Ray Bourque is no different than Nirvana. Some get it and some don't. Some understand the artistic uniqueness and some it's lost on. I've always understood Bourque's more than Nirvana's, and after spending five days with the man, I get it even more.

They say you can tell a lot about a person after 18 holes of golf with him.

	HIT THE ICE by Michael Fischer
	TOONS ON ICE Hockey (www.toonsonice.com)

I played a round with Raymond last Friday. I was 13 when Bourque entered the NHL as the mystical defenseman who was going to help still bereaving Bruins fans get over the early death of Bobby Orr's career. There was no ESPN in the summer of 1979, and the lack of media exposure added to the intrigue. He posted a plus-52 rating in his rookie year. So while no other player will make anyone forget who Orr was, Bourque was well on his way to making sure no one will make anyone forget him.

The most important sports figures to me at that time were Willie Stargell, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Nicklaus, Jimmy Connors and Gerry Cheevers' goalie mask. Any athlete coming on to the scene from this point on pretty much would be a part of my consciousness forever. It was about the time I really began remembering mass amounts of detail.

Beginning in 1979, when I was playing street hockey in Ohio, until last summer when I was interviewing NHL players on NHL moments, seconds after a Stanley Cup final game between Colorado and New Jersey, Bourque had always been there. And now here he was on the first hole about to tee up a Titleist with me.

Moments like this are, at first, very strange to me. How is this happening? Going back to the time when I was 12, when my parents gave me a tape recorder and I started playing broadcaster on it by turning down the sound on the TV and calling my own play-by-play, to this moment, how did everything line up? How did all the the breaks, all the luck, all the joy, all the passion come together to the point where I was now standing on the first tee with arguably one of the 10 greatest hockey players of all time?

If I thought about it too much my ears would bleed, so instead I decided to tee it high and let it fly. The rules of golf require the identification of one's golf ball with a specific mark. Most players make dots or lines with their Sharpies. I identify mine with hockey players' names. Today, CASHMAN would be on the side of my golf ball. I hit my tee shot well, which was a major relief. First impressions are important.

My first shot of nerves hit me as I putted for birdie on the first hole. I'm a pretty good putter, but as I brought the putter back, the thought of "my goodness, Ray Bourque is watching me putt" hit me and suddenly I had the touch of Judge Smales on the 18th at Bushwood. It was about a 25-footer. It stopped about 10 feet past the hole.

I was able to par No. 2, but bogeyed No. 3 to stand at 2-over. Meanwhile, Bourque displayed a golf game similar to his hockey game -- powerful and technically sound. Great set-up, solid swing. He hits his short irons very far. He can jack his 8-iron 170 yards if he has to. His putting stroke is tour quality -- straight back and straight through. With an improved tee ball and chipping, he has the potential to be a 0-3 handicap. He plays to about an 8 right now.

On the fourth hole, Bourque reached into his golf bag and pulled out a Titleist 77. This might qualify as the coolest thing I've ever seen.

On the fourth hole, Bourque reached into his golf bag and pulled out a Titleist 77. This might qualify as the coolest thing I've ever seen. When you are Ray Bourque, Titleist will do such things for you. If German Titov called up Titleist and asked for six dozen Titleist 13's he might have a hard time getting the order processed. I was so inspired by Bourque's gift that I birdied No. 4.

Ray was the ideal playing partner. A good player, not slow, quick with a "nice shot" comment, and extremely complimentary of the golf course I call home. Nothing makes a golfer feel better than when a guest raves about his course. It's the greatest assist a guest can make. As usual, Bourque's assist was right on the lead tape of my irons.

As we approached No. 17, I started talking to myself in my head as a lot of golfers do. I remember when Bourque first inquired about playing golf during his stay at ESPN. I offered my course and companionship, and thought how cool it would be to shoot a 77 with Bourque. I think that way. For this round with Ray Bourque, a 77 would be cooler than a 67.

I was 4-over. If I pared No. 17 and No. 18, I'd card a 76. A Rosy Grier. An Orlando Pace. I always identify golf rounds with players' uniform numbers. I wasn't here to shoot an Orlando Pace. I wanted to shoot a Ray Bourque. I informed Bourque of this as I teed up. I made a tough two putt to stay at 4-over. That was key because No. 18 at Wampanoag is a tough Donald Ross par 4. Having to make par would be a challenge, but a bogey -- and a 77 -- shouldn't be a problem. Bourque hit his best tee ball of the day and I hit mine. His iron was short left. I had 145 yards to the hole. I took a little 8-iron and hit it 20 feet past the hole. Bourque chipped to two feet and tapped in for par. I had a very difficult downhill left-to-right putt, but a perfect three-putt-on-purpose to shoot my 77 with Ray Bourque. The plan was to cozy it down to 3-5 feet, miss on purpose, and tap in for a 77.

As I bent over the ball, I got a strange feeling. It was a beautiful day on a beautiful golf course and a boyhood hero was watching me putt. It felt like ... heaven. My stroke was smooth and perfect, which is how someone with high enthusiasm and low expectations hits the ball. I was, after all, trying to miss. As the putt trickled down the slippery slope of the 18th green, I got that feeling that golfers of all levels sometimes get when a putt is halfway to the hole: "My goodness, that might go in." At this point I'm screaming, "DON'T GO IN!!! DON'T GO IN!!!" Bourque is smiling as he watches the red lettered CASHMAN slowly tumble over itself, over and over. There is no way this putt can go in.

Birdie.

My Ray Bourque became a Mean Joe Greene.

Thinking of that putt afterwards, I mentioned to Bourque the great lesson of golf and it's true secret. That less is more. He tries to force the ball to where he wants it to go, instead of relying on his talent. Golf is a counterintuitive game. To hit the ball up, you have to swing down. To curve it right, you have to swing left. To curve it left, you have to swing right. The harder you try, the more tense you'll become and the more you'll fail. I tried to make bogey and made birdie.

Last year, Patrick Roy was tense as he played poorly in the first round of the playoffs against the Canucks. His companion for much of the year, Bourque, told him to relax, have fun, don't grip so tightly. You can't make birdie from the tee. Roy relaxed, let go, and led the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup. Roy and the Avalanche stopped trying to win the Stanley Cup and won it. For Ray. When you have game, all you need to do is relax and go for it.

If Ray Bourque is looking for a golf lesson to improve his game, he just has to look at the picture of him holding up the Stanley Cup and remember how he and his teammates won it.

Ray Bourque just finished up five days of television work with ESPN and ABC. He appeared between periods of games on ESPN2, taped a segment for the ABC games last Saturday, and appeared on NHL 2Night on ESPN2. He conservatively signed 200 autographs for ESPN personnel while here. Each one was gladly signed and obviously appreciated. Like most TV rookies, he got better as each day passed. He took notes, tried hard and got upset when he didn't do as well as he would have liked. On his last day at ESPN, I asked him eight questions.

	Bourque won his first -- and only -- Stanley Cup last summer.

No. 1: It's assumed you didn't speak much English when you arrived in Boston in 1979. Is that true? How much English did you speak when you arrived in the NHL?
Bourque: Quite a bit. I grew up speaking both. I went to French school and my parents are from the Maritimes. Peter McNab tells the story that I didn't speak much English when I arrived in Boston. That wasn't the case, it was that just that I HARDLY SPOKE, PERIOD.

Bourque's first contract with the Bruins after being drafted in 1979 was a three-year deal for $80,000 the first year, $90,000 the second year and $130,000 the third year. He also received a $100,000 signing bonus. To give you an idea how times have changed, Lance Pitlick, Igor Ulanov, Chris Gratton, and Curtis Leschyshyn's BIWEEKLY paycheck this year -- the same kind you and I get every two weeks or two times a month -- was $80,000. $80,000 a paycheck.

No. 2: When you are driving alone in your car, do you think in French or English?
Bourque: (long pause) In both, I think. It all depends on what I'm thinking about. But, I speak better English than I do French. I express myself better. I know that's hard to believe! But, I think more in English than I do in French.

Bourque and his wife converse almost entirely in French.

No. 3: Will the conclusion of this Stanley Cup year sadden you, as if your honeymoon period with the Cup will be over?
Bourque: Maybe for some people looking from the outside, but for me it is something that will live forever.

No. 4: The Bruins asked you about a possible comeback in January. Any regrets that you said no, considering you are the kind of player the Bruins are lacking right now and perhaps would be the difference in them getting to the Stanley Cup?
Bourque: No regrets at all. I wouldn't have been able to work with you. (Bourque adds to this moment by panting my name. I've never been so ... used)

No. 5: How good of a hockey player is your son Chris?
Bourque: He's a real good player. So, is my younger son, Ryan. They both have good skill.

Chris Bourque led his prep school team in scoring and has NCAA Division I hockey potential. Ryan is 11.

No. 6: What's the first thing Raymond Bourque does when he wakes up in the morning?
Bourque: I take my dog Stanley for a walk. And then I come back in and get ready to take my son to school.

Ray rotated wearing four pairs of gloves during every NHL game. He used two pairs each period while the others were drying. He hated using wet gloves.

No. 7: Is the current NHL becoming too goalie oriented? Is it too congested out there on the ice?
Bourque: Not at all. The game is in great shape. It's a great game. People talk about the Olympics and taking rules from there. The ONLY thing I would take from the Olympics is the quicker faceoffs. That's the ONLY thing.

No. 77 used Sherwood sticks and Bauer skates during his Hall-of-Fame NHL career.

No. 8: Who had more fun: players in the 1980s or players today?
Bourque: Players in the 1980s.

During the regular season we handicapped and forecasted the High Five's in some of the NHL major trophy categories. For the playoffs, we will keep a running tab on the players in the hunt for the Conn Smythe. After Week 1...

1. Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche: Wow. To miss the entire season and come back with five points in his first two playoff games is remarkable. The NHL is a better place with him. He is Larry Bird on skates. His vision and intellect are the best in the game. Smart players need to play with smart players, and that is why Chris Drury is so charged again. Like Bird, Forsberg may not be the best player, but he's the one you want to watch the most.

2. Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings: Five points on one knee. One of the few Wings who's brought it from the get go of the Canuck series. His will to win his third Cup is obviously immense. I wonder if he would retire if the Wings won it all? He seems to have that look, like he is leaving it all on the ice. But he turns 37 in May, and would make about $15 million more if he played two more seasons.

3. Curtis Joseph, Toronto Maple Leafs: A .978 save percentage in the first two games. We all know a goaltender can carry a team to the finals. After the first week, no one was better than Cujo. There is a lot he wants to prove to people.

4. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils: His team is down 2-1 in the series as I type this, but Marty is in position to capture his first major award. The Devils need him to win the Cup more than ever. He's been good against Carolina and his team will need him to keep his "A" game to come back in this series and win it. I think both things will happen.

5. Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche: Raymond Bourque said on NHL 2Night last week that Sakic's snapper might be the best of all time. The numbers prove that when Forsberg is in the lineup, Joe's numbers improve. He could be in for a monster post season again.

NHL referee Stephen Walkom is like any NHL player. He yearns to get to the the Stanley Cup finals. This season could be the year he makes it. Walkom officiated the Olympics in Utah, and was once again chosen to work the playoffs. The NHL's roster of referees was reduced from 34 to 22; the linesmen were reduced from 35 to 19. Each official is graded after each round to determine who moves on to the next round. Walkom's style is authoritative, but not confrontational -- as a good official should be. He's one of my favorites. When he announces penalties before the scorer's table on ESPN games, he sounds like Lou Loomis in Caddyshack, the character played by Brian Doyle-Murray: "No. 16, Vancouver, two minutes slashing. And you! Pick up that blood!"

	Players police themselves in the playoffs. During the regular season, it's up to referees like Stephen Walkom.

Background: "I was born and raised in North Bay, Ontario, August 8, 1963. I was a normal Canadian kid. We had two outdoor rinks in town and I grew up playing lots of hockey. I played defense the whole time I played. The highest level I reached was Junior A, Tier II, with the North Bay Trappers. When I turned 18, I went off to university at Laurentian University and received Honors in Commerce."

Officiating: "It was always a hobby, and while attending university I continued doing it to keep busy. When I was about 21, I thought about becoming an NHL official. I didn't have tunnel vision, however, because I knew it would be difficult. I was a realist. There were only 14 full time jobs in the NHL at the time, and I knew I had to get an education first. I moved to southern Ontario after graduation in 1986, and worked for Procter & Gamble and continued to referee in the Ontario Hockey Association. In 1988, I got invited to the NHL training camp, and I did about twelve games in the American Hockey League and worked in the major juniors. The following year, I worked about 35 games in the AHL and then was hired that summer to be an AHL ref working for the NHL. I did four years in AHL after being hired in 1990. I made my NHL debut in 1992 in Philadelphia. My parents came down from North Bay for the game. It was a huge night."

How the game as changed for referees since the early '90s: "The game has really sped up in the 14 years I've been doing pro hockey. There is a lot more speed. We apply the rules now from the start of the game to the end of the game, where in the past we may have let up later in the game. We're directed if there is a slashing penalty in the third period with a minute to go it should be called. We're given clear direction of what is a penalty. There was more management of the game before. Now, if there is a penalty, it's a penalty."

Do you call fewer penalties because it's the playoffs?: "No. I think what happens in the playoffs, everybody understands the importance of the playoffs, and the players play more disciplined. We're directed to enforce the rules the same as we do in the regular season. The only thing that changes in the playoffs is the way the players discipline themselves and how they are directed and coached in the playoffs."

The pressure to be chosen to ref the big games: "When I first came into the business there were 12 full-time referees in the NHL and they all made the playoffs. Of those 12, three would work the finals. It's an honor and a privilege to make the playoffs and you work all year to earn that spot. It's not so much pressure, it's more of a acknowledgement of your hard work."

Maybe this year for the final?: "I work every year for the Cup! The extra money is secondary. Every year, that's an official's goal. In that regard, we are no different than the players. They want to be in the Stanley Cup finals and we want to be in the Stanley Cup finals. The only difference is that the players go there to win and we go to uphold the integrity of the game."

John,
The first paragraph in your column last week on what the playoffs do to fans cracked me up because I was just telling my wife exactly that and she thought I was WEIRD!! I'll have to show her your column. That way, there's at least two of us! Thanks for the assist!
Paul

John,
I agree with you, this is the best time of year. Meaningful, intense hockey on just about every night. The toughest thing is deciding which game to watch. The wife asked me to return the second set to the bedroom. Keep up the good work.
Thomas Barlow
Pennsylvania

I bet if you told your wife you needed two sets because you couldn't decide between "The Bachelor" and "Baby Bob" she would never have demanded you return the SONY to the other bedroom. Remember, if your spouse likes sports LESS than you do, whether that person is your wife or your husband, they will do anything to strip you of the joy that they can't have, because THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.

What's up Johnny?
Were the Bruins playing with Chocolate Sticks last night? I've never seen so many broken sticks in one game! When you go back on Sportscenter this summer when hockey is over please say for me, "What gravy is to mashed potatoes, Mo Vaughn is to the Mets." By the way, we can't make it up to your house May 5th for the party. It's my mom's 60th birthday.
Mark Buccigross
Milford, Conn.

Mark is my cousin. He always finds an excuse not to come visit, even though he lives 50 minutes away. We all have family members like this. His excuses always sound valid until deeper research reveals his mom is 49 and lives in a three-bedroom ranch in the Northwest Territories with an answering machine that says, "I'm not home right now, if this is Mark, don't ever call me again or I'll kick you in the piehole, you poser!"

John,
While absorbing your thoughts on hitting an iron out of Marc Crawford's mane as opposed to Kerry Fraser's, I started thinking. If I pulled my drive in Melrose's mop, would I get a free drop for "Ground Under Repair?"
MK

I called the USGA on this matter and they immediately went into an emergency session. They can't seem to agree if Melrose's hair is ground under repair or a lateral hazard. Of course, if it's ground under repair, it's no penalty, and if it's a lateral hazard, it's a one stroke penalty. Because of the condition of the said mullet, it would seem unfair to penalize anyone for hitting a ball into it. However, because it is so clearly marked, perhaps, it's one's own fault. When the USGA rules on the matter, ESPN will break into programming with a report.

John,
Is there anyway of talking Chicken Parm Ray Ferraro into playing next year? As a rabid Blues fan, I would love to have him back. He has proven that he is still a great player and "still has it."
Dan Whelan
St. Louis

As ESPN.Com first reported last summer, this will be Ray Ferraro's final year in the NHL. You could smother the St. Louis arch in mozzarella and marinara and that's not going to change. Well, maybe $3 million a year, co-hosting E's "Wild On" with Brooke Burke and the St. Louis arch scenario MIGHT do it.

John,
I'm a female hockey player in Ohio and I'm such a big fan of yours that my voice mail states I can't answer the phone because "I'm busy watching John Buccigross." I watch NHL 2Night and read your column faithfully because you are by far the most intelligent, articulate, witty and attractive host on television. Unfortunately, the offseason will be here before long. To help me kill time until NHL 2Night returns in the fall, what are your top five favorite books?
Robin Tettenhorst
Ohio

1. The Three Tettenhorsts
2. The Grapes of Robin Tettenhorst
3. The Last of the Tettenhorsts
4. War and Peace and Robin Tettenhorst
5. Of Mice and Tettenhorst

Yo Bucci,
Every year when a team wins the Cup, the players get all their names inscribed on it. What happens when they run out of room? I've kind of got a bet going with my girlfriend as to what they do.
Ryan Loucks
Newton, Iowa

The Stanley Cup has five large rings at its bottom, one for each Jackson. (The bottom one symbolizes Tito.) When the Atlanta Thrashers win the Stanley Cup in 2010, and if that fills up the bottom ring, they strip off the first of the five large rings on the Cup, hang it in Twine's Bar in Steubenville, Ohio, next to the Bud Girls poster (or the Hockey Hall of Fame -- it's arbitrary). Then they move all the rings up, and start blank again at the bottom. The most recent winners are at the bottom. If your girlfriend won the bet, let her begin her new relationship with your best friend. The one with the job and dreams. As for you, just move on think of all the free time you have to ponder more Stanley Cup trivia.

John,
You answered a question from somebody, "are there any must-read hockey books?" You did not mention The Game, by Ken Dryden. This is the definitive work on hockey. You must acknowledge this masterpiece.
Chris Riley

I was merely stating what books I was currently reading. Dryden's book is sensational. He is one of those people who I love listening to. He could be talking about the frustrations of opening a CD from that plastic that sticks to your fingers and I would be hypnotized from his vocabulary and insight. What I want do is provide a summer reading list of great hockey books. Please begin sending in your suggestions. In May, we will provide a list of summer hockey beach reading to give you time to order one before the season ends in June.

John,
If you could fight anyone who would you fight?
In Project Mayhem, we have no names.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Charles Nelson Reilly after seven High Ball's.

John,
Last night, while watching highlights with my wife, I audibly commented on a goalie getting beat "five hole." She laughed and admitted that she thought announcers were always saying "pie hole." After setting her straight, I explained that only one goalie had a six hole and that would be the little elf, Darren Pang.
Jeff in Wisconsin

John Buccigross is the host of NHL 2Night, which airs Tuesday-Saturday on ESPN2. His e-mail address -- for questions, comments or cross-checks -- is john.buccigross@espn.com.