Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup completes Cam Neely’s career in the NHL –NHL Updates
After 39 years of constant struggle, Boston Bruins finally won the Stanley Cup in the 2011 National Hockey League (NHL) Playoffs.
It was Boston’s first chance at the cup since 1990 and the team was all set to finally bear the fruit of nearly four decades of struggling to lift the cup.
For a team he played with for over 10 seasons, Cam Neely had always had his eyes set on the top prize since his retirement in 1996.
Celebrating his birthday on June 6th, Neely would have never imagined that this year would be the best of his career and the circle would be complete.
Currently serving as Boston Bruins’ president and part of the franchise’s management for four years, Neely finally picked up the cup for the first time.
"I thought (the Stanley Cup) was going to be heavier, but then I thought maybe it was because I've got so much adrenaline pumping through my body", Neely said in the locker room after Bruins defeated Vancouver Canucks. "It is hard to put into words how it
feels".
The great thing about Neely’s first experience with the cup was that it was a win against his original team, Vancouver Canucks, that drafted him in the 1983 NHL Entry Drafts as the ninth overall pick in the first round.
"It is pretty special. It is almost like coming full circle", Neely said. "This is where I started as a pro. It is really hard to believe. I feel beyond fortunate to have friends and family here and to be here and be able to lift the Cup. If it wasn't going
to be in Boston, this is not a bad place for me".
Neely played with Vancouver Canucks for three seasons and finally shifted to Boston in the 1986-1987 season till 1996.
He played a total of 726 games in his career and boasts a record of 694 points, including 395 goals and 299 assists as a right wing.
Neely was part of the Boston team which made the Stanley Cup Finals twice, consecutively in 1989 and 1990 but never saw the cup.
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