Ray Bourque was the 8th overall pick for the Boston Bruins in the 1979 NHL Draft. He broke into the NHL at 19 years old and immediately displayed the exceptional two-way talent that would see him eventually become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen. The Saint-Laurent, Quebec native scored 65 points (17 goals, 48 assists) in his first season and won the 1980 Calder Trophy.
During Bourque’s tenure with the Bruins, the team continued what would be a North American professional record twenty-nine consecutive seasons in the playoffs, a streak that would persist through the 1996 season. In the playoffs, Bourque led the team to the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers in both 1988 and 1990, where the Bruins lost in both series.
Bourque was also popular among Bruins fans because of his willingness to re-sign with Boston without any acrimonious or lengthy negotiations. He passed over several opportunities to set the benchmark salary for defenceman; instead, he usually quietly and quickly agreed to terms with the Bruins, and this stance irritated the National Hockey League Players’ Association which had been pushing to drive up players’ wages.