemen in scoring, and being named an alternate captain and making the First All-Star team in his final season. Finally, on June 9, 2001, after 22 seasons, the Avalanche—and Bourque—won the Stanley Cup, in what proved to be Bourque's final game as a player. He had waited longer to win his first Cup than any other Cup-winning player had in the 108-year history of Stanley Cup play. On June 12, 2001, Bourque exercised his right as a player to bring the Cup back to Boston for an emotional rally in City Hall Plaza attended by some 20,000 screaming fans.

He retired with 410 goals and 1169 assists for 1579 points, all records for a defenceman.

[edit] Awards and achievements

• Is seventh in all-time games played with 1612.
• Is seventy-second in all-time goals scored with 410.
• Retired second, and is currently fourth, in all-time assists with 1169.
• Is ninth in all-time points scored with 1579.
• Is first in all-time points scored by a defense with 1579.
• Is first in all-time defense goals scored with 410.
• Won the Norris Trophy in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1994.
• Won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1992.
• Received the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2003.
• Named a First Team All-Star in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990–1994, 1996 and 2001.
• Named a Second Team All-Star in 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995 and 1999.
• Played for Team Canada in Canada Cup tournaments, 1981, 1984, 1987
• Became only the sixth defenceman in NHL history to score 30 goals in a season, 1984
• Became only the third defenceman in NHL history to reach the 1,000 NHL points milestone, 1992
• Is the Bruins' all-time career leader in games played, assists and points; also ranks fourth in goals.
• Registered his 1,528th point Oct. 25, 2000, vs. Nashville, passing Paul Coffey as the NHL's all-time leader among defencemen.
• Registered his 1,137th assist Dec. 21, 2000 vs. L.A. Kings, passing Paul Coffey for second place on the NHL's all-time assists list and first among defencemen.
• Named to play in the All-Star Game for the 19th consecutive season, passing Wayne Gretzky for the league record, 2001
• Was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game in 1996.
• Is third all-time in playoff assists and tenth all-time in playoff points.
• In 1998, prior to his Stanley Cup farewell, he was ranked number 14 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] International play

Bourque played for Team Canada in the Canada Cup in 1981, 1984 and 1987. He also played for the NHL All-Stars in Rendez-vous '87 against the Soviet Union, and played for the Canadian team in the 1998 Winter Olympics, leading all defencemen in scoring.

[edit] Retirement

Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. His uniform number #77 has been retired by both the Bruins and the Avalanche.

He still lives in the Boston area, remaining active in several local charities, and was named a Boston Bruins team consultant on November 3, 2005.

[edit] Trivia

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• When Bourque started playing for the Bruins, he wore jersey number 7. When the Bruins decided to retire #7 for Phil Esposito, Bourque approached Esposito during the on-ice ceremonies and removed his #7 jersey to reveal a new #77 jersey beneath, signifying that Bourque was surrendering his old number in Esposito's honor. Many years later, in 1997, Bourque's former Bruins teammate Adam Oates would wear #77 for the remainder of his career in honor of Bourque.
• Was a teammate of John Grahame, the goaltender whose father Ron Grahame was traded by Boston in 1977 for the draft pick used to select Bourque.
• His son, Chris Bourque, was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2004. The younger Bourque is a well-regarded prospect who subsequently turned professional, playing for the Hershey Bears in the 2006 season.
• Has an arena named after him in his hometown of Saint-Laurent.
• Is co-owner of an Italian restaurant called Tresca[1] in Boston's North End.
• Was the first player, since the tradition was established, to carry the Stanley Cup on the victory lap before the team captain, then Joe Sakic. This was done in his final playing year with the Colorado Avalanche.
• Reportedly asked to be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2000. Flyers GM Bobby Clarke offered the Bruins Andy Delmore and Daymond Langkow for Bourque. In reality, Bruins GM Harry Sinden and Colorado Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix were finalizing a trade, under the conditions that it could not be leaked to the press. Sinden told Bourque "This may not be your first choice, but this is the team I feel is best.", Sinden proved to be correct as the Avs won the 2001 Stanley Cup.
• Bourque only received one game misconduct in his entire 22 year NHL career

[edit] See also

• Captain (ice hockey)
• Hockey Hall of Fame
• List of NHL players
• List of NHL statistical leaders
• List of NHL seasons
• Notable families in the NHL
• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

[edit] External links

• Ray Bourque's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Ray Bourque's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• For Bourque, at long last Stanley