Bourque, now 54, was in Kings County June 18 as the headline guest for the annual Acadia hockey Axemen celebrity dinner.
See photos from the dinner here.
Bourque’s only connection with professional hockey these days is through his two sons, both of whom play professionally. In terms of playing defence, “the rules have changed” since he played.
“The rules make it so you have to be a really good skater to get into position and stay there,” he said.
“Some of the things you could get away with when I was playing, you can’t get away with now” – things like subtle holds or hooks or other means of holding up or impeding an opponent.
“I’d like to be able to be playing hockey now. The game has changed, but the rules have changed, too,” and he would enjoy the challenge.
“Going back for the puck is tougher now, because of the rules. You have to time things differently. Maybe if goalies were able to play the puck more,” or were allowed to wander further from their net, “it might compensate for that.”
Bourque says he still enjoys watching the game.
“I still think it’s great.”
Bourque was one of the top defencemen of his era, winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman five times. He still holds the NHL records for career goals, assists and points by a defenceman.
Today, he’s a fan of Duncan Keith, Shea Webber and Drew Doughty.
“They have that combination of playing good defence, being physical, but also have the skill and vision to be able to make a difference offensively,” he said.
A first-round draft choice of the Boston Bruins in 1979, Bourque played 1,612 NHL games from 1979 to 2001, all but 94 of them for the Bruins. He finished his career with 410 goals and 1, 579 points, and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche during the 1999-2000 season, and ended up winning his only Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, after which he retired.
“For me to leave Boston was hard. It wasn’t a good situation (at the time), but it was still a tough decision to make,” he said.
“The 15 months I spent in Denver were great. I got to see how things were done differently somewhere else, and I got to win the Cup my last year.”
Bourque was 38 years old when he went to Colorado.
“I wanted to find out if I had anything left, and as it turned out, I did. Then I retired. I still had another year left on my contract, but I knew, win or lose, that would be it,” he said.
Since his retirement, Bourque helped coach his son in minor hockey and in prep school, and was a consultant with the Bruins for a year, but is no longer directly involved with hockey.
He still makes his home north of Boston.
“I really never left Boston,” he says. “I love the area. It’s a great place to live, with great people passionate about their sports.”
Today, he lives his hockey through his sons – Christopher, now 29, and Ryan, 24, both pro hockey players.
“This year, they got to play on the same team (the Hartford Wolfpack, the New York Rangers AHL farm team) for the first time,” Bourque said.
“(Ryan) was on the Rangers’ roster for this year’s playoffs. It was a great experience for him – and for me, as his dad.”
Bourque also takes every opportunity he can to visit the Maritimes.
“My parents are originally from Moncton, and one of my best buddies, Alain Grenier, lives there now. Anytime I get the chance to come to the Maritimes, I take it,” he said.
While in Wolfville, Bourque took part in a question-and-answer session, then auctioned off a package he had donated to attend a Bruins’ game with him in Boston.
Two successful bidders ended up paying $3,000 apiece for the opportunity. The proceeds from the live auction were added to the proceeds from the dinner.
Bourque, now 54, was in Kings County June 18 as the headline guest for the annual Acadia hockey Axemen celebrity dinner.
See photos from the dinner here.
Bourque’s only connection with professional hockey these days is through his two sons, both of whom play professionally. In terms of playing defence, “the rules have changed” since he played.
“The rules make it so you have to be a really good skater to get into position and stay there,” he said.
“Some of the things you could get away with when I was playing, you can’t get away with now” – things like subtle holds or hooks or other means of holding up or impeding an opponent.
“I’d like to be able to be playing hockey now. The game has changed, but the rules have changed, too,” and he would enjoy the challenge.
“Going back for the puck is tougher now, because of the rules. You have to time things differently. Maybe if goalies were able to play the puck more,” or were allowed to wander further from their net, “it might compensate for that.”
Bourque says he still enjoys watching the game.
“I still think it’s great.”
Bourque was one of the top defencemen of his era, winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman five times. He still holds the NHL records for career goals, assists and points by a defenceman.
Today, he’s a fan of Duncan Keith, Shea Webber and Drew Doughty.
“They have that combination of playing good defence, being physical, but also have the skill and vision to be able to make a difference offensively,” he said.
A first-round draft choice of the Boston Bruins in 1979, Bourque played 1,612 NHL games from 1979 to 2001, all but 94 of them for the Bruins. He finished his career with 410 goals and 1, 579 points, and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche during the 1999-2000 season, and ended up winning his only Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, after which he retired.
“For me to leave Boston was hard. It wasn’t a good situation (at the time), but it was still a tough decision to make,” he said.
“The 15 months I spent in Denver were great. I got to see how things were done differently somewhere else, and I got to win the Cup my last year.”
Bourque was 38 years old when he went to Colorado.
“I wanted to find out if I had anything left, and as it turned out, I did. Then I retired. I still had another year left on my contract, but I knew, win or lose, that would be it,” he said.
Since his retirement, Bourque helped coach his son in minor hockey and in prep school, and was a consultant with the Bruins for a year, but is no longer directly involved with hockey.
He still makes his home north of Boston.
“I really never left Boston,” he says. “I love the area. It’s a great place to live, with great people passionate about their sports.”
Today, he lives his hockey through his sons – Christopher, now 29, and Ryan, 24, both pro hockey players.
“This year, they got to play on the same team (the Hartford Wolfpack, the New York Rangers AHL farm team) for the first time,” Bourque said.
“(Ryan) was on the Rangers’ roster for this year’s playoffs. It was a great experience for him – and for me, as his dad.”
Bourque also takes every opportunity he can to visit the Maritimes.
“My parents are originally from Moncton, and one of my best buddies, Alain Grenier, lives there now. Anytime I get the chance to come to the Maritimes, I take it,” he said.
While in Wolfville, Bourque took part in a question-and-answer session, then auctioned off a package he had donated to attend a Bruins’ game with him in Boston.
Two successful bidders ended up paying $3,000 apiece for the opportunity. The proceeds from the live auction were added to the proceeds from the dinner.
