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His mind is made up

Sources tell paper Bourque will retire

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Which road will Ray Bourque take? AP

DENVER (CNNSI.com) -- Sources close to Ray Bourque say he will announce his retirement next month in the wake of winning the first Stanley Cup of his 22-year career, the Denver Post reported Tuesday.

"Do I really want to come back? I'm 40 years old," Bourque told the paper. "I could play, no doubt about that. I played Game 7 ... and I played pretty well. It's not a matter if you can or can't play. You've got to look at it mentally, physically. It's not the easiest thing to play when you're 40 years old. It takes a lot of energy. It has been great. I've enjoyed it. I've got to see if the fire, the passion and everything you need to be successful playing this game is going to be there. If I decide it is, then I'll continue. And if I feel that it's going to be tough, then we'll see what we do."

The paper also said management and teammates have known about Bourque's decision for some time, with him citing family needs as the driving factor. His 17-year-old daughter, Melissa, lived in Boston this year and will be a senior in high school this fall. And his 15-year-old son, Christopher, is set to begin his high school hockey career next season, also in Massachusetts.

Local Look The Denver Post said Ray Bourque is ready to bow out in a decorative fashion like another Denver icon -- John Elway.

Bourque, who averaged nearly 30 minutes a game in the playoffs, still is one of the premier defensemen in the league. He was a finalist for the Norris Trophy this season, with seven goals, 59 points and a plus-25 in 80 games with the Avs.

By retiring, Bourque would give up the option year on his contract, worth $6.5 million. He would receive a $1 million buyout from the Avalanche.

Bourque's 410 goals and 1,579 points in 1,612 regular-season games make him the highest-scoring defenseman in league history.

 

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