Ray Bourque was an NHL legend who played from 1979 to 2001, setting records for goals, assists, and points by a defenseman. After 21 years with the Boston Bruins, Bourque was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for his final season. Led by captain Joe Sakic, the Avalanche reached the Stanley Cup finals, where Bourque took the final shots in Game 7 to win the championship. Traditionally, the captain is first to skate with the Cup, but Sakic passed it to Bourque, a respected veteran who had never won it during his long career.

2.  Northfield Mount Hermon student KJ Paseka has
competed in varsity hockey in Massachusetts and
with teams that travel throughout Canada. As both a
hockey player and spectator of this sport, K.J. Paseka
cites Ray Bourque as one of his top inspirations.
Considered one of the best players ever to play the
game, Ray Bourque was respected for his talents as a
player and as a human being. An NHL legend, he
played from 1979 to 2001 and set records for most
career goals, assists, and points by a defenseman.
Only Wayne Gretzky exceeds his lifetime total of
1,169 assists.

3.  After spending 21 years with the Boston
Bruins, Bourque was traded to the Colorado
Avalanche for his final year in professional
hockey (the 2000-2001 season). Led by
captain Joe Sakic, the team reached the
Stanley Cup finals against the New Jersey
Devils. The final 30 seconds of Game 7
came down to a faceoff with Bourque
taking the final shots and successfully
winning the Stanley Cup for his team.

4.  Tradition states that the first player to
skate around the rink with the Stanley
Cup is the captain. Instead, Sakic passed
it over to Bourque, a respected veteran
who had never received the Cup
throughout his extensive career. ESPN
ranked this event in its list of 100 most
memorable moments of the past 25
years.