But in sports, dreams do come true. Bourque gave himself a chance to make some magic when he painfully requested a trade out of Beantown. Bostonians know all too well the plight of great players not winning titles, and Bourque was not going to let himself be another victim without a fight.

“For me, it’s been a long time coming,” Bourque told ESPN.com. “That’s why I came here, to give myself an opportunity to win again.”

Unlike his previous opportunities in the Finals, Bourque may actually be able to personally will his team to victory this time around. For all of the Devils’ depth, the key to their offense is the production of their “A” line. Jason Arnott, Petr Sykora and Elias absolutely skated circles around the Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals. Bourque and fellow Avalanche blueliner Adam Foote will go head-to-head with perhaps the finest line in all of hockey.

If they can somehow find a way to shut them down, Colorado will have a great chance at winning its second Cup since 1996. Bourque has made such an impact on his franchise that although he has been with the team for just over one year, he is an alternate captain, second fiddle in the locker room only to fellow future Hall of Famer Joe Sakic—a lifer in the organization—who has been with the team since it was in Quebec.

“I’m sure that Ray would share the Cup,” Colorado coach Bob Hartley said on ESPN.com. “This guy is so unbelievable for us. Not only on the ice but in the locker room. To give him another chance to get the Cup was certainly great for him, but also great for us.”

Bourque has reached the point in his career where nobody mentions his numbers anymore. He is the NHL’s John Elway, trying to find a way to put that one last feather into his cap before Father Time says that you cannot play anymore.

At age 39, it is a marvel that he can still play at his high level with 52 points this season and a sterling +25 rating. It will be a thing of beauty to watch him and Rob Blake set up at opposite points on the power play and go to work.