Today the Black and Gold tried to recapture some of that past magic as they traded for one of Ray's sons. The Bruins dealt center Zach Hamill to the Washington Capitals for Chris Bourque, a forward with the Hershey Bears (their AHL team). His brother Ryan Bourque is a forward for the Connecticut Whale (the Rangers AHL team).
The ironic thing is that while Chris will get most of the headlines based on his last name and who is father happens to be, this move is much more notable since it signaled that Boston is fully wiping their hands clean of Hamill.
Last season, Bourque was a much better player than Hamill as he put up 93 points (27 goals, 66 assists) in 73 games for the Bears. In 33 career games in the NHL with Washington and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bourque had one goal and three assists. He's due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
After growing up in Danvers, MA, Bourque prepped at Cushing Academy and played one season at Boston University before turning pro (in 2004, he was the Caps' 2nd round pick at No. 33 overall).
Hamill was Boston's 1st round pick (No. 8 overall) in 2007. He only had eight goals and 13 assists this last season with the Providence Bruins in 41 games. He got a chance with the big club in 2011-12 due to injuries but he didn't take advantage of it as he only managed two assists in 16 games. In total, Hamill finished with 139 points in 256 career games with Providence.
More than anything, this move serves as a fresh start for both players. They are both undersized guys so their games are based on superior skills and quick hands. At 26, Bourque had clearly done all he could in Hershey yet he still could not find a spot in Washington; Hamill's career has completely gone off the rails in Providence but he's only 23 so maybe going to a new organization will revitalize his once promising form.
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