Ray Bourque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ray Bourque
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2004
Bourque with the Boston Bruins in 1981
Born	(1960-12-28) December 28, 1960 (age 64) Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	8th overall, 1979 Boston Bruins
Playing career	1979–2001
Medal record Men's ice hockey Representing Canada Canada Cup Silver 1981 Canada Gold 1984 Canada Gold 1987 Canada

Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is known as one of the greatest defensemen in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL). He holds records for the most goals, assists, and points ever scored by a defenseman in the NHL.

Bourque won the James Norris Memorial Trophy five times, which is given to the league's best defenseman. He was also chosen for the NHL All-Star team 19 times! He played for the Boston Bruins for 21 seasons and was their longest-serving captain. He finished his amazing career with the Colorado Avalanche, winning his only Stanley Cup championship in his very last NHL game. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

Early Life and Hockey Beginnings

Raymond Bourque was born in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada. His parents were from New Brunswick. Raymond grew up speaking both English and French. When he was 12, his mother passed away.

Junior Hockey Career

Bourque started his hockey journey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He quickly became known as a top defenseman. In both 1978 and 1979, he was named the league's best defenseman. Because of his great skills, the Boston Bruins picked him eighth overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing for the Boston Bruins

Bourque (wearing #7) being chased by Errol Rausse of the Washington Capitals during his rookie season (1979).

Raymond Bourque made a huge splash when he joined the Boston Bruins in the 1979–80 season. He even scored a goal in his very first game! He quickly showed everyone he was one of the best defensemen in the league. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie and was also named a First Team All-Star. This was the first time a rookie player (who wasn't a goalie) had ever done both! He set a record for rookie defensemen with 65 points that season.

In 1985, Bourque became a co-captain of the Bruins. By 1988, he became the team's only captain and kept that role for the rest of his time with the Bruins. He became the longest-serving captain in Bruins history.

For 21 seasons (from 1979 to 2000), Bourque was a key player for Boston. He was amazing at both scoring points and playing strong defense. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy five times as the league's top defenseman. The Bruins relied on him so much that the team often struggled when he wasn't playing.

During his time, the Bruins made the playoffs for 29 seasons in a row, which is a record! Bourque led them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1988 and 1990, but they lost both times. He was also popular with fans because he always signed new contracts with the Bruins easily, without long arguments about money.

Winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado

By the 1999–2000 season, the Bruins were not doing well. Raymond Bourque was nearing the end of his career and really wanted to win the Stanley Cup. So, he asked to be traded to a team that had a better chance. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

Even though he only played about a season and a half with the Avalanche, he made a big difference. In 2000, he helped them win their division. They made it to the conference finals but lost in a tough series.

Bourque came back for the 2000–01 season. He was a top defenseman for Colorado and played great alongside Adam Foote and Rob Blake. The Avalanche made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals! They won the series in seven games, and Raymond Bourque finally won his first Stanley Cup!

After the win, the team captain, Joe Sakic, broke tradition. He handed the Stanley Cup to Bourque first, so Raymond could be the first to skate with it. This was a special moment, as Bourque had played more games than any other player in history before winning his first Cup. He played 1,612 regular season games and 214 playoff games!

Three days after winning the Cup, Bourque brought it back to Boston. About 20,000 fans came to celebrate with him. He retired shortly after, holding records for defensemen with 410 goals, 1,169 assists, and 1,579 points.

International Hockey

Bourque also played for Team Canada in the Canada Cup in 1981, 1984, and 1987. He also played for Canada in the 1998 Winter Olympics, where he led all defensemen in scoring for his team.

Jersey Number 77

For most of his career, Raymond Bourque wore jersey number 77. After he retired, both the Bruins and the Avalanche honored him by retiring his number 77. This means no other player on those teams can wear that number. He is one of only nine players whose jersey has been retired by more than one club.

When he first joined the Bruins, Bourque was given number 7. This number had been worn by Bruins legend Phil Esposito. In 1987, the Bruins decided to retire Esposito's number 7. During the ceremony, Bourque did something special. He wore two jerseys. He took off his number 7 jersey and gave it to Esposito, showing he was "giving back" the number. Underneath, he revealed his new number to the crowd: 77, which he wore for the rest of his career!

Life After Hockey

The Aréna Raymond-Bourque in Saint-Laurent, QC.

Raymond Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year he was eligible. His hometown of Saint-Laurent, Quebec even named an arena after him, the "Aréna Raymond-Bourque."

Raymond and his wife Christiane still live in Massachusetts. They are involved in many local charities. Bourque also works as a team consultant for the Bruins and co-owns an Italian restaurant in Boston. He started the Bourque Family Foundation in 2017 to support good causes.

Raymond's sons also play hockey. His oldest son, Christopher, played for the Washington Capitals and later the Boston Bruins. His younger son, Ryan, was drafted by the New York Rangers and won a gold medal with the USA's World Junior Championship team in 2010.

Awards and Achievements

Bourque in 2024

Raymond Bourque's amazing talent made him one of the most honored players in hockey history. He was chosen for the NHL First Team All-Star squad 13 times (the most ever!) and the Second Team All-Star squad 6 times. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy five times as the league's best defenseman.

Here are some of his other impressive achievements:

Career Records

• He played 1,612 career games, which is 11th all-time in the NHL and 4th among defensemen.
• He has 1,169 career assists, a record for defensemen.
• He is 11th all-time in career points with 1,579.
• He is 1st in career points (1,579) and goals (410) scored by a defenseman.
• He holds the record for most shots on goal by a defenseman (6,206).
• He is the Boston Bruins' all-time leader in games played (1,518), assists (1,111), and points (1,506).
• In 1998, he was ranked number 14 on The Hockey News' list of the one hundred greatest hockey players of all time.
• In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

NHL Records

• He holds the NHL record for most shots on goal in one game with 19 (March 21, 1991).

Trophies and Honors

• Won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1980.
• Won the Norris Trophy in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1994.
• Won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1992 (for leadership and humanitarian contributions).
• Received the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2003 (for contributions to hockey in the United States).
• Stanley Cup champion in 2001.
• Led the NHL in shots in 1984, 1987, and 1995.

NHL All-Star Teams

• NHL First Team All-Star: 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 2001.
• Second Team All-Star: 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, and 1999.

NHL All-Star Game

• Played in the All-Star Game for 19 seasons in a row (every season it was held during his career).
• Was named Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game in 1996.
• Won the NHL All-Star Game Shooting Accuracy Competition multiple times: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International Play Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Ray Bourque para niños

• List of NHL statistical leaders
• Notable families in the NHL
• List of NHL career assists leaders
• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played