Hockey Hall-of-Fame member Ray Bourque has cemented his name in hockey history with his legendary career and iconic first Stanley Cup win in 2000. However, he is not the only member of his family to go down as a legend. His son, Chris Bourque, spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League (AHL). However, his time in the AHL resulted in multiple Calder Cup trophies, plenty of scoring titles, and several All-Star team appearances. The Hershey Bears, his primary team throughout his career, even retired his number for his legendary career.
However, now that Bourque’s professional career has come to an end, he has shifted his focus to the scouting world. He was hired as a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs, which has allowed him to continue his career in the hockey world. However, his dad joined 3ICE as a coach this season, and after not having the time to take part in the league last season, Bourque has found the time to join his dad for their first full year on the same team.
Bourque Had Few Chances to Play Under his Dad Previously
Despite having a Hockey Hall-of-Fame dad, Bourque had never gotten many chances to have him as a coach. According to him, his dad helped coach his high school team, but that was the only chance they had gotten to work together. However, Bourque’s dad joining the 3ICE coaching staff was one of the main reasons he decided to join the league this season.
“Honestly, my dad being a coach was probably the main draw for joining the league,” Bourque said. “It’s really special to get a chance to have him as a coach. Our schedules just kind of lined up in a way where we could both join at the same time.”
Bourque intended to join 3ICE for their inaugural year, but his first season as a scout for the Maple Leafs left him with a bit less time than he would have needed to be a skater. However, his schedule eased up a bit once he got the hang of the scouting world. Now that he’s able to play, he is hoping to lead his dad and his fellow skaters to a championship in his team’s first year.
Bourque’s Professional Experience Transitioned Easily to 3ICE
While there are some skaters that have issues transitioning their game to permanent 3-on-3 play, Bourque claims that the move to a new style was not as difficult as expected. He still took a week or so to adjust and alter parts of his game, but he believes the mental transition did not take especially long.
“At first, I didn’t really know what to expect with 3ICE,” Bourque said. “I definitely started a bit slow, but I got the hang of it pretty quick. Once you get the hang of long 3-on-3 shifts, the rest kind of comes naturally after that.”
Like many 3ICE players, Bourque’s main motivation is to play strong and win the Patty Cup. However, he is enjoying the fact that he is able to keep getting better every week despite no longer playing professional hockey. This season may be his first in the league, but he is already making a huge impact on the players around him. Now, he hopes to finish out the year with another trophy for the trophy case.
The 3ICE season began on June 28, and will be broadcast live by CBS Sports, TSN and TVA Sports. The season will run for six weeks before the championship game takes place on Aug. 12 in Philadelphia. Stay tuned for more content about 3ICE as the season progresses, and make sure to tune into 3ICE this summer to enjoy the best part of hockey each and every week.
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