Ryan Bourque Announces Retirement
Sep 2, 2020American Hockey League veteran and former Bridgeport Islanders forward Ryan Bourque has retired from professional hockey after nearly a decade on the ice.
“I’m excited about the new chapter, new opportunities,” Bourque told the Connecticut Post. “I’m thankful and grateful for every experience in nine years of pro hockey.”
Bourque, 29, played the majority of the past three seasons with the Sound Tigers and recorded 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 184 games. He is 24th on the team’s all-time games played list according to the Connecticut Post’s Michael Fornabaio.
The Sound Tigers traded Bourque to the Charlotte Checkers in an AHL deadline deal on March 2. He played four games with the Checkers prior to the shutdown.
A native of Topsfield, Mass., Bourque played 585 career AHL games with the Sound Tigers, Checkers, Hershey Bears and Connecticut Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack franchise. The majority of his first five pro seasons were in Hartford after he was selected by the New York Rangers in the 2009 NHL Draft. Bourque’s only NHL appearance came with the Rangers in 2014-15.
Ryan is the younger son of Stanley Cup Champion and NHL Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque. His older brother, Chris, is also an AHL veteran, who played with Ryan in Hartford, Hershey and Bridgeport.