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Boston hockey fans turn out for Ray
Bourque
By Ross Forman
October 6, 2002
Photo highlights from this show coming soon!
There’s a special place in the hearts of Boston hockey fans for Ray Bourque, the longtime Bruins’ defenseman who left for the Colorado Avalanche during the 1999-2000 season and, a year later, won the Stanley Cup in dramatic, Hollywood-esque fashion.
And vice versa.
Bourque loves Boston, his NHL home starting as a rookie in 1979-80.
“It was a great ride,” said Bourque, who holds the record with 19 consecutive All-Star appearances (1981-2000). “Playing so long for such a great organization with so many great players was incredible. Boston really is a special place, with a special arena. We won a lot of games and had some great years, but always seemed to fall short (in the playoffs).
“I always think back to what it would have been to have won a Stanley Cup in Boston, for the fans. That would have been unbelievable.
“The fans in Boston went nuts last year for the (Super Bowl-winning New England) Patriots. I know they would have been just like that, or more (fervent) for the Bruins because they really love their sports here.”
Bourque, a Calder Trophy winner (1979-80) and multi-time Norris Trophy winner, was in Boston Sept. 14th, headlining Tri-Star Productions’ New England Collectors Show, held Sept. 13-15 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center. He signed hundreds of autographs, posed for countless pictures and, well, gave fans the chance to reflect with one of their all-time favorites. Toronto-based AllStarLineUp.com arranged his appearance.
“Things are going real well for me,” he said. “I don’t miss the actual playing part of the game. I watched a lot of hockey last year and kept real busy. And I never once said, ‘Man, I wish I was out there.’
“I knew going into my last year that it was going to be my last year and I was just so fortunate to go out and have it end up the way it did. Thus, I’m very comfortable retiring.
“Sure, there are things that come with the game that I miss, starting with just being around my teammates and acting goofy, like a little kid.”
Bourque’s NHL career spanned 1,612 regular-season games. He scored 410 goals and dished off 1,169 assists. He also played in 213 playoff games, with 41 goals and 139 assists.
Bourque also played for Canada in three Canada Cups and the 1998 Olympics. In 32 international games, he had five goals and 16 assists.
But it was the final game of his NHL career, in June of 2001 that most remember. Including Bourque.
He hoisted The Cup, cried and retired.
He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, a royal tribute to one of the game’s all-time greats.
“I couldn’t have written (the Cup victory story) any better,” he said. “We fell a little short (in the 2000 playoffs). The following year, we really had a mission, from Day One. The coaches and players, we really didn’t talk about anything but winning the Cup.
“It really was a great season.
“The playoffs were exciting. We had our backs against the wall several times and at times people didn’t think we were gonna be able to do it. But we did.”
And they won Game Seven in Colorado. “That was perfect,” he said.
Watching the video or signing the cover of Sports Illustrated brings back a lot of memories. “It was a great feeling, one that I really wanted to live.”
Bourque, who had 391 multiple-point games, added: “I know I was very fortunate and lucky to be able to hoist the Cup. That was a dream-come-true, a wonderful experience. It was totally incredible, for my family and me.
“It’s unfortunate that I had to go elsewhere to win the Cup, but it worked out.”
Bourque had four 90-plus point seasons. He scored a career-high 31 goals in 1983-84 and three times had 70-plus assists.
“I had a wonderful experience in Colorado, one that paid off. It was tough move, but sometimes you’ve got to make tough moves and grow from them. And I think we did,” Bourque said. “I just love watching the game today; there are a lot of great players out there. I love watching good hockey. I’m also involved with my kids’ (youth-league) hockey. I love watching the Bruins and the Avalanche; both have a lot of good, young players.”
Who in particular stand out?
"There are a lot, but, if you start naming names, you’ll always leave somebody out and there are just a lot of great players in this league,” he said.
Bob Gibson, Dom DiMaggio, Willie McCovey, KC Jones and Roberto Duran joined Bourque at the show. Also appearing: Bobby Hamilton, Daniel Graham, Roman Phifer, Tedy Bruschi, Anthony Pleasant, Buff Bagwell, Carlos Baerga, Shea Hillenbrand, Johnny Damon, Jason Varitek, Casey Fossum, Nate Archibald, Cedric Maxwell and JoJo White. Plus, former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) superstars Norman Smiley and Disco Inferno, in the area for an independent wrestling show, made a surprise appearance and signed autographs on Saturday.
About 3,500 collectors attended the three-day show.
“It was a good show. The traffic was very, very good. The autograph lines were huge,” said Bruce Parker of New England Sportscards (Amherst, N.H.). “This definitely was at the top of New England area shows for the year. In fact, I’d say it was the best New England show of the year.”
Parker’s sales certainly were supported by Tri-Star’s mega-popular wrapper-redemption program. Graham, Baerga and Fossum each signed free autographs in exchange for select card wrappers.
“The redemption program did exceptional,” Parker said.
“The response by consumers, buying packs from dealers, was very strong. This program is, without a doubt, a winner for everyone involved,” said Tri-Star’s Mandy Fuerst, director of events and marketing.
What was hot?
Football, without question, led by Leaf ($115 per box). Parker also noted strong sales of:
Upper Deck MVP Football ($25)
Donruss 2002 Football ($39)
Topps Gallery Baseball ($2.50 per pack)
Topps Ovation Baseball ($2.50)
Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Baseball ($149).
“This certainly was at least comparable to the two previous Tri-Star shows in Boston,” Parker said.
Maybe even better.
“This was a real good show, real busy on Friday and Saturday,” said Mike Danahy of Mike’s Sportscards (Plymouth, Mass.), who has been hawking his wares for about 12 years at Boston-area shows. “Game-used material cards were selling well, along with Patriots, especially (Tom) Brady. Football definitely was the big seller, especially the rookies.
“Overall, I thought people were looking for a wide-range of material, including lots of collectors who you don’t usually see at shows around here.”
Steven Frank of Boston Sportscards said the show “definitely was an improvement” from Tri-Star’s April show at the same venue.
Especially when the show had a major hurdle to overcome: it was the third show in the Boston area in as many weeks.
“The folks at Tri-Star made this a good show. They worked hard and were very attentive to everyone’s needs which was very nice,” Frank said. “For a regular three-day show, not (counting) The National, this one ranks right up there. There was something going on all weekend; we weren’t just twiddling our thumbs.
“The sales were pretty strong, about what I expected. Football definitely was the hot product, particularly the newer players like Joey Harrington.”
Frank said he was surprised by the “quality” of cards brought to the show by dealers to be sold.
Len Pottie of Platinum Promotions (Bedford, Nova Scotia) traveled 11 hours for the show, “and it was well worth it.”
“I had a great show; I was very pleased,” he said.
Pottie, who offers a beautiful array of vintage hockey cards, said high-grade ‘50s and ‘60s were hot. Charlie Hodge, a goaltender for Montreal, was among the top-sellers, along with Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Maurice Richard.
“One trend I’m seeing in the vintage hockey is, collectors seem to be trying to put sets together instead of just buying star cards,” he said.
DiMaggio was the No. 1 signer at the show, penning his name about 250 times for the public.
“We were very pleased to see the response to Dom DiMaggio,” Fuerst said. “He has not made many public autograph appearances of late and he exceeded our expectations as far as sales. It was obvious that, while his brother Joe was better-known, Dom is an icon in his own right.”
Tri-Star’s next show is Oct. 18-20 at the Overland Park International Trade Center in suburban Kansas City. The loaded autograph lineup features Dave Winfield, Jim Palmer, Barry Sanders, Bo Jackson, Priest Holmes, Len Dawson, Dick Butkus, Orlando Cepeda, Lou Brock and others.