DENVER -- The Tuesday retirement announcement came in a suite-level restaurant in the Pepsi Center. Beyond Ray Bourque, beyond the picture hanging behind him that froze his triumphant hoisting of the Stanley Cup, the rides at the Elitch's Six Flags amusement park were visible -- and operating at full throttle.

	Ray Bourque led the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup simply by being himself.

In some ways, it almost seems as if Bourque's stay in Denver was little more than that final ride -- "C'mon, Mom, just one more!" -- in that long stay in the amusement park that is the NHL. And the last hill was an exhilarating doozy, one that triggered that can't-be-duplicated -- or even described -- thrill of a lifetime.

"When you live the moment, when you experience the whole thing, it's something that's an unbelievable feeling," Bourque said. "This smile ain't going anywhere for a long time to come. I think back to that night, and the nights after that, and I smile. I was hoping it would be as special as it has been, and it certainly has lived up to everything I expected."

Yes, Ray Bourque is going out on his terms. As a winner. As an elite player. And with his health.

"It means you retired a champion," he said of the Stanley Cup victory.

"For me, that's a pretty neat thing to say. I've been so fortunate to be able to walk out the way I'm walking out," said Bourque, who then reflected on the injury-forced retirement of Bruins teammate Cam Neely. "I played with guys in Boston who had to walk out because of injuries. That's not the way you want to go out. I'm so fortunate and happy to walk away from the game and survive it in some ways."

In his 15 months with the Avalanche, Bourque's contributions were even more ineffable than describable. That's appropriate, since that fits the Stanley Cup experience as well. Bourque is one of those rare athletes who leads by just being who he is, and the image is neither media creation nor an idealized portrait that doesn't hold up to scrutiny -- even, and perhaps most important, in his own dressing room.

Those nearly 21 seasons with the Bruins are, and should be, the core of the definition of Ray Bourque as a professional athlete. The funny thing about it is that for once, everyone seems to get it. Ray Bourque earned the right to take one last shot, and when he got it, he made the most of it. He is not an effusive man; he doesn't need to be. He doesn't take players under his wing; they wander over on their own. He walked into the Colorado dressing room that night in Calgary 15 months ago and made everyone around him better, which is a further indictment of just how bad the Bruins were when he finally asked out.

He came to love playing for the Avalanche. He grew to enjoy living in Colorado. His talk in the Avalanche dressing room before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals in New Jersey was a de facto announcement of his retirement, and a challenge to his teammates. It was not Win One for Ray; it was an imploration to take advantage of one of life's rare opportunities. Painfully, even tantalizingly, he had come to understand how rare it was.

If the image of Bourque holding that trophy aloft, as he wore a gray beard and a white Avalanche uniform, is unforgettable, the bonds were not forged by decades of experiences. They were brief, shining moments -- but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But then he was gone. All involved came out ahead -- Bourque, the Avalanche, Colorado sports fans. If the image of Bourque holding that trophy aloft, as he wore a gray beard and a white Avalanche uniform, is unforgettable, the bonds were not forged by decades of experiences. They were brief, shining moments -- but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

His influence will linger with the Avalanche, and not just because the No. 77 jersey will be hanging from the rafters to represent the first number retired since the franchise moved to Denver in 1995. (The Avs, who otherwise have been uniquely respectful of their Nordiques roots in such things as franchise records, actually "unretired" the Nordiques' retired numbers.)

He showed a team -- both young and old -- just how prideful and hungry and covetous of the Cup a 40-year-old can be. The Avs probably could have won the Cup in 2001 without Ray Bourque, the defenseman; they couldn't have won it without Ray Bourque, the man.

So now they move on without him. His retirement opens up some salary room, although if the truth be told, general manager Pierre Lacroix has been operating under the assumption that Bourque would retire for months -- or even before the Rob Blake trade. Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, Rob Blake and Jon Klemm all can be unrestricted free agents on Sunday, and Lacroix has told all four he wants them to be back, but also that they should look around them, soak up the moments and the championship feeling, and understand that if all of them are financially ruthless, it might not be financially possible to keep them all.

Bourque's retirement means they have another $5.5 million to play with next season; and Bourque's example might make at least Blake and Sakic come to grips with the fact that playing for a winner can be the biggest contract bonus of all.

Terry Frei of The Denver Post is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. His feedback email address is ChipHilton23@hotmail.com.