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 Gold 1984 Canada Gold 1987 Canada

Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a famous Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds amazing records for most goals, assists, and points scored by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). A defenceman is a player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring.

Raymond Bourque won the James Norris Memorial Trophy five times. This award goes to the NHL's best defenceman. 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. Bourque finished his career with the Colorado Avalanche, where he finally won his only Stanley Cup championship in his very last NHL game. He is considered one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

Raymond Bourque's Early Life

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

Bourque's Hockey Journey

Starting in Junior Hockey

Bourque began his hockey career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was picked by the Trois-Rivières Draveurs. He quickly became known as a top defenceman. In 1978 and 1979, he was named the league's best defenceman.

The Boston Bruins drafted him eighth overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. The Bruins' general manager, Harry Sinden, had planned to pick another player. But that player was chosen just before Boston's turn. So, the Bruins picked Bourque, and it turned out to be a great choice!

Playing for the Boston Bruins (1979–2000)

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

Raymond Bourque made a huge splash in Boston right away. In his first game in the 1979–80 season, he scored a goal against the Winnipeg Jets. He was so good that he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie player. He was also named a First Team All-Star, which was a first for a rookie non-goalie in NHL history! He scored 65 points that season, a record for a rookie defenceman at the time.

In 1985, Bourque became a co-captain of the Bruins. Later, in 1988, he became the team's only captain. He held this role for the rest of his time with the Bruins. He became the longest-serving Bruins captain ever.

Bourque was an amazing player for Boston for 21 seasons. He was known for being great at both offense (scoring points) and defense (stopping opponents). He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy five times as the league's best defenceman. The Bruins relied on him heavily. If he was out of the game, the team often struggled.

During his time, the Bruins made the playoffs for 29 seasons in a row! This was a record for North American professional sports. Bourque led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1988 and 1990, but they lost both times to the Edmonton Oilers. In the 1996–97 season, he missed the playoffs for the only time in his career.

Bourque was also very popular with Bruins fans. He always signed new contracts quickly and without any arguments. He didn't try to get the highest salary possible, which made the players' union a bit annoyed, but fans loved his loyalty.

Winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado (2000–2001)

By the 1999–2000 season, the Bruins were not doing well. 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 for the Avalanche for a season and a half, he made a big difference. In 2000, he helped the Avalanche win their division. They made it to the conference finals but lost.

Bourque returned for the 2000–01 season. He was a key player on defense. The Avalanche made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals! They played against the New Jersey Devils. Bourque scored a winning goal in Game 3. Colorado won the series in seven games, and Raymond Bourque finally won his first Stanley Cup!

After the game, the team captain, Joe Sakic, broke tradition. He handed the Stanley Cup to Bourque first, so he could skate around with it. This was a special moment because Bourque had played more games than any other player in history before winning his first Cup.

On June 12, 2001, Bourque brought the Cup back to Boston. About 20,000 fans came to celebrate with him! Soon after, he retired. He set records for defencemen with 410 goals, 1,169 assists, and 1,579 points.

Playing for Team Canada

Bourque played for Team Canada in the Canada Cup in 1981, 1984, and 1987. He also played for the Canadian team in the 1998 Winter Olympics. He was a top defenceman in that tournament, scoring one goal and two assists.

His Famous Jersey Number

For most of his NHL career, 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 wore number 7. This number had been worn by a Bruins legend, Phil Esposito. In 1987, the Bruins decided to retire number 7 in Esposito's honor. Bourque was allowed to keep wearing it, but he had a special plan.

At the ceremony to retire Esposito's number, Bourque skated over to him. He took off his number 7 jersey and handed it to Esposito. Underneath, he was wearing his new number: 77! It was a great way to honor Esposito and show his new number to the fans.

Life After Hockey

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

Raymond Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. His hometown of Saint-Laurent named an arena after him, called the "Aréna Raymond-Bourque."

Bourque and his wife, Christiane, still live in Massachusetts. They are involved in many local charities. He also co-owns an Italian restaurant in Boston. In 2017, he started the Bourque Family Foundation to help with charitable events.

Raymond Bourque'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 is one of the most honored players in hockey history. He was chosen for the NHL First Team All-Star squad 13 times, which is the most ever! He also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy five times as the league's top defenceman.

Here are some of his other amazing achievements:

• He played 1,612 career games, which is the 11th most all-time.
• He has the most career assists (1,169) and points (1,579) for a defenceman.
• He also has the most career goals (410) for a defenceman.
• He is the Boston Bruins' all-time leader in games played, assists, and points.
• 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.

Trophies and Awards

• Won the Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year) in 1980.
• Won the James Norris Memorial Trophy (Best Defenceman) in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1994.
• Won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Leadership and Humanitarian Contribution) in 1992.
• Won the Stanley Cup in 2001.
• Was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game in 1996.
• Won the NHL All-Star Game Shooting Accuracy Competition many times (1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001).

International Statistics

Images for kids

• 

  Bourque with the Boston Bruins in 1981

• 

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

• 

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

• 

  Bourque in 2024

See also

In Spanish: Ray Bourque para niños