When you think about retired numbers, they typically involve a player who had a long tenure with the team.
In the case of stars like Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Milan Hejduk, and Adam Foote, there’s no question why their numbers hang in the rafters. In fact, Sakic and Foote are unique as they came over from the former Quebec Nordiques and continued their success in Colorado.
But there’s one player whose number became immortalized after just one full season. That’s Ray Bourque.
Bourque was a legend of the Boston Bruins for over 20 seasons. But by the 1999-2000 season, the Bruins traded Bourque to the Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline. The plan was simple: Give the veteran defenseman one last shot at a Stanley Cup.
The Norris Trophy winner had been part of multiple playoff squads in Boston. Yet, they faced several first-round exits until they finally broke through in 1988. That season, the Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup, facing the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers swept the Bruins, including that infamous game in which the lights went out at the old Boston Garden.
The Bruins ran into the Oilers again in 1990, losing once again in five games.
That was it. Boston made it to the Conference Final a couple of times after that, but never really had the makings of a Stanley Cup contender. By 1999, the Bruins were on the decline. So, they moved their longtime captain to the Avalanche.
Bourque finally got his wish in Colorado
Bourque finally made his dream come true in Colorado. In what would be his final season, Bourque played 80 games, notching 52 points. He was an undisputed leader, helping the 2001 Avalanche down the New Jersey Devils for the franchise’s second Stanley Cup.
That was the end of the line for the Hall of Famer. Bourque ran off into the sunset with a Stanley Cup ring in tow. Despite having played a total of 94 games in Colorado, Bourque earned a permanent place in team history.
The Avalanche retired his #77 on November 24th, 2001.
Incidentally, Bourque didn’t always wear #77. He initially wore #7 until the Bruins retired Phil Esposito’s number in 1987. As such, Bourque, then captain of the Bruins, gave up his number and donned #77.
Bourque officially changed numbers during a pre-game ceremony honoring Esposito. From that moment on, Bourque wore #77, the same number retired by both the Avalanche and Bruins.
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