Sunday, June 10

Feedback: Triumph, trophies and tears
ESPN.com

Here is how ESPN.com users will remember Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup finals:

A dream come true
A fairy tale story with a heroic ending as Ray Bourque was hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates. Seeing him hoist the Cup probably brought more tears of joy to the city of Boston than it did the state of Colorado.

John Antonelli
North Attleboro, Mass.


Way to go, Joe
Tradition is usually the captain takes first run with the Cup, but having it handed to Ray Bourque from Joe Sakic was pure first class all the way. I never will forget that moment.

Shaun Einboden
Goderich, Ontario


Don't forget Patrick
As a native of Colorado, how great it feels to see Patrick Roy win his fourth cup, third Conn Smythe, and to see Ray get to hold the Cup. I don't know if any other moment in hockey history has so many achievements for so many legendary players in one game.

Sean Austin
Bozeman, Mont.


St. Patrick
I have a feeling that 20 years from now we will look back on this game and this series as the one that determined that Patrick Roy is the best money goaltender in NHL history, not Martin Brodeur. The Ray Bourque story is great for now, but he will always be a Boston Bruin. In this series, Roy silenced his critics and won an unprecedented third Conn Smythe Trophy; that's what will endure.

Ted Bassani
Washington Township, N.J.


A win for Boston, too
This makes up for so many bad things gone wrong in Boston for all these years. Ray may be a member of the Avs, but since I was 9 years old I've imagined Bourque holding Lord Stanley! Thank you Colorado! Dreams do come true! He is now confirmed as the greatest defenseman ever.

Merrill
Boston, Mass


One team. One goal
I will remember an entire team playing for one man and one mission. It is refreshing to see individuals playing for a team goal, which transcends even the Stanley Cup.

Greg Hall
San Francisco, Calif.


Tears everywhere
I will remember Ray hoisting the Cup not only once but twice. I will remember seeing his son crying. His wife crying. I will remember the team hugging and congratulating him. It was one of the most defining moments in sports history. Congratulations to the Avs. It don't get any better than this.

Willie
Sioux Falls, S.D.


Home of the champion
Denver is going to be known for the player who could! First with John Elway and now Ray Bourque. Even though all the experts picked New Jersey, Colorado was able to prevail!

Ryan Kensey
Tucson, Ariz.


U2 can celebrate
On June 9, U2 was playing the FleetCenter in Boston and when they came back on stage for their encore, the Edge was wearing a No. 77 Ray Bourque Boston Bruins jersey, and Bono proclaimed "things look really good for Ray Bourque" and the crowd that was already going nuts just broke out into shear pandemonium. That's something I'll never forget.

Jim Forster
Boston


A Devil of a dilemma
As a dedicated New Jersey Devils fan, this game was hard for me to stomach. Watching them throw their chances for a second straight Cup down the tubes by taking dumb penalties and a few defensive lapses. Although as much as I would've like to just turn off the TV after the final buzzer sounded, I just couldn't. I had to see Raymond Bourque finally get to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup over his head and skate so gracefully around the entire ice surface. I will never forget that sight as long as I live and how the disappointment I felt from the Devils not winning the Cup, turn to sheer delightment and utmost respect for one of the game's great defensemen finally accomplishing his 22-year mission and how I thought he would never give up that cherished Sterling Silver prize.

Allen Meeler
Newton, N.J.


Sell the Nuggets
The sign in the Pepsi Center that read: "Keep Roy, Sakic and Blake. Sell the Nuggets." I love Ray Bourque. Boston still loves you, Ray.

Andrew Chin
New Haven, Conn.


Roar from the Rockies
We were at Coors Field watching the Rockies-Cardinals game which started at exactly the same time as the Avalanche game. Hundreds of fans at the baseball game had radios and listened to the Avalanche game as they watched the Rockies game. The scoreboard in Coors Field posted the score of the Avalanche game, but the spontaneous eruption of cheers of the fans with the radios beat the scoreboard posting. The cheers from the fans listening to the Avalanche game on radios spread like wildfire each time the Avalanche scored a goal -- fans were cheering for something that had nothing to do with the Rockies game, but when someone started cheering, everyone else joined in and the entire crowd of 30,000 -- a larger crowd than at the Pepsi Center -- was cheering. The crowd at Coors Field shouted out the countdown of the final 10 seconds of the hockey game and then erupted into a five-minute ovation that stopped the baseball game. They showed the TV feed of the Avalanche on the jumbotron in center field. Walking out from our seats on the third deck of Coors Field, we had a commanding view of lower downtown Denver and could see the wild celebration beginning. It was a great night. The Rockies lost 8-2, but no one left unhappy.

Jay Fermaglich
Denver, Colo.


A Masterful moment
Snacks and drinks for five friends to watch game seven of the Stanley Cup finals at my house: $75.

One authentic Avalanche sweater to wear while cheering on the team: $285.00.

Seeing Ray Bourque lift the Stanley Cup for the first time in his 22-year career: PRICELESS!

Jeremy Elkins
Memphis, Tenn.

Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories





ALSO SEE
Bourque's mission fulfilled as Avs win Stanley Cup

Shactman: Bourque takes in the Cup glory

St. Patrick wins Conn Smythe as playoffs MVP