Ray Bourque had accomplished almost everything a hockey player could dream of. Five Norris Trophies, nineteen All-Star Game appearances and more than two decades wearing a Boston Bruins sweater. There was only one thing missing: a Stanley Cup. At 39, Bourque was running out of time.
On March 6, 2000, the Colorado Avalanche acquired legendary defenseman and power forward Dave Andreychuk from the Bruins in exchange for centers Brian Rolston and Samuel Pahlsson, defenseman Martin Grenier, and a first-round draft pick in the 2000 NHL Draft. The trade would eventually produce one of the most unforgettable moments in NHL history.
The Bruins were fading in the standings; Bourque reluctantly requested a trade from the only team he ever played for after realizing his chances of winning a Stanley Cup were diminishing. The Avalanche already possessed an impressive collection of talent, including Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy. Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix understood what Bourque could bring to a team with championship aspirations and Bourque understood what the Avalanche could offer him.
Unfortunately, the story didn’t immediately produce a happy ending. The Avalanche reached the 2000 Western Conference Final but fell to the Dallas Stars in a hard fought seven games. After another season without a Stanley Cup ring, Bourque could have retired. Instead, he returned for one last dance.
The Avalanche responded with a remarkable 2000-01 campaign, capturing the Presidents’ Trophy and finishing with the NHL’s best regular-season record. The Avalanche then advanced through the playoffs to face the defending champion New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final. But once again, Bourque’s dream appeared to be in jeopardy. The Devils took a 3-2 series lead, leaving the Avalanche one loss away from losing their Cup dreams.
The Avalanche responded with a Game 6, 4-0 shutout, setting up a winner-take-all showdown in Denver. On June 9, 2001, the Avalanche came out like a team that was out to win a Stanley Cup for Bourque more than for themselves.
Forward Alex Tanguay spotted the Avalanche to a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals, while captain Joe Sakic made it 3-0 with a goal a little more than a minute later. The Devils scored a goal with about ten minutes left, but it was too little, too late.
Patrick Roy stopped the Devils the rest of the way as the Avalanche home crowd went absolutely ballistic as the final horn sounded. They knew what was happening. Ray Bourque was finally a Stanley Cup champion.
But the most memorable moment was still to come. Sakic broke with tradition after accepting the Stanley Cup and, rather than taking the customary first hoist of it, he immediately handed the trophy to Bourque. After 22 seasons, Bourque finally lifted the Stanley Cup above his head. It was a moment that transcended team loyalties, and it gave one of hockey’s greatest defensemen the ending his storybook career deserved. And sometimes, that’s worth more than any trade return.
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