ROUSE: Bourque move comes as surprise

Terrier hockey fans were shocked this weekend to learn that one of BU's most heralded first-year players wouldn't even stay with the school past his first year. Chris Bourque, the cocky kid with the hall of fame pedigree who was supposed to lead BU's resurrection has left school and is headed to Canada.

The very first lesson that we can take from Bourque's departure is numerical: never trust a guy wearing No. 19. Last year the guy wearing No. 19 bolted early as Ryan Whitney skipped his senior season for a big payday and the AHL playoffs. For some reason though, Whitney's departure bothers me less than Bourque's.

If you had been following BU hockey at all, you were prepared for Whitney's departure. We had seen the best he had to offer and with the looming NHL troubles, it made sense for him to get his money while he still could.

Bourque's situation is drastically different and unexpected. Few figured that he would hang around for four years, based mostly on the false premise that Bourque was a highly touted prospect in the Washington Capitals' system. While Bourque certainly has tons of potential, the Capitals' drafting him 33rd overall was seen as a surprise as most scouts didn't even have him ranked in the top 100, according to hockeysfuture.com. The same website reported that the Capitals wouldn't place any pressure on Bourque to leave and expected him to be in college for four years.

So he's not leaving for a ton of money, he's leaving to go play in Quebec. According to various reports, the underlying reason for his decision to leave comes from his antipathy for the other half of that student-athlete equation. In a Boston Globe article he also cited his desire to play in the junior league because of its more wide-open offensive system as opposed to the college game. To me, it seems like quite a cop-out.

First, if Bourque had wanted to play in a wide-open offensive system, he didn't do a very good job choosing a college. Just about every western team would fit the bill on that account (just look at the Colorado College linemates who combined for more than 120 points). If he wanted to stay closer to home, he could have joined his sister at New Hampshire. Either way, it doesn't seem like BU was the best choice if he was looking for a wide-open offensive system.

Still, the part that puzzles me the most is the academic aspect of Bourque's withdrawal. Clearly it's not easy being a student-athlete. All of the time put in to a particular sport certainly draws away from the time that can be spent on academics. But no one was asking Chris Bourque to be a Dean's List student; all he needed to do was the bare minimum and make sure that he remained eligible. Through the Elliot H. Cole Academic Support Center, the university offers athletes the tools necessary to ensure that they can meet these standards. It seems that Chris Bourque couldn't be bothered to make the effort.

For me, the saddest part about the whole thing is that Chris Bourque still hasn't reached his potential. It was going to be fun watching the heights to which he would soar, because the sky really was the limit. Now, we're left scratching out heads and asking, "What if?"

Anyone who doesn't think Bourque's departure hurts the team should have their head examined. He didn't lead the team in points but he was an integral part of this group. He will especially be missed on the power play where the team often looked lost without him.

But Bourque's departure is not a fatal flaw. The team that we saw on the ice this season and the one we're expecting next season are hardly one player deep. Bourque's departure merely leaves room for a few players to step up. You could even make the argument that Bourque hindered the development of certain players this season; though he is a great passer, Bourque was sixth in Hockey East in shots per game though he only tallied 10 goals. Spreading the puck around might not be such a bad thing.

Without a doubt, Bourque's shifts always kept you on the edge of your seat. Whether it was with a wicked slap shot or a dazzling move, Bourque never failed to entertain. Compared to the players I've watched over the last three seasons, Bourque is a wizard on the ice.

Still, the Terriers should be fine without him next season. Even so, if the Terriers go on to win the National Championship in the next three years we will still be left wondering just how good Chris Bourque could have been.