LEWISTON — As a boy growing up in Canada, after each hockey game Ray Bourque climbed into his father’s truck for the ride home.

“He’d tap me on the leg and say, ‘Great game, son.’ I’d tell him, ‘No; I sucked,'” Bourque said Saturday from a locker room at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. “My dad was so supportive,” Bourque said. ” I lost my mom at a young age, but my dad was incredible. He was always positive. He was always there.”

The Boston Bruins legend, National Hockey League Hall of Famer and Stanley Cup winner spoke to hundreds of young hockey players as the Lewiston Area Youth Hockey League kicked off the 38th annual Lions Tournament.

Bourque stood at center ice as girls and boys ages 4 to 14 surrounded him. Youth hockey was where it all started for him, he said. He went on to play for the Bruins for 21 years.

“You never know where you might end up,” he said. “You might be playing for the (Lewiston) Maineiacs.”

The kids cheered.

“I hope everybody’s paying attention in school,” Bourque coached. “If you do well in school and you do well in hockey, you could end up playing for the University of Maine some day.” Lessons learned from hockey – teamwork, dedication – will help them in class, he said.

Bourque encouraged them to play for the right reason: because they like to play.

One boy asked Bourque what went through his head when he was drafted.

Bourque said he was very excited, and very lucky to be picked by the Bruins. “A lot of first draft picks go to the worst teams. I was lucky to be with some of the Bruin veterans. All those veterans made it so much easier to do my job.”

Another asked: What’s the key to defense?

“Always protect the middle of the ice,” Bourque said.

Does Bourque still play hockey?

“On Tuesdays and Fridays with some former Bruins.” he said. “We go out and have some fun. It’s nice to catch up with former teammates, and get a little workout at the same time.”

What was it like to hold the Stanley Cup over his head?

The experience was incredible, he said. “Holding that cup over your head, it gives me chills when I think about it. There’s only one winner. There’s nothing like it.”

“He’s a legend,” said Nick Gilbert, 15, a Lewiston Midget player. A Lions Tournament veteran, Gilbert said he was there to see Bourque. “He’s just an amazing player.”

Mite player Hayden Albert, 7, stood on the ice holding a Maine license plate: “BOURQ77.” His father took the plate off their vehicle and let Hayden hold it during the ceremonies, the boy said.

“I am a Ray Bourque fan, although my wife is more of a Ray Bourque fan,” said Kevin Albert, Hayden’s father and coach.

Just then his wife, Jennifer Albert, showed up wearing a Bruins jersey. The Lewiston Middle School teacher gushed about Bourque. She has posters of him in her class. She joked that she’d leave her husband for Bourque “in a minute.”

The Lions Tournament is the longest continuously running youth hockey tournament in the country. It continues today and through this week’s February school vacation. Championship games are Friday

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Bourque on being a good hockey parent
LEWISTON – Sometimes some parents get too involved in their child’s games, hockey legend Ray Bourque said Saturday. He offered a few tips on how to be a good sports parent.
Let your kids play for the right reasons, because they like to, for the exercise and to get experience being part of a team.
Be supportive, not overbearing.
Don’t push your child to play if he or she doesn’t want to play.
Don’t think your child will be something they’re not. Don’t chase your dream of them being in the NHL.
As a hockey parent himself, Bourque said he’s encouraged his two sons to work hard, “and put in the effort if they’re going to play. Don’t disrespect your team mates, the other teams, the referees or your coaches,” Bourque said. “For me as a parent, those are the things I would come down on if they weren’t doing.”