Saturday marked the 35th anniversary of Ray Bourque’s admission into the Boston Bruins family. On August 9, 1979, Boston traded up to obtain the eighth overall draft pick, which landed the team an eventual all-around marvel.
The marvel still holds some residual sway. The current faces of the franchise bring a few Bourque-like qualities and have impelled higher-ups to complement them with a championship-caliber roster.
In turn, the NHL’s New England chapter is belatedly recompensing for the one blemish it brooked over the final one-fifth of the 20th century. It is at a point where it strives to sustain more stability than it had at this time 35 years ago.
At the time of the 1979 draft, the Bruins were at best kicking with agitation below the surface. Despite two Stanley Cup championships and three more finals appearances in the dying calendar decade, they needed to replenish their identity.
They were three years removed from losing Bobby Orr to Chicago. They were three months removed from an infamous fall-from-ahead falter in Montreal (their third straight playoff loss to the Habs) and a subsequent c ...
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Article written by Al Daniel
How Ray Bourque Still Resonates With Boston Bruins 35 Years After Being Drafted
August 10th, 2014 by Al Daniel Leave a reply »
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