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Bourque won't say if he's retiring Associated Press BEDFORD, Mass. -- Former Boston Bruin Ray Bourque said Tuesday night he is looking forward to sharing his Stanley Cup triumph with the Bruins fans who supported him for more than two decades, but refused to say whether he will retire. Bourque, who now plays for the Colorado Avalanche, is scheduled to appear at City Hall Plaza at noon Wednesday to hoist the coveted National Hockey League championship trophy that eluded him when he played for the Bruins. "I have been looking forward to this since Saturday night and sharing it with the fans here who supported me for so many years," Bourque said when he disembarked a private jet at Hanscom Field. "It's a great, great feeling to win the Cup and everything was great back in Denver for our celebration." Bourque was accompanied by his wife and three children, and of course the Stanley Cup, which he carried off the jet himself. The family still lives in Topsfield. The Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 Saturday night in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, giving Bourque his first cup in a 22-year NHL career. With the 2000-01 season at its end, the 40-year-old Bourque plans to take two or three weeks to decide whether he wants to keep playing. He refused Tuesday to address media reports that he has already made up his mind to retire. "I'll have no announcement about my future tomorrow," he said. "That has yet to be determined." Wednesday's celebration in Boston will not be the last time the Cup appears in New England this off-season. "The cup will be here a few times this summer," he said. "I am just happy to be the first one to bring it." Bourque's Avalanche teammate, Chris Drury, who played at Boston University, is expected to bring the Cup to former teammate Travis Roy. Roy crashed into the boards 11 seconds into his first college shift on Oct. 25. 1995, and shattered a vertebra, paralyzing him. Bourque, the highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history, promised fans he would take the Stanley Cup to Boston, where he spent more than 20 seasons before requesting a trade 15 months ago in hopes of winning a title. Bourque scored 410 goals and 1,579 points in 1,612 regular-season games. The Bruins went to the finals twice during Bourque's stay, but never extended the series beyond five games. Their last finals appearance was in 1990. |
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