Bob Bourne

Bob Bourne (born June 21, 1954 in Netherhill, Saskatchewan) is a retired professional ice hockey left wing who played in the NHL between 1974 and 1988.

Playing career

Bourne was drafted 38th overall by the Kansas City Scouts in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. However, he never played for the Scouts. On September 13, 1974, he was stolen by Islander General Manager Bill Torrey in a trade for Bart Crashley and the rights to Larry Hornung. Hornung never played again in the NHL and Crashley scored just three goals in twenty-seven games with the Scouts.

Bob Bourne was known for his blazing speed and his reckless skating stride. Bourne also possessed an underrated shot to go along with his speed, and was an integral part of the run of nineteen straight playoff victories the New York Islanders enjoyed during the 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984 playoff campaigns.

Bourne spent the entire 1974–75 season with the Islanders but found himself in the minor leagues the following year. He returned to the Islanders for the 1976–77 season, and spent the next ten seasons on Long Island, recording at least thirty goals three times and between twenty and thirty goals three others.

Bourne was at his best in the 1983 playoffs, when he led the Islanders in playoff scoring en route to their fourth Stanley Cup, and in doing so, shut down the heavily favored Edmonton Oilers. His 1983 playoff effort included a memorable end-to-end rush against the rival New York Rangers.

The next season Bourne was forced to watch helplessly as a separated shoulder and knee injury sidelined him for most of the playoffs, including the finals against the same Oilers in the 1984 finals. The Oilers defeated the Islanders in five games in 1984, ending the franchise dream to win five championships in a row. Bourne was never the same player again after the knee injury, and the Islanders were never the same team again, either.

It should be noted that Bob Bourne's career ended on a high note. He was claimed by the Los Angeles Kings on waivers in October, 1986 and played 2 seasons with the Kings. In his final year of playing professional hockey, 1987–1988, Bob Bourne had his swan song, playing well once again and being awarded The Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance. He was also honored as a Sports Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year in 1987 as one of eight "Athletes Who Care" for their work in humanitarian causes. Bourne was singled out for his work with a school for handicapped children. (Bourne's older son, Jeffrey, was born with spina bifida in 1979.)

After retiring as a player, Bourne served as a coach for several minor league teams, including the Central Texas Stampede, Las Vegas Thunder and Utah Grizzlies. He is now a realtor in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Bourne was honored as the ninth member of the Islanders Hall of Fame on November 25, 2006. While Bourne's number fourteen was not retired (it is currently worn by Chris Campoli), he joined the eight team members [six players, one coach and one general manager] whose numbers have been retired in the Islanders Hall. The other members are Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy, Billy Smith, Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies, Bob Nystrom, Bill Torrey and Al Arbour. A banner commemorating Bourne's induction will hang in the Nassau Coliseum until the next Islander in inducted, likely in the 2007–08 season.

Career statistics

External links

*hockeydb|518
* [http://www.bobbournerealty.com/bob_bourne_family.htm Bob Bourne Realty]