One Bourque knew it all along.

While Ray Bourque sweated and stewed on the day before the biggest game of his life, son Christopher Bourque went to sleep Friday at 4 in the afternoon. "So I can party tonight," he explained before Game 7.

The 15-year-old woke up Saturday morning in a state of total calm -- unlike Dad. "He was going crazy," Chris said, shaking his head. "He was running all over the house. He was yelling and saying, 'I can't wait!'" Later in the day, Ray actually kicked Chris out of the house. "He said he needed some rest," Chris said with a shrug and a smile.

So Chris -- who plays left wing for his high school team in Boston and wears No. 7 because, well, they don't have No. 77 -- killed some time until it was time to head to the Pepsi Center. He wore khaki pants and a button-down that barely concealed a T-shirt striped in black and gold. He found his seat and watched a replica of the Stanley Cup get passed around Section 130. Some held it and some hugged it. But when younger brother Ryan finally passed it to him -- at exactly 6 p.m. local time -- Chris grabbed it firmly at both ends, raised it over his head, and lowered it to his lips.

Then Chris sat back and watched the inevitable unfold. During the first intermission, he thought about his most vivid memory of his dad at work. "When he was MVP of the All-Star Game," Chris said. "That one's my favorite -- so far."

After two periods, Chris offered no clichés about playing 60 minutes of hockey. "This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to me," he said. "Even though it's happening to him."

And after Dad had his once-in-a-lifetime moment with his family right there on the ice, it was Christopher who carried the Cup from the locker room to the post-game press conference. "This is awesome!" he said. "I'm stealing it."

Chris led his dad to a waiting area near the press podium, where Ray took a phone call from Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. While Dad grinned and mumbled quietly in French, Chris poured a little bubbly into the Cup and put the grail to his lips. As Dad said "Merci" again, Chris' head almost disappeared completely inside the bowl. He left not a drop behind.

Then Chris put the Cup down, wiped his face, and began running his hand over the barrel. Finally, he put a finger on an empty space right at the base of the Cup.

That's when Ray Bourque's son smiled widest.

"They'll put his name," Chris said, "right here."

Eric Adelson is covering the NHL playoffs for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at eric.adelson@espnmag.com.