While hockey and football are completely different sports, Ray Bourque has an interesting perspective when it comes to Tom Brady.
Bourque played 21 years with the Bruins before finishing his career by requesting a trade in order to help him win a Stanley Cup. He played his final year and a half with Colorado, which saw him win the Stanley Cup in 2001, his final NHL season.
The former defenseman acknowledged his situation isn't exactly the same as Brady's, but it is similar in the fact that Brady could play for one team for 20 years and then go finish his career somewhere else.
Bourque also said Brady's familiarity with the Patriots should have a big impact on his decision.
“It has to. It certainly does," he said on Extra Sauce with Greg Hill over the weekend. "All those years, those great memories, those great wins, special teams that he’s had, which has been pretty much his whole career. Certainly just a comfort level of everything that goes on in terms of his preparation, the coaches, the players, the fans and family life as well. That all comes into play.
"For me, I never thought I would leave Boston and I never would have to leave Boston. But the situation I was in, I had to leave Boston if I was going to play a couple more seasons. That was my case. His situation is different in terms of respect and maybe in terms of money, and what he’s been able to do compare to the other quarterbacks who are making $30 million or close to $40 million where Tom is thinking about team a lot. Not that he wasn’t making big bucks, but you look at him and he’s been the best for so many years. You would think that he would be on top of that list. That will certainly come into play. And other teams that have things set up for him to have success will come into play."
Bourque would like to see Brady stay in New England, but if he doesn't, he understands why.
“Like everybody else, nobody knows because he isn’t tipping his hand either way," he said. "It will be interesting because I think he will get to free agency and from that point on all bets are off. I would like to see the Pats sign a couple of guys to really make him see that he’s going to have some help and some weapons. I think that would certainly go a long way if I were in his shoes, knowing that you are coming back to better and are back in the mix as far as fighting for a Super Bowl again. Not that they weren’t last year, but you could kind of see they might have been a couple of weapons short of pulling it off.
"I certainly would love to see him come back and finish his career here in Boston. This is where he belongs, but like I said, things have to look right for him in terms of what he’s coming back to.”
Bourque currently owns a restaurant, Tresca, in the North End, while Brady will officially become a free agent on March 18 if he does not re-sign with the Patriots by then.
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