Ray Bourque and the Stanley Cup, 10 Years Later

Ray Bourque winning the 2001 Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche

Ray Bourque may have been better known wearing the Bruins' black and gold for three decades. But it was wearing the Avalanche's maroon and ice blue sweaters that sealed his Hall of Fame career. In his final NHL season of 2000-01, he finally tasted the only prize that had eluded him since getting drafted by the Bruins in 1979: the Stanley Cup. That year, Bourque and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the defending champion New Jersey Devils in seven games for their second Stanley Cup. But instead of holding the newly-won cup up high, Avs captain Joe Sakic immediately handed it over to Bourque who raised it in a moment of triumph and vindication. A few weeks after, he brought it to Boston and presented it to the Bruins faithful.

For Bourque, it was a moment to remember, as it healed all the struggles he endured while wearing the Bruins' black and gold. As a Bruin, he captained the team to the Stanley Cup Finals twice in 1988 and 1990, only to lose to a more dominant Edmonton Oilers dynasty each time. The Bruins were title contenders in Bourque's prime, and at its peak winning the President's Trophy in 1990, they had a dangerous team of Bourque, Cam Neely, Don Sweeney, Reggie Lemelin, Andy Moog and Glen Wesley. The Bruins though weren't able to solve the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers, and even Patrick Roy and the Canadiens of Montreal. After 20-plus years, Bruins GM Harry Sinden traded his star to the Avalanche midway through the 2000 season in the hopes of winning the Stanley Cup.

In 2001, the Avs already sported a dangerous team of Sakic, Roy, Adam Foote, Milan Hejduk, Peter Forsberg, Rob Blake, and now Bourque. That combo would ride their way to the President's Trophy that year and eventually beat the Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Devils of two Scotts (Stevens and Niedermayer), Martin Brodeur, Ken Daneyko and Patrik Elias, the Avs had a hard time disposing of the defending champions, before finally extinguishing them at Pepsi with a 3-1 Game 7 victory. And after commissioner Gary Bettman handed the cup to Sakic, he immediately handed it over to Bourque in a show of respect for the retiring defenceman.

Ten years later, his old team broke a 39-year title drought at Vancouver, in a Game 7 and in a shutout that triggered a riot outside Rogers Arena. Even though his triumph didn't come from wearing a black and gold sweater, the Bruins still retired Bourque's No. 77 in a show of class and respect.  The Avs did the same by retiring his number, despite playing for only a year and a half. Bourque was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. Though he may have won the cup in Colorado, he's still a Bruin to me.