Iconic moment: 21 years ago today Sakic handed Stanley Cup to Bourque

There are some moments in life you simply remember where you were.

If you’re a Denver sports fan, and old enough, you’ll remember June 9, 2001. It was the night the Colorado Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to win the best trophy in sports.

It was special for the city and team, obviously, as a championship always is. But it was even more special for Ray Bourque, who had played an entire legendary career waiting for that chance. He had never won the Stanley Cup until that magical night in June.

Here’s the chill-inducing moment where Joe Sakic handed the cup to Bourque:

The GREATEST moment in North American sports history happened 21 years ago today. Bring him home… #FindAWay #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/KR86khuFk1

— Casey Cheatum (@CaseyCheatum) June 9, 2022

I could watch that over and over again. Even though Sakic was captain and earned the right to touch the Stanley Cup first, his only priority was getting it to Bourque. Sakic posed quickly for the obligatory photo with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, then immediately turned and gave the trophy to Bourque. As announcer Gary Thorne stated, Bourque waited 22 years in the NHL for that to happen.

He played his entire career with Boston from 1979 to 2000 before being traded to the Avs. They came up short in his first playoff run in Denver, but got it done in the spring and summer of 2001. You can watch the full highlights of Colorado’s 3-1 victory of the Devils in Game 7 below:

It’s the last time the Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup, with a chance to do it again in a few weeks. They won the Western Conference Finals over Edmonton on Monday night, and await the winner of New York and Tampa Bay out of the East.
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