Ray Bourque is a hero in Boston. Watching him play, it's easy to understand why. Listen to him talk, and it's not. Bourque is quiet, humble and far from flamboyant.

That's exactly why Boston's blue-collar populace worships him. Bourque keeps his mouth shut and gets it done.

For that, when he returns Saturday as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, the fans will cheer for him in a way they've never cheered for the Bruins since the FleetCenter opened in 1995.

"I'm sure this place will go nuts," Bruins defenseman Hal Gill said. "They love him here, and there are a lot of Colorado fans in Boston now because of it."

	For more than two decades, Ray Bourque was admired by both Bruins players and Boston fans.

That same reverence is reflected throughout the Bruins' locker room. Bruins players won't be rooting for Bourque on Saturday the way they did in last year's playoffs or the way they do when watching the evening highlights. They learned not to when they first faced Bourque on Feb. 21 in Colorado and lost 8-2.

"You can watch him on TV and be fine with it, but once you actually get on the same ice surface as a guy you played with for such a long time, I could barely look at him the whole game," defenseman Kyle McLaren said. "From the friendship I've gotten from him, I'm sure it will be more emotional when he comes back here."

In the end, it's a hockey game on which the Bruins' playoff hopes hinge. As usual, no one will set the tone better than Bourque.

"Once you hit the ice surface, it's a game. He's professional. That's one thing about him; once that puck drops, he doesn't care who he's playing," McLaren said. "He wants to win the game, no matter who he's playing against."

The opponent may matter this time. The applause will be unsettling for the visiting team. The ceremony, no matter how small, surely will affect him.

"We're going to acknowledge his return and say thank you," said team president Harry Sinden. "Hopefully, it will still be a crucial battle for the playoffs for us. It could be a bigger game for us than for his return."

For McLaren, one of many NHL regulars weaned at the hockey hip of Raymond Bourque, playing against him isn't as simple as facing just another ex-teammate in just another game. It's like playing against a father, a best friend -- who also happens to be one of the best defensemen in the world.

"Sitting next to him in the locker room, those are the things you miss," said Don Sweeney, Bourque's teammate and some time defensive partner for over 11 seasons. "I make no bones about the fact I gave him a tremendous amount of credit for any success that I have had -- both on and off the ice. He's been supportive of so many guys who have come through here. He's broken in a lot of guys, whether it's Kyle, Gordie Kluzak, I could name a bunch of guys.

"But at some point, you have to step away from that crutch, so to speak."

Step away and walk on their own, they have. Forgotten him, they haven't.

	“	I have to tell you, I'm really not looking forward to it because I wish he was still with us. It's a bittersweet situation for the Bruins and what it took to grant him his wishes. I feel responsible to some extent for putting him in that position -- needing to go somewhere else to have a chance at the Cup. I feel a little guilty about that. ”
		— Bruins president Harry Sinden

"I don't like seeing him in any other uniform than the Bruins, but I'll endure," said Sinden, who looks upon Bourque as a son.

"I have to tell you, I'm really not looking forward to it because I wish he was still with us," Sinden said. "It's a bittersweet situation for the Bruins and what it took to grant him his wishes. I feel responsible to some extent for putting him in that position -- needing to go somewhere else to have a chance at the Cup. I feel a little guilty about that."

Bourque had been a Bruin since the organization selected him eighth overall in the 1979 draft. In the 21 seasons that followed, Bruins fans endured more than 10 coaching changes and countless player moves. Bourque was the one constant. No one had played more games in a Bruins uniform, no one had scored more points, no one had been captain longer, no one had accepted less pay for their abilities.

Through the 1995-96 season, Bourque's 17th, only once did the Bruins finish lower than third in their division. They reached the Stanley Cup finals twice and the conference finals three times. But in 1996-97, they hit bottom with a 26-47-9 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1967.

Last season, when it appeared the Bruins were going to miss the postseason again, Bourque spoke up for the first time in his career and said he wanted out. Instead of being portrayed as a selfish villain, Bourque's request was honored by Sinden and accepted by the fans.

"It's going to be a love-in," Sinden said. "I think he's one of the great Boston athletes of the last 20 years. He endeared himself just by who he is. He lived here, made New England his home and never made a mistake here in 20 years. He showed who he was in every instance by the way he played -- by being a leader. I think he talked to the fans the same way on the ice. It's hard to see the Bruins and not see that he was the most dedicated athlete to his team and his sport."

Brian A. Shactman covers the NHL for ESPN.com. He can be reached at brian.shactman@espn.com.