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Bruins fans remember the heartbreakersCNNSI.com looked at a few of the transactions that made Bruins fans shout, "Say It Ain't So." Then we opened the mailbag and let users vent on those and other dirty deals from over the years. Here is a sampling of your reactions:
Juneau, while he did suffer a broken jaw, was coming off of a couple of productive seasons (including a 102-point rookie season).
Iafrate only played a few regular-season games and the 1994 playoffs with the Bruins before sitting out most of the next two seasons and then being dealt to San Jose for Jeff Odgers ... yet another horrible trade.
You forgot to mention the second biggest blunder in Bruins personnel history, besides losing Bobby Orr. The Bruins had won in '70 and '72, and had outplayed the Flyers in '74, only to lose when Bernie Parent dominated the series. That offseason, the Bruins refused to open their checkbook (a sign of things to come) when the WHA started courting free agents. They lost Cheevers, McKenzie and Sanderson, and have never been the same since. They lost a chance to have a continuing dynasty.
As a Bruins fan injuries to key star and up and comers are a way of life. Guys like Norman Leville, Gordy Kluzak, Micheal Thelvin and many others had there careers cut short due to injuries. No injury was greater or broke my heart more than Cam Neely.
Cam was the essence of what a hockey player was supposed to be. No other player, in my memory, combined skill, speed, and brute force better than he. Cam's impact is felt today around the NHL as he was the guy that people began to coin the phrase "power forward." Thanks for the memories Cam!
The trade that most broke my heart was in 1980 when the Bruins traded goalie Gilles Gilbert to Detroit for Rogie Vachon. I was devastated because I was a huge goalie fan and Gilbert was my favourite. This trade made me follow the Red Wings and to this day they are my second-favourite team next to the Bruins. I totally blamed Gerry Cheevers for this trade because he was always fighting with Gilbert for the starting position.
I am a 27 Year Old U.S. Marine who has only cried on two occasions. Once when my Grandmother died and the second time when Ray Bourque got traded. What kind of bragging rights do I have now? Nancy Kerrigan?
I still remember the day I came home from school and mom told me Phil Esposito was traded! It helped me learn to never count on anything lasting forever!
It was back in the '80s. The Boston Bruins had this goalie nobody ever heard of ... until Glen Sather buffaloed Harry Sinden into trading him to the Edmonton Oilers for Ken 'The Rat' Linsman. There may have been more people involved in the trade, but those were the main two.
Anyway the following year, the Oilers played the Bruins for the Stanley Cup. Which Edmonton won. That goalie for Edmonton was Bill Ranford. Yeah, Roger Clemens leaving hurt. But nothing like trading away the Stanley Cup.
I almost stopped cheering for my beloved Bruins when they traded Steve Kasper and Jay Miller for Bobby Carpenter of the Los Angeles Kings. Miller was a very popular tough guy and Kasper was best defensive player in league. I was in trance for weeks.
Ray Bourque not a Bruin! That's like saying Mike Eruzione was traded to the Russians, or even worse, to Canada!
For virtually my entire life, Ray Bourque has defined Boston Bruins hockey. I've never seen anyone else in sports give more of him or herself to a team. Because of this, I respect Ray Borque's decision to be traded for a shot a Cup. I root for the Avs every time out, in the hope that Ray will finally be able to hoist the Cup above his head. But seeing Ray Borque in a jersey other than Boston's black and gold is so odd It'd be like the Red Sox winning the world series - something you don't expect in your lifetime.
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Al Iafrate played 12 games over three seasons with Boston.