Following in the skates of Bruins legend Bobby Orr, Raymond Jean Bourque was a stellar blue liner with offensive instincts. He was the face of the Boston Bruins for 21 seasons before being traded to Colorado where he became a Stanley Cup champion. Though he wasn't officially crowned champion until 2001, all Bruins fans knew since his rookie year in 1979 that he had the heart of a champion.
Raymond Bourque was drafted in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1979 NHL draft. Boston acquired the draft pick in a trade with Los Angeles for goaltender Ron Grahame. Being born in Quebec and a fan of the Montreal Canadiens as a youngster, Bourque was now going to lace up his skates for their arch nemesis, the Boston Bruins.
Bourque made an instant impact in his rookie season. He scored in his first game as a Boston Bruin. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year and set the all time record for scoring by a first year defenseman with 65 points.
Bourque scored at least 55 points a season through 1985 with his best being 96 points in 1983-1984. The Bruins chose Bour ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Joe Gill