Ray Bourque is one of the NHL’s consummate defensemen, holding the records for most career goals, assists, and points at the position in history. Bourque won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s best defenseman five times. Twice, he finished second in the voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, and it’s pretty rare for a defenseman to get votes for that award in the first place. He was named to the All-Star Team 19 times.
Bourque was also an Olympian with Team Canada and became the face of the Bruins, where he played 21 seasons. He was Boston’s longest-serving captain and was named on the 100 Greatest NHL Players list. But unfortunately, Bourque could never win a Stanley Cup in Boston, and the Bruins ultimately had to trade him to get him to a team that could pull it off.
Now, let’s take a look back at that famous — or perhaps infamous — Bourque trade.
The Trade
In 2000, in the middle of his 21st season in Boston, Bourque was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. It was a move that took over the discourse across the hockey world at the time. Bruins fans understood and supported the decision, considering Boston’s struggles to put a Cup-contending roster around their franchise defenseman. Bourque was drafted by Boston in 1979 and was the heart and soul of the franchise, team captain for 12 seasons, and is now known as one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history.
But Bourque could never hoist the Cup in a Bruins uniform. The B’s almost owed it to No. 77 to give him a chance to finally get his hands on the iconic trophy, and that was only possible elsewhere.
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Bourque was pursuing a championship down the stretch of his career, and he was close to winning it all a couple of times with the Bruins. He went to the Stanley Cup Final twice with Boston, and lost both times to the Edmonton Oilers in 1988 and 1990. In the 1999-2000 season, the Bruins were floundering, and Bourque’s career was winding down. So he decided to make a difficult decision and request a trade to a contender because it was his last chance to hoist Lord Stanley.
There was a mix of sadness and understanding from the Bruins fans because they knew that the current team wasn’t likely to win the Cup soon. The fans wanted to see their long-term captain get a chance to win it all. The trade had a unique impact on the Bruins fans’ loyalty, but it didn’t take away the respect they had for him. Most fans embraced his move to Colorado.
Fans continued to support him and were pulling big time for the Avs to win it all. The Bruins fans loved Bourque’s personality, his humility, hard work, and a team-first attitude. His request for a trade was viewed as an extension of his dedication to the game of hockey, rather than a selfish act. Therefore, this continued to cement his place as a beloved figure in the Bruins’ history.
Now, there were some fans who put their frustration not on Bourque, but on the Bruins management, particularly then-GM Harry Sinden. The team struggled during the last years of Bourque’s career, and they could have made better moves to get a contending team around him. Overall, this trade created a rare scenario, where a player’s departure strengthened the bond even more with the Bruins fanbase, instead of it getting ugly quickly.
An Avalanche Impact
Once in Colorado, Bourque’s impact was the size of an Avalanche for the Avs. He became an alternate captain for the team and helped the team capture its division title. The Avs went on to the Conference Finals but lost to the Dallas Stars.
Bourque returned for the 2000-01 season, and he finally reached the mountain top, as the Avs beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in the series, and won the Stanley Cup. The iconic moment happened on June 9, 2001, as Joe Sakic handed the Cup to Bourque first, allowing him to take the first celebratory lap. The moment was a powerful display of respect and sportsmanship. Also, Bruins fans celebrated the victory as if they had won the Cup as well.
Aftermath
Bourque retired shortly after the 2001 Stanley Cup win, and it ended his legendary playing career of 22 seasons in the league. His number 77 was retired by both the Bruins and the Avalanche. Bourque was all about skill, loyalty, and leadership, and he enjoyed that Stanley Cup achievement very much. He brought joy to hockey fans everywhere, and they respected how loyal he was.
Boston had such reverence for Bourque, the city even held a Stanley Cup rally for Bourque, despite him winning with a different team. The celebration has gone down as one of the more infamous moments in the history of Boston sports fandom.
Darren McCollester/Getty ImagesHis Legacy
Bourque was one of the greatest defensemen of all time. He was known for his leadership as captain of the Bruins for many years. Bourque was a legendary and iconic player because he had a powerful slap shot, a great sense of the game, and consistently played at the highest level.
His deep loyalty to Boston made him the face of the franchise for more than two decades. He was also a leader in the community and dedicated his fundraising efforts to causes that were close to his heart. The trade led to a storybook finish for his career, and his No. 77 is a symbol of his legacy.
The Bruins are fortunate to have won the Stanley Cup in 2011, or else the infamy of the Bourque trade may continue to hang over the franchise.