Opening Night 1979: Ray Bourque Bursts Onto the Scene With Bruins

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.

Ray Bourque's NHL Debut - Trivia Quiz

There is much more NHL hockey trivia at our hockey trivia website!

1. What overall pick was Ray Bourque in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft?

3rd
5th
8th
10th

2. Who scored the first Bruins goal in Bourque’s debut game?

Ray Bourque
Al Secord
Jean Ratelle
Rick Middleton

3. Who were the Bruins playing on October 11, 1979?

Winnipeg Jets
Pittsburgh Penguins
Quebec Nordiques
Hartford Whalers

4. How many points did Bourque have in his rookie season?

59
72
65
48

5. What trophy did Bourque win at the end of his rookie year?

Norris Trophy
Calder Trophy
Hart Trophy
Art Ross Trophy

Bobby Orr Dominates as Bruins Crush Capitals in First Ever Meeting At Boston Garden

On November 7, 1974, the Boston Bruins hosted the newly formed Washington Capitals at the legendary Boston Garden. The Bruins, hovering around the .500 mark early in the 1974-75 NHL season, found the perfect opportunity to gain momentum against the struggling expansion team.

The Capitals, sitting at a dismal 1-9-1, were no match for the Bruins and certainly not for Bobby Orr. The Hall of Fame defenseman wasted no time, opening the scoring just 3:51 into the first period. Orr then assisted on goals by Don Marcotte and Johnny Bucyk, wrapping up the period with three points.

Orr wasn’t done. He scored again just 55 seconds into the second period, then completed his hat trick later that frame. He capped off a six-point night with another assist on Phil Esposito’s 14th goal of the season.

The Bruins cruised to a 10-4 victory. Orr finished with three goals, three assists, eight shots, and an impressive +7 rating. Esposito added four points of his own with a goal and three helpers. The Capitals’ goaltending tandem had a rough night. Ron Low allowed six goals on 19 shots before being relieved by Michel Belhumeur, who gave up four more on 22 attempts.

Bobby Orr proved to be a nightmare for Washington all season long. In four games against the Capitals, he tallied 16 points. Boston dominated the season series, outscoring the Caps 41-10 over five games. However, the third meeting ended in a surprising 3-3 tie, a small but meaningful milestone for the NHL’s newest franchise.

Washington Capitals Inaugural Season

The Washington Capitals joined the NHL, along with the Kansas City Scouts, for the 1974-75 season. It did not go well. The eight wins the Capitals recorded remain as the least by any team in a single season with at least a 70 game schedule. The team finished with just 21 points over 80 games, 20 points behind their expansion cousins in Kansas City.

Placed in the Norris Division, the Caps were fifth out of the five teams, a massive 92 points behind the division leading Montreal Canadiens. Tommy Williams led the team with 22 goals and 58 points. Michel Belhumeur was the team's best goaltender with a 5.37 goals against average while Ron Low recorded a 5.45 GAA. John Adams played eight games between the pipes and had a 6.90 GAA and an 0-7 record.

Twice during that 1974-75 season, Washington lost games by the score of 12-1, once to the Boston Bruins and once to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the match with the Pens, Low faced 50 shots and Belhumeur took on 15 in relief for a total of 65. In seven games, that allowed 10 or more goals. The most they scored in a game was eight in an 8-4 win over Pittsburgh.

Ron Low did manage to record the franchise's first shutout, stopping all 32 shots in a 3-0 win over the Kansas City Scouts. It would get slightly better for the team in 1975-76, winning eleven games and totaling 32 points.