Ray Bourque giving his No. 7 jersey to Phil Esposito squares off against Michael Ryder’s glove save against the Canadiens in the third round of Boston’s Greatest Sports Moment tournament.
Call this moment the ultimate sign of respect. The Boston Bruins planned to retire two-time Stanley Cup champion and Hall of Famer Phil Esposito’s number on Dec. 3, 1987. The only problem? His No. 7 was being worn by the B’s captain at the time, Ray Bourque. Bourque, already a six-time All-Star himself, came up with a solution. During the pregame ceremony for Esposito at the Boston Garden, Bourque removed his own No. 7 jersey for the last time, proudly displaying his new No. 77 as the Garden crowd erupted into a long, loud ovation. Esposito thanked the young Bruins captain before watching his No. 7 jersey rise to the rafters. Bourque, meanwhile, held on to No. 77 for the final 12 years of his career in both Boston and Colorado.
Tim Thomas made countless big stops during the Boston Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup playoff run. However, one of the biggest saves came off someone else’s glove in a crucial Game 5 against Montreal in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the TD Garden. With the game still scoreless in the first period, Mike Cammalleri pulled Thomas out of the net and slid one back underneath the goalie to a wide-open Tomas Plekanec out front. Ryder, filling in Zdeno Chara’s lane on the backcheck, stopped in the crease with Thomas out of position. Plekanec let a wrist shot fly, but Ryder was in position with his glove to deny the bid and keep the game scoreless en route to a double overtime win and 3-2 series advantage heading back to Montreal.
Which is a greater Boston sports moment?
« 1. Red Sox snap curse vs. 4. Marciano goes 49-0 | 1. Pats win SB XXXVI vs. 12. Thomas stick save »
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