Career
He was never selected in the National Hockey League Entry Draft. Instead, he was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 4, 1982. Bourque joined the Penguins organization after playing two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Kingston Canadians.
He joined the Penguins" American Hockey League affiliate, the Baltimore Skipjacks for the 1982-1983 season, and made his National Hockey League debut with Pittsburgh in 1983-1984, playing in five games.
Bourque would not become a mainstay on the Penguins roster until the 1988-1989 season, during which he played in all 80 of the team"s games. He had worked on the cup in his garage using a screwdriver to repair a loose screw at the top of the trophy.
He would leave the Penguins after the 1992 Cup victory, and play sparingly with the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators. Just prior to the 1994-1995 National Hockey League lockout, Bourque was nearly killed when he took a 40-foot fall down a cliff near Arizona"s Lake Powell.
He suffered three broken vertebrae in his neck, a broken skull, a shattered sinus cavity, a broken cheekbone and a broken nose in the incident.
Bourque left the National Hockey League after the 1995-1996 season. He played with the IHL"s Chicago Wolves for one season, and then spent three seasons playing in Germany before retiring following the 1999–2000 season. Bourque currently works as the color commentator alongside Mike Lange for Penguins radio broadcasts.
Bourque is lovingly known by Penguins faithful as the Ol" Two-Niner.
Bourque"s final segment of the Penguins pre-game broadcasts is known as "Two Minutes with the Ol" Two-Niner." in which Bourque interviews a player, coach, or personality relevant to the upcoming game. In his National Hockey League career, Bourque appeared in 477 games.
He scored 88 goals and added 111 assists. He also appeared in 56 playoff games, scoring 13 goals and recording 12 assists.
