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Say it aint so, Ray

Compilation of Stories :

Bourque, a Boston sports legend who had his trade request granted by the Bruins on Monday, left in the third period with a slight groin injury but is expected to play Friday at Edmonton. "Coming into the game and looking at the jerseys, it was weird," said Bourque, who was in his 21st season with Boston. "You just go out there and play the game. Skating aroung in warmup was weird (until) the game started and you click in.

"I played two periods with a slight groin problem. I didn't want to get in a situation where I had to get into a race." Bourque requested the trade, with the Bruins struggling to stay in the playoff race. They made the Stanley Cup Finals twice but failed to win a championship during Bourque's tenure.

"Let's not kid ourselves, when I was traded to Colorado it was tough," goaltender Patrick Roy said. "Even if you know you're going to a team, you have your little habits and things with your old club. It's going to be a good change for him. We know why he is here and we have the same objective." The Avalanche did most of their damage before Bourque exited with a plus-4 rating, scoring the final four goals of the second period to build a 7-3 lead.

Joe Sakic netted the last two for the Avalanche, who cruised to their third straight win, tying the Oilers atop the Northwest Division. Stephane Yelle added two goals and Chris Drury and rookie Alex Tanguay combined for seven assists as Colorado set a season high for goals -- all at even strength.

Fred Brathwaite allowed seven goals on 28 shots and Grant Fuhr surrendered one while playing the last 10:40 of the second period in his first appearance since December 15. A pair of 400-game winners -- Fuhr and Patrick Roy -- appeared on the ice at the same time. Roy finished with 20 saves.

Calgary had its unbeaten streak snapped at five games (3-0-2) and remained two points behind San Jose for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot. "We need to make the playoffs," Brathwaite said. "I have to come to the rink and get my confidence back. This was a game in hand and I don't care what other people say, it was a poor effort by myself."

Flames right wing Jarome Iginla had his NHL season-high points streak halted at 16 games, failing on an opportunity to score in front in the closing minutes. He had 12 goals and 15 assists during his streak. "Our line didn't get anything going," Iginla said. "It was disappointing that we battled back and let it go. I think a lot of the stuff they got, we gave them. We didn't play the way we wanted to. I wasn't very good and wasn't sharp at all."

Dave Reid scored his ninth goal off a feed from Drury 5:07 into the second period as Colorado went ahead for good, 4-3. Drury also set up Yelle's second of the game and eighth of the season 2:46 later. The 1999 Calder Trophy winner, Drury set up a goal by Yelle in the first period and Sakic's first of the game with seven seconds left in the second to complete his first career four-point game.

Tanguay matched a career high with three points. He had a goal and two assists in Thursday's 5-0 rout of New Jersey. Hejduk scored his 28th off a feed from Tanguay with 9:20 to play in the second before Sakic tallied twice, extending his goals streak to four games.

He netted his first late in the second, snapping a shot over Brathwaite's left shoulder from the right faceoff dot and adding his 18th of the season 3:17 into the third after putting a brilliant move on defenseman Phil Housley in the slot. Sakic scored his first against Fuhr, who had been sidelined for nearly three months with a knee injury and is expected to retire after the season.

Paired with Bourque, Adam Foote had a goal and an assist. Dave Andreychuk added an assist after being acquired with Bourque for left wing Brian Rolston, a pair of minor-league defensemen and a draft pick. "It was good. I felt really comfortable," said Andreychuk, who is 16th all-time with 552 goals. "I wasn't really tired like I thought. I found myself out of position a few times, but a few practices with new linemates and I should be fine."

Valeri Bure scored his 35th goal, Andreas Johansson added his fifth and Jason Wiemer netted his ninth, which tied it at 3-3 with 15:48 left in the second period.

Mar 6, 2000 11:58 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BOSTON — Ray Bourque, the longtime leader of the Boston Bruins who won five Norris Trophies but never a Stanley Cup, got his wish for one more chance at a championship when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night."We limited ourselves to teams where Raymond Bourque would have a chance to win the Stanley Cup," Bruins general manager Harry Sinden said after a 5-1 loss to Ottawa.
Elise Amendola/AP
Bruins head coach Pat Burns and assistant GM Mike O'Connell react to the trade
"It may not be his first choice; it may be. I'm not sure. We felt we had to do the best for the team as well."
The 39-year-old defenseman was traded along with forward Dave Andreychuk for forward Brian Rolston, defenseman Martin Grenier, center Sami Pahlsson and Boston's choice of a first-round pick in either 2000 or 2001.

Bourque took the game puck from the referee after Saturday's loss to Philadelphia, then said goodbye to teammates and skipped Sunday's practice. He was not at the FleetCenter on Monday night as the Bruins closed in on the deal.

Andreychuk left the building after being scratched from the lineup, signaling that he was also part of the deal. Both he and Bourque are expected to play for Colorado at Calgary on Tuesday night.

"With this acquisition, we've brought in the greatest defenseman of all time, and the greatest sniper in Dave Andreychuk. We're thrilled," Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix said. "With his presence and charisma, as a person he's going to bring a lot to this team."

Colorado is 30-27-10 and in seventh place in the Western Conference. With Monday's loss, Boston is 19-29-17 and essentially out of the playoff race.

Fans were subdued during the game, yelling "We want Raymond" after the Senators took a 1-0 first-period lead and mixing the chant with other jeers after Ottawa scored three goals in 100 seconds to go up 4-0 in the third.

But the crowd showed no anger towards Bourque, wishing him well with hand-lettered signs that said, "It won't be the same without No. 77," and "It's a sad day without Ray."

"It's hard not to miss him when you hear the fans cheering for him," Bruins defenseman Hal Gill said.

Bourque has played for the Bruins for his entire 21-year career, and is the team's career leader in scoring and games played. Although he had said he would rather finish his career in Boston than win the Stanley Cup elsewhere, he changed his mind as it became clear the Bruins would not make the playoffs this season.

"You have to see it as a nice thing for him to do," Bruins forward Jason Allison said. "Hopefully, he'll get a chance to do something that everybody who plays the game wants to do. He's certainly earned it more than anybody."

Bourque's 395 career regular-season goals places him first among defenseman in NHL history. He is second to Paul Coffey in career assists for a defenseman with 1,111.

Overall, he is ninth in scoring with 1,506 points and fifth in games played, with 1,518.

Although Bourque was unavailable for comment, he told Sinden that he thought Colorado gave him a chance to win it all. Lacroix said Bourque was emotional about leaving Boston, but eager to help his new team.
 

Elise Amendola/AP

A fan holds a sign encouraging Bourque to remain in Boston
 

"Hey, don't worry. We'll do everything we can to do what you're expecting of us," Lacroix quoted Bourque as saying.

The Bruins drafted Bourque eighth overall in 1979, continuing the tradition of great Bruins defensemen established by Eddie Shore and Bobby Orr. In addition to the five Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman, he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year and was the MVP of the 1996 All-Star game in Boston.

But in both of his appearances in the Stanley Cup finals — in 1988 and 1990 — the Bruins lost to the Edmonton Oilers. Three years ago, Bourque missed the playoffs for the first time in his career, and he was asked if he might be interested in going elsewhere for the championship that Boston wasn't able to give him.

"I think I will probably end up playing here, even if that means not winning a cup or having another opportunity of winning one," he said in 1997. "... My family and myself are established here. This is home and we enjoy being around here. So, I plan on finishing my career in Boston."

"If it ends without me winning a cup, so be it. It doesn't mean I haven't accomplished much and I haven't had a great career. But winning a Cup would be the ultimate. ... For us, right now, it may not look all that rosy. But I am hopeful and optimistic things will get better."

But now Boston is poised to miss the playoffs for just the second time since 1967, and Bourque no longer has the luxury of looking toward the future. Although he is still a solid player, he is no longer the superstar he once was and the massive number of minutes is taking its toll.

He is in the last year of his contract and he has not said whether he wants to be back for another. That means this could be his last chance to have his name on the Cup.

"Whether it was going to be retirement, or a situation like this, it was going to be sad" when Bourque left, Sinden said.

"It's been a great, great trip for me with Ray Bourque. It's been a great trip for everybody in this town. And I think it's been a great trip for Ray, even without the Stanley Cup."

DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced this evening that the team has acquired defenseman Raymond Bourque and left wing Dave Andreychuk from the Boston Bruins.

“We are thrilled and greatly excited to announce these acquisitions to our fans tonight,” said Colorado Avalanche President and General Manager Pierre Lacroix. “Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk bring us an outstanding background and extended depth to our present lineup.”

In return for their services, Boston acquires forward Brian Rolston, prospects Martin Grenier and Samual Pahlsson, and Colorado’s first round choice in either the 2000 or 2001 Entry Draft. The Boston Bruins will have the option as to which year they will select the draft choice.

“This great depth of ours allows us the capability to go ahead and make such a move for the present,” added Lacroix. “It certainly would not have been possible without the great work of our scouting staff over the last few years.”

Originally Boston’s first choice (eighth overall) in the 1979 Entry Draft, Raymond Bourque leads all active defensemen in goals (395) and is second in assists (1,111) and points (1,506). He presently ranks ninth overall on the National Hockey League’s all-time point list. One of only three players (Gretzky and Coffey) in the history of the NHL to record 1,100 assists, Bourque is one of only five players in the history of the NHL to play in 1,500 games and play in four decades. In addition, he has been selected to 18 consecutive All Star Games.

Bourque, 39, won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 1980, the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1994, and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1992. He has been selected to the NHL First All Star Team 12 times in his career and to the NHL Second All Star Team six times, including last season.

In 65 games played to date this season, the 5’11”, 220-pound native of Montreal, Quebec has tallied 10 goals and 38 assists, ranking third in the scoring for the Bruins.

Veteran left wing Dave Andreychuk, in his 18th NHL season, has notched 19 goals and 14 assists in 63 games this year. Selected 16th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1982 Entry Draft, Andreychuk has seen NHL action with the Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and Boston Bruins. Andreychuk presently ranks second on the NHL’s all-time point list among left wingers and third in career goals scored. He is currently 16th on the all-time goals scoring list.

The 6’4”, 220-pound native of Hamilton, Ontario has met or exceeded the 30-goal plateau eight times and the 20-goal plateau fifteen times over the span of his career.

Both Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk are expected to join their new teammates in Calgary for Tuesday’s game versus the Flames.

Ray Bourque sat out Monday night's game and has apparently worn the black and gold for the last time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

The Boston Bruins have traded All- Star defenseman Raymond Bourque to the Colorado Avalanche. Bourque, who could be in the final season of his brilliant 21-year career, has never won a Stanley Cup and asked to be traded to a contender.

Bruins general manager Harry Sinden announced the trade after Monday's 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Bourque was kept out of the game in anticipation of the trade.

"He was a bit stunned at first," said Sinden. "We told Ray we knew it may not be his first choice, but we think they are a contender. He said, 'I do too.'"

The deal also sends winger Dave Andreychuk to the Avalanche, while the Bruins receive winger Brian Rolston, center Sami Pahlsson and defenseman Martin Grenier. Boston will also have the choice of taking Colorado's first-round draft pick in either 2000 or 2001.

The Bruins were thought to be talking with Philadelphia and Detroit, but discussions with the Flyers reportedly fell apart early on Monday evening.

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff, 3/6/2000

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he shopping of Ray Bourque continued yesterday, with sources here and around the league believing with each passing hour that the Bruins captain will be traded to the Flyers sometime this week - perhaps as early as today.
 

From the Bruins' side, it all comes down to value. They don't want to swap their 39-year-old icon for anything less than a young player, and probably a draft pick who has a strong chance of developing into a true NHL contributor as well.
 

From Bourque's side, it comes down to balancing opportunity (i.e. a reasonable chance to win a Cup) with lifestyle, making sure that a life-altering move at this point of his career not only satisfies his Stanley Cup aspirations, but also fits comfortably for everyone in his family.
 

Weighing geography and opportunity doesn't necessarily mean Bourque will be in Philly, but failing an 11th-hour bid from, say, the Devils, this marriage of Bourque and opportunity appears destined for the First Union Center.
 

A source connected with the Flyers organization said yesterday that the Bruins over the weekend provided Philly GM Bob Clarke with a list of players they would consider in a Bourque swap. It was then left for Clarke and his management team to cross any names off that list they were unwilling to sacrifice.
 

The first name removed, said the source, was Simon Gagne, the speedy 20-year-old pivot whom the Flyers believe could develop into a superstar. The Bruins also listed 18-year-old goalie Maxime Ouellet, a standout on the recent Canadian national junior squad. The source was not sure if Ouellet, the 22d pick overall in last June's draft, remained on the list that Clarke returned to Boston boss Harry Sinden.
 

However, the source confirmed that the Flyers did not cross off 21-year-old Mark Eaton, a 6-foot-3-inch defenseman who signed with the team as a free agent in the summer of '98, following his freshman year playing for ex-Bruin Dave Poulin at Notre Dame. Eaton, now with the Philly Phantoms (AHL), is skilled, but some scouts question whether he can stand up to the day-to-day banging that comes with the position.
 

Another source said that Detroit, the other club keenly interested in acquiring Bourque, has offered Mathieu Dandenault, a 24-year-old who already has his name on two Stanley Cups with the Winged Wheels. Dandenault, the 49th pick in the '94 draft, has spent most of his five seasons in Detroit flipping between right wing and defense, depending on a number of things, including the injury list and coach Scott Bowman's mood.
 

According to the source, the Wings also would send 21-year-old defenseman Jesse Wallin to the Bruins. A former first-round pick (No. 26, '96), the 6-2 Wallin projects as a top four defenseman. Wallin is now a second-year pro, playing for Cincinnati (AHL).
 

The key to something getting done here quickly could be Ouellet, the Flyers' sensational netminding prospect. He was nothing short of dazzling in the World Junior Tournament over the holidays, his play the only reason Canada was able to salvage a bronze medal. A Quebec kid whose style mirrors Patrick Roy's butterfly stops, Ouellet takes the job seriously, arriving at the arena three or four hours before faceoff, psyching himself up for the game.
 

If the Flyers are willing to throw him into the deal, Bourque almost certainly will be a Broad Streeter. He's exactly the kind of prospect the Bruins need to acquire in a swap of this magnitude, a kid with true potential to be a No. 1 goalie. Junior hockey and the minor professional leagues are littered with sure shots, the overwhelming percentage of whom never see the NHL, but Ouellet is widely considered many cuts above the mere wannabes.
 

A move to Philadelphia would reunite Bourque with ex-Bruin Wayne Cashman, the failed head coach who is now assisting Craig Ramsey behind the bench, and Reggie Lemelin, the club's goaltending consultant.
 

A move to Detroit could be a better chance to win a Cup. Bourque would be surrounded by a much more skilled defense. But he would be that many more miles away from his new home here in the 'burbs - just being completed - and he wouldn't have ex-Black 'n' Gold brothers Cashman and Lemelin by his side.
 

Steve Freyer, Bourque's longtime friend and agent, said the player is now eager to find out his future.
 

''He told me,'' said Freyer, adding that Bourque would not be available to the media, ''that he's anxious to find out the answer, whatever's going to happen. His words to me were, `Let's get it done.'''
 

This story ran on page D1 of the Boston Globe on 3/6/2000

Associated Press
 

  BOSTON -- Babe Ruth and Roger Clemens had to leave Boston to win titles, and the city never forgot it. If Ray Bourque skates away in search of the Stanley Cup, though, fans here will cheer him on.

"I don't think anyone would be ticked to see him go," Jim Atkins said Saturday as he entered the FleetCenter for what could be Bourque's last game as a Bruin. "If he leaves, it stinks for Boston fans. It's our loss."
 

Bourque is an 18-time All-Star who has won the Norris Trophy five times as the league's top defenseman. But he has never won the Stanley Cup in his 21-year career -- all of it with the Bruins.
 

The 39-year-old star is in the last year of his contract, and he has not decided whether to come back for another season. And though he had always said he wants to finish his career in Boston, he said this week he had not ruled out requesting a trade to a contender -- though he hadn't ruled it in yet, either.
 

Bourque does not have the right to either demand or veto a trade, but the Bruins said they would not make one against his wishes out of respect for his service to the team. The NHL's trading deadline is March 14; teams rumored to be in the hunt include Philadelphia, St. Louis and Detroit.
 

"If he wants a chance at the Cup, more power to him," said Scott MacAskill, eating fast food in the train station downstairs from the FleetCenter. "We should pay for the plane ticket to get him there."
 

Boston lost 3-0 to Philadelphia on Saturday, with Bourque ducking reporters after the game. After Ottawa visits Monday night, the Bruins leave town until after the trading deadline, so some fans came to the game unsure if they would ever see Bourque in the team's jersey again.
 

When he was introduced before the game, fans were still settling into their seats, and the greeting, while warm, was scattered. As the Zamboni cleared the ice between the first and second periods, a passenger held a sign saying "Bourque for Mayor!"
 

Boston has a long tradition of losing its stars, from Cy Young and Ruth to Clemens and Mo Vaughn. In between were Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, two Bruins Hall of Famers who finished their careers elsewhere.
 

Red Sox fans cringed as Clemens and Wade Boggs won the World Series with the New York Yankees. Patriots fans saw former quarterback Jim Plunkett win the Super Bowl after leaving for the Oakland Raiders.
 

Even Doug Flutie, a Boston College and New England Patriots alum, won a few championships after leaving town, albeit in the Canadian Football League.
 

But no one seems to begrudge Bourque his last chance at a championship.
 

"I have no qualms. I'm not disgruntled with it," said John Allard Sr., a 10-year season ticket-holder who wore his Bourque jersey to the game for the occasion. "Whatever he wants in life, he deserves. And if that's what he wants good luck to him."

BOSTON (March 6, 2000) - At the end of Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Flyers, Bruins captain Ray Bourque skated over and picked up the game puck.
 

Bourque did not attend practice Sunday, and when the Bruins play the Ottawa Senators Monday night at the FleetCenter, he is not expected to be in uniform.

These things support swirling local reports that the 39-year-old Bruins veteran is about to be traded. Philadelphia and Detroit, contending Stanley Cup squads, are two teams mentioned the most.

Local reports say a trade involving Bourque could be announced as early as Monday. The NHL's trading deadline is March 14.

Harry Sinden, president-general manager of the Bruins, said he spoke with Bourque Sunday, and advised him to stay out of Monday night's lineup.

"I just said it might be better if you don't [suit up],'' Sinden said. "You have to really take into account injury, because he won't get what he wants, the team that wants him won't get what they want and we won't get anything, either.''

Sinden said Bourque only wants to go to a Stanley Cup contender. In his nearly 21 seasons with Boston, Bourque has never been on a Stanley Cup winner.

The Bruins are 19-29-17 the year, and probably will miss the playoffs.

"I want to get the best deal for the Bruins, while keeping Ray in mind,'' Sinden said.

"The clubs that have shown an interest haven't come in with what they want to do,'' Sinden said. "I don't think the Bruins can look at it until the teams know what they want to do. We're still in the first phases here.''

Bourque is in the last year of his contract, and has not said if he will be back next season. After playing Ottawa tonight, the Bruins begin a road trip and don't play at home again until after the trading deadline.

"We would try to," assistant general manager Mike O'Connell said Friday. "But this (rumors of a trade) happens every year."

Bourque has won five Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman, but he has never won an NHL championship. Although he has always said he wants to finish his career with the Bruins, that might be changing now that retirement looms for the 39-year-old defenseman and Boston probably will miss the playoffs.

Bourque, who will make $6 million this year, the final season of his current contract, hasn't said whether he will return for another season.

The Boston Herald, citing a source it did not identify, reported Friday that Bourque "would welcome a trade" and that he will be dealt before the March 14 deadline.

Bourque, his agent, Steve Freyer, and O'Connell denied that Bourque wants out.

"No decision has been made in that department yet," Bourque told the Herald after a 5-2 loss to Montreal on Thursday night. "Obviously when things go like this it's tough. It's not the way you want to end the season. You like to be in the dance. Right now we're outside looking in."

O'Connell said the team has approached Bourque about staying around after he retires. But Bourque has always said he won't make any decisions until he is finished playing.

O'Connell said he will assume Bourque wants to remain with the Bruins "unless Raymond states it's going to be different." If he changes his mind, O'Connell said, the team owes it to its biggest star to help.

"I don't even want to comment on that, because it gives it a whole new life," O'Connell said. "But he's been an outstanding player, and role model."

Sinden could finalize swap today
 

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 3/6/2000

     BRUINS COVERAGE
from Boston.com
TODAY'S STORIES
 Bourque will sit, wait
 Team wants value
 Fired up about Burns
 NHL roundup
 Complete coverage

MORE BRUINS / NHL
 Schedule / Results
 Bruins chat room
 Player statistics
 NHL scoreboard
 East Conf. standings
 Latest NHL news
 
 
 

WILMINGTON - Ray Bourque wasn't at practice yesterday at the Ristuccia Center but his future employment status was the only subject on anyone's mind nonetheless.
 

The Bruins captain, who has asked to be traded, was home awaiting word on what club he would be moving to after nearly 21 years in black and gold. One thing seems certain, he's played his last game in a Bruins uniform. The club hosts Ottawa at the FleetCenter tonight but president/general manager Harry Sinden said he didn't see the sense in Bourque being in the lineup given the circumstances.
 

''I just said it might be better if you don't,'' said Sinden, who spoke with Bourque yesterday. ''You have to really take into account injury because he won't get what he wants, the team that wants him won't get what they want, and we won't get anything, either.''
 

It's likely Bourque and the Bruins will see a resolution soon, perhaps as early as this morning. Sinden said they were awaiting a proposal from one of the teams in the running for Bourque's services. Once that comes in, it's going to be a short time before his fate is decided.
 

''There are a number of teams who have expressed an interest,'' said Sinden. ''They all haven't checked in with their voting returns. We've told them we'd wait until they had an equal chance at this and we're going to do that. We're close, there's only one team left. We've heard from all the others. We have to hear from this team because we said we wouldn't do anything until we heard from all the teams who had expressed an interest.''
 

Sinden said the field, as of last night, hadn't narrowed.
 

''Our intention is to get back to all of them with a counterproposal and they may or may not accept our counterproposal and we won't go any further than that,'' he said. ''We'll take all the final proposals and put them together and determine what we should do.''
 

Sinden said it hasn't gotten to the point where the Bruins are making demands. It's at the stage where teams are telling him what they're willing to part with.
 

''We haven't talked about anything, we've just taken what they think they can live with,'' he said. ''We haven't come back to any of them. We're going to put [other teams' proposals] side by side and we're going to go back to them and say, `Would you go a little further?' They might say no and I understand. We'll just keep them where they are right now and another club might move ahead.''
 

Sinden said the sticky wicket is balancing the interests of Bourque as well as the team.
 

''I want to get the best deal for the Bruins while keeping Ray in mind,'' said Sinden, who added that Bourque only wants to go to a legitimate Cup contender. ''The worst playoff team in the bunch could win the Stanley Cup so you don't know for sure but you have to start somewhere. It seems to me that all he wants is to have a chance with a Stanley Cup team, that's what he keeps telling everybody. We're going to try to keep it limited to that. A team that's eighth or 10th in the standings right now maybe could win the Stanley Cup but we don't think they can and neither does Ray and we're not going to bother talking to them. We're going to limit it to the top half-dozen or so.''
 

The Philadelphia Flyers, believed to have the inside track, are awaiting a decision.
 

''It's up to Boston,'' said Flyers general manager Bob Clarke. ''They're committed to trading him. We're interested in him but it's up to Harry right now.''
 

It's been a trying time for everyone involved, not just Bourque. Sinden said it's been awfully hard to do this, given his history with the player.
 

''I've been preparing myself for it whether he retired or not,'' said Sinden. ''You know, retirement, life without Ray. It just came upon me a little bit earlier. I'm not very happy about the prospects of seeing him in another uniform, I'll tell you that. Not at all, but hey, it's what might satisfy him to have a run at it and for that reason, why not? I just won't watch the game.
 

''Actually, it may be a better solution for me to see him get a shot at something than retire and just say, `Well, I'll go home now.' All the teams we're talking to are bona fide contenders. That seems to be all he wants. They all have a good chance of winning.''
 

With Bourque departing, it will mean a shift in leadership with that role going to the next generation of NHL players.
 

Center Jason Allison, who is out for the season because of tendon transplant surgery on his right wrist, said he believes the changing of the guard will be a very positive one for the team.
 

''I think the leadership role on this team has got to change even if he were to leave at the end of the year,'' said Allison, referring to talk of Bourque's likely retirement were he to have stayed on in Boston. ''Next year, it's going to have to be a lot of guys stepping up. It can't be one guy or two guys. It's got to be more of a group leadership effort. I think that's good, actually.''
 

Allison said with Bourque such a dominant presence, it was difficult for the young players to make their mark in terms of leadership. He said it was no knock on Bourque, it was just a fact.
 

''You can't put everything on my shoulders or Kyle [McLaren] or Anson [Carter] or Joe [Thornton],'' said Allison. ''It's going to have to be seven or eight guys. I think that's a little something we lacked this year, to be honest with you. I think that's been our problem this year.
 

''Ray has obviously been the guy he's been and there's been this gap between him and the younger guys. Sometimes it's hard to feel comfortable being in that role because of his stature, standing up and saying stuff or trying to take control of a situation. It's tough for a young guy with Ray around. Not that Ray makes it tough, he actually tries to help if you say something, he tries to reiterate what you're saying and help you out. It's still a tough situation, especially when you're not winning and everything is not going well and you don't think you're playing well.''
 

Allison said everyone in the dressing room understands why Bourque is doing what he's doing. He said they all know that if the Bruins had a chance at making the playoffs, Bourque would still be here.
 

''If we're in a playoff spot, there's no way he goes somewhere else to win a championship,'' said Allison. ''He wouldn't leave and I know that.''
 

Watching this team from the press box, he said it isn't really the Bruins' team it was supposed to be either in terms of results or personnel.
 

''I totally understand if he does want to go,'' said Allison. ''What's he going to do here? He's not going to have fun. The team is not really our team right now. There are a lot of guys who were never here that are playing a ton. Obviously, it's got to be depressing and not a very happy situation for him.
 

''If he goes somewhere, he'll get a second life and be excited again and not have to be the guy every night and win something. That's great for him. That would be an awesome thing. I just think we were close to be able to do something this year and one thing after the other kind of tore it apart and tore everybody on this team apart.''
 

This story ran on page D1 of the Boston Globe on 3/6/2000.
© Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company.

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