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Thursday, October 5, 2000
Bourque still chasing Stanley Cup dream
Associated Press
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DENVER -- Ernie Banks gave up his World Series chase after 19 years. Dan Marino went 17 seasons without fulfilling his Super Bowl dream.
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After two decades on ice, Ray Bourque is not ready to abandon his Stanley Cup quest.
The thrill of hoisting the Cup is the primary motivation for the
39-year-old defenseman as he enters his 22nd NHL season. Thoughts
of retirement began about five years ago, only to be outweighed each
summer by the lure of winning a championship.
"It's one thing that I haven't accomplished yet," Bourque said. "And it's the one thing that I'm playing for -- trying to win it all."
If not for a March 6 trade from the languishing Boston Bruins to
Colorado, Bourque might have turned in his hockey skates and
sweater for golf shoes and a polo shirt.
Instead, he shook off a Game 7 loss to Dallas in the Western
Conference finals and signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with
the Avalanche, who figure to make another title push behind
veterans Bourque, Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.
"All I want is a chance," Bourque said. "Just knowing you've
got an opportunity to get into the playoffs and have a good run,
that's what you want. I think we've got the ingredients to go out
and do something good."
During last season's playoff run, the Avalanche adopted a
win-one for Ray mantra. This year, the rallying cry seems to be:
Win one because of Ray.
"We're not playing golf. We're not playing tennis," Avalanche
forward Dave Reid said. "This is a team sport. A lot of guys have
great careers but, through no fault of their own, the team doesn't
achieve a championship."
Bourque's career goes well beyond his 403 goals -- most ever for
a defenseman -- and 1,117 assists, third-most in league history. He
is an unspoken team leader who seems indefatigable on the ice -- he
regularly plays 25-30 minutes per game -- and tireless in the weight
room.
"You watch him out there, he looks like one of the youngest
guys. He's a machine," 29-year-old Colorado defenseman Aaron
Miller said. "I can't imagine playing at that age. He looks like
he could play another 10 years."
Bourque does not rule out another two seasons, but his next
playoff appearance could be his last -- Stanley Cup or no Stanley
Cup.
"There would obviously be a void there, but it wouldn't be from
a lack of trying or a lack of effort and a successful career," he
said. "I would have never thought I'd still be playing approaching
my 40th birthday."
Drafted by Boston in 1979, Bourque was 29 when he made his second -- and most recent -- appearance in the Stanley Cup finals in 1990. A decade later, his brown hair remains free of gray and his skills rank among the NHL's elite.
When he requested a trade out of Boston, Bourque preferred to
continue his title quest in the East but welcomed the move to
Colorado because of its talent.
To ease the transition this season, his wife, Christiane, and
their youngest child moved to Denver. Their two oldest children
remained in high school in Massachusetts as Bourque reported to
training camp in a new place for the first time since President
Carter was in office.
"It was a little different, but it was comfortable coming here
knowing what I was coming to," Bourque said. "I think if I would
have signed as a free agent somewhere and come to a strange place
it would have been different, but I knew everybody and I knew how
they did things here."
Bourque and Adam Foote, who has spent his entire 10-year NHL
career with the organization, form Colorado's top defensive tandem
as the Avalanche battle perennial playoff contenders such as
Dallas, Detroit, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Even if the season ends without Bourque sipping from the most
well-traveled trophy in sports, he is sure to be honored in the
same manner as Hall of Fame shortstop Banks and future Hall of Fame
quarterback Marino.
"Ray's still playing. Let's wait and see what's going to happen," Colorado coach Bob Hartley said. "Ray Bourque cannot be compared to those guys right now because he still has a very good shot of winning a Cup."
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