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Boston Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque recently passed legend Gordie Howe to move into third place on the all-time assists list.

Bourque, who is in his 20th season in the NHL (all of which have been with the Bruins), has seen it all during his time in the league. He's played with and against the likes of Cam Neely, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bryan Trottier, Guy LaFleur and many other great players. He's won the Calder Trophy. He's won the Norris Trophy (five times!). He's played on great teams. He's played on pretty bad teams. The only thing it seems Ray Bourque hasn't done is win the Stanley Cup.

Bourque will turn 38 on Dec. 28. Over the past several years people have tried to write off the old man of the league and induce a retirement. But Bourque has played through all the rumors of him slowing down, of him retiring, and of him leaving the Bruins organization. Bourque is a class act all around.

Much has been written of the stalwart defenseman over the years. But recently, members of the NHL media took time out from writing and enjoyed an in-depth interview with Bourque, who was willing to talk about his past achievements in the league and what he's looking forward to during the next couple years. Here's a sampling of that interview. Sit back and enjoy...

Question: I was wondering if you could reflect over your 20 years and kind of hit the high points of what you thought 20 years of being a Boston Bruin and playing in the National Hockey League has meant for you?

Ray Bourque: Well, for me it has been a dream come true. I mean, obviously growing up in Montreal as a kid you dream about playing in the NHL and that dream came true and I think I was very fortunate to come to a place at a young age with an established team and a team with so much history. It has been great. Twenty years have gone by and I couldn't have imagined playing for this long and never thought about putting up the numbers that I have and the fun and the whole experience of the whole thing has been unbelievable. Playing in a great town, it has been very special and important for me to stay here in Boston. For me and my family, it is home for us. And it has been great.

I have had a lot of great times here. We have won - gone on to two Finals and done a lot of good things. Through 20 years you have your highs and your lows and you work through your lows and you get by that and find yourself in one place for 20 years later is quite an experience and very special and something that I have wanted and it's worked out great, just the way I have wanted it.

Question: I want to ask you, you broke into the NHL at 18. Was it easier to break in at 18, 20 years ago than it is now? It seems so hard or are you just so much better than a lot of these 18-year-old kids trying to break in the NHL now? It is so very difficult for them.

RB: I think back then you didn't have the (high) expectations and the money issue wasn't as big. Now they come in, they are making the big bucks right off the bat and they are expected to deliver earlier than some of us did. But I think for any young guy really it is tough. And, for me, I came into a good situation where I was one of two rookies that year that broke in with a very veteran team, so I wasn't asked to go out and, you know, carry the load right off the bat. I was just expected to go out there and do my job and play my game and nothing more. That is a good situation to be in.

Question: You were the eighth player picked in your draft year. That was a great draft year. Do you count yourself fortunate you weren't the first player picked?

RB: I was very fortunate, I think to be picked a little later. Like I said, you go to a team that lost in the semifinals to Montreal the year before with really a great bunch of veterans. They needed some changes maybe on defense and I came along; a perfect situation where I got plenty of ice time; but not expected to do just more than going out there and doing my job.

Question: When you hear something like (breaking Gordie Howe's assist mark), does it really set in for what you have accomplished in your career to hear Gordie Howe's name mentioned alongside yours?

RB: It is a very special name and, you know, he is called "Mr. Hockey" for the great years he had as an NHL player and the longevity that he had and playing at the age he did and just putting up the numbers and everything he has done in this league. It is pretty special when you are mentioned along those lines. But then again, you know, you can't just stop on things like that. You got to wake up again the next morning and just go out and do your job again and you are only as good as your last game. You have got to go out and prove it every day. I think once everything is all done and you look back at what you accomplished and the numbers and everything, I think then you are going to be able to enjoy it a lot more and say: Wow, things went pretty well here.

Question: You mentioned having to get up the next day. At your age, do you tend to feel a little bit older sometimes after games, or has your conditioning helped you along with that?

RB: Things are pretty good. When you get busy and you are playing four games in six nights or five in seven, that kind of schedule, I think everybody kind of feels it. But a 37, 38 year old might feel it just a tad bit more, but you know how to play the game. You know how to prepare. You know what you have got to do and that certainly helps. But I don't feel it anymore than, let's say I did three or four years ago. I think you go for a while and all of a sudden you hit a certain age. At one point you might start feeling a little more than did you at others. But it's kind of felt the same way for a while now.

Question: Ray, where do you get that fountain of youth and do you look back on this sometimes and just amaze yourself that you are still going strong after 20 years?

RB: Yeah, I think sometimes you just know how fortunate and don't take it for granted that I am still able to go out and compete at a high level. But, it is my job. It is what I have been doing all my life and it has been a big part of my life and it has been so good to me and I have enjoyed it so much that I am just going to keep on trucking here and as long as the body holds up and the mind is there I will keep doing it. You kind of get thinking sometimes about when is this going to end, when are things going to start falling apart for you and just hope it doesn't happen. But hopefully I'll be out of this game before I get to that point. I wouldn't want that to happen. I will play at a high level and if I feel things are really sliding here, I won't be around.

Question: As you look down the list of that draft year there is an awful large number of guys that have gone into coaching. It seems that particular group, the 1979 draft, has had a large impact in hockey as players and seems to be building one in the coaching fraternity. Do you see yourself in that role at some point and what do you see as your future after your playing days in hockey?

RB: Well, I think I definitely see myself in hockey. It is what I know best and what I have been doing my whole life and I think it would be a pretty smooth transition to stay in the game. Exactly what I am going to do, I am not sure yet. But coaching, I am not too sure about that. I think I'd rather be doing something elsewhere, you know, the travel part really gets to you. If anything gets to you at this game, traveling kind of gets old after a while. That is one thing I'd like to slow down with after I am done playing. So I see myself sticking around here with the Bruins in some way. Exactly what yet, we haven't really talked serious about that. But there is definitely something there.

Question: Of all the things that have stood out in your career, particularly the number of All-Star Game appearances and first team selections, is there one moment or one particular accomplishment that is very near and dear to Ray Bourque?

RB: I hope it is going to come one day, to see myself going around with the Cup would be unbelievable and that would be it. But there are so many good moments. We have gotten to two Finals where we have had to win some big games and just that whole experience of the Playoffs going round to round and getting to the Finals is very special.

The All-Star Game here in Boston was a great night where I scored with under-a-minute left and for it to be in Boston was really a great experience. I had so many family and fans and friends there, it was special.

I will always remember my first game in the Boston Garden, you know, in 1979, just going through camp and knowing that you made the team and that first game against the Winnipeg Jets, October 11th, was something I will always remember.

And there are a lot of memories. The Canada Cup's, that three-game series that we played in 1987 was probably the best hockey I have ever played and playing with that group of guys was great. So you go down, there is a big list there. I can't really pinpoint just one and say that was the one. But to say if I'd ever win a Cup, I'd probably end up saying that that would be the time and hopefully that will happen some day.

Question: Ever considered leaving the Bruins?

RB: No. No. For me, even through tough times, you have a few things, a few thoughts that go through your head, but I have stuck it out and once I decided that I was going to stick it out I never had any other thoughts and just playing here I'm happy I did because things are going pretty well for us here in terms of the direction that the team has taken. We have got some good young talent and good bunch of guys and I think we are on our way.

Question: Never having been traded, never changed teams, knowing what types of things general managers have to go through with player personnel decisions, when you retire, do you consider yourself general manager material in what you might do after the game?

RB: I think maybe alongside, not taking that job, but I think I could be there for somebody to lean on and for some help, just helping the GM or somebody, you know, with certain decisions about players, personnel and what we need and how to get it and stuff like that would be kind of fun I think. It might work out for me, but I am not sure on that yet.

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