Ray Bourque

It comes as no surprise that Ray Bourque was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Bourque is of course one of the top three defensemen of all-time (number 2 on my list) and the all-time leading scorer among defensemen.

Ray Bourque is also an icon in Boston. A most unlikely icon. Boston Bruins fans love Bourque because he personified hard work, hustle and unselfish play. Most of all we loved him because he personified class.

Ray Bourque was given the number 7 when he arrived in Boston. Any Boston fan could tell you that the last person to wear number 7 for the Bruins was Phil Esposito. When it came time to retire Esposito's number - Ray Bourque literally gave Esposito the shirt off his back and adopted the number 77 as his own (leaving 7 for Esposito alone). Bourque unexpectedly taking the jersey off to hand to Esposito ranks as one of the greatest moments in Boston sports history.

Another less publicized act that sticks in my mind was Bourque showing up at the funeral for Reggie Lewis. It was as if Bourque was the unofficial representative of the Bruins and of Bruins fans at the funeral. It wasn't as if Bourque did it because he had to do it. To me it seemed that he was there to pay respects to Reggie because it was the right thing to do. (I know this may seem like a minor thing to remember but it does stick in my head as an example of how Bourque was always doing the right and classy thing.)

Ray Bourque gave every last ounce of effort for the Bruins but in the end it wasn't enough. Bourque wanted his name on the Stanley Cup and following the 1997 season - he knew it wouldn't happen in Boston. Sure he wasn't traded until 2000 but it was really 1996 that must have put the realization in his head that Boston wasn't going to win the Cup any time soon.

In 1996 the Bruins traded Adam Oates and Bill Ranford to the Capitols for Jim Carey and Jason Allison. The trade was about money as much as anything else. The Bruins just weren't about to pay Oates top dollar and so they traded him instead of paying him.

I've never had much qualm with how Harry Sinden ran the Bruins but one thing that always stuck in my craw was his so called "Ray Bourque rule". When justifying not signing a particular free agent or when driving one of the Bruins top players out of town - Sinden would always justify it by saying that he just wasn't going to pay anyone more that what Ray Bourque made because that would be an insult to Bourque.

Bourque never said anything about this publicly but I have to guess that this must of bothered him too. Bourque took a discount to play for the Bruins and the Bruins knew that. Yet they turned around and used this discounted salary as a justification for not paying other top players like Adam Oates or any of the top free agents that may have put the Bruins over the top in the quest for the Cup.

In the end - Bourque's actions spoke louder than his words. When he was traded to the Avalanche - there were many people on the team paid more than Bourque and that didn't seem to bother number 77. No Bourque didn't care what other people were making - all he cared about was working hard and winning.

That's why he is so beloved. And that's why Bruins fans were so happy for him when Ray Bourque finally got his name on the Stanley Cup.