Ray Bourque

Ray Bourque
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2004
Bourque with the Bruins during his early NHL career in 1981
Born	(1960-12-28) December 28, 1960 (age 56) 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
	1981 Canada
	1984 Canada
	1987 Canada

Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). Bourque is also an Olympian and has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and became its longest-serving captain.

Bourque finished his career with the Colorado Avalanche, with whom he won his only Stanley Cup in his final NHL game.

Bourque was born in Saint-Laurent, Quebec. Bourque was the third-round pick of the Trois-Rivières Draveurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Half-way through his rookie season, coach and GM Michel Bergeron traded Bourque to Sorel for high-scoring Benoit Gosselin. After a stellar junior career with Sorel and Verdun of the QMJHL, in which he was named the league's best defenceman in 1978 and 1979, Bourque was drafted 8th overall by the Bruins, with a first-round draft choice obtained from the Los Angeles Kings in a 1977 trade for goaltender Ron Grahame, whose son John would be a future teammate of Bourque's. Boston GM Harry Sinden intended to select defenceman Keith Brown, but Brown was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks immediately prior to Boston's selection. Panicking, the Bruins settled on Bourque, allegedly against their better judgment.