October 11, 1979 at Boston Garden
The 1979-80 NHL season kicked off with a statement from a future legend. Ray Bourque, selected eighth overall by the Boston Bruins in the landmark 1979 NHL Entry Draft, wasted no time proving the seven teams who passed on him may have made a colossal mistake.
Boston welcomed the Winnipeg Jets, fresh out of the WHA and still finding their NHL footing. Just 40 seconds into the game, Al Secord opened the scoring for the Bruins. The secondary assist went to none other than Ray Bourque, his first NHL point, with Jean Ratelle also registering a helper.
Midway through the second period, with Boston up 3-0, Bourque notched his first NHL goal, a powerplay marker with assists from Ratelle and Dick Redmond. Gilles Gilbert stood tall in net, earning a shutout on just 20 saves in a dominant 4-0 Bruins win.
Though Bourque had just five points in his first 12 games, he quickly adjusted to the pace of the NHL. He would go on to tally 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points in his rookie campaign, good enough to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie and even finish fourth in Norris Trophy voting as best defenseman.
About Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque played 1,612 regular season and 214 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1979-80 and 2000-01 with the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche. The five-time Norris Trophy winner won a Stanley Cup championship with the Avalanche in his final year. Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
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