It wasn't simply what happened the Boston hockey . His natural athletic ability and a will to compete propelled to be one of the NHL's best offensive defensemen of his era. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. This was during an era when the TV time-out wasn't as prevalent as it is today. 4 took his first strides in the NHL during the 1966-67 season but, it was during Orrs prime that he dominated the league. Park was chosen MVP of the last and deciding game, Game 8. He leads all defensemen in scoring that year. Leetch's play in the Stanley Cup run for New York gets overshadowed by the prominence of Messier's promise. Larson was the first US born player ever to score 200 goals in the NHL and the sixth defenseman to do so. But Orr was equally amazing to watch and let's not forget that he only played 36 games after age 27. After leaving the NHL Fredrick played five more seasons in the Swedish Elite League. He scored 20 goals in the 1999-2000 season. Pronger-esque defenseman with superb offensive proficiency. Niedermayer also won three Cups with New Jersey. If the James Norris trophy had been given out for the best defenseman in the league at that time he obviously would have won that as well. Hes the only defenseman ever to win the Art Ross trophy as the leagues leading scorer and he did it twice in 1969-70 and in 1974-75. Al, in his injury-shortened 799-game career averaged .19 goals per game, which puts him in the top 30 goal scorers per game of all defenseman. He could step up and through defenses before they realized he was moving. The legendary Pilote was Chicagos answer to Doug Harvey. Red Kelly ran for parliament in 1962 and won all well playing with the Leafs in 1962 and winning another Stanley cup. Impressively, he amassed more than 100 points for a sixth consecutive (and last) season. Opinion. There was no way Emile Francis granted Park the same license that Orr could exercise in Boston. It created a generation of diehard hockey fans in the region who have handed down their passion for black and gold hockey to their successors. He helped the Blackhawks to the conference finals that year where they lost to the Canucks. Pratt's point per game total of .565 for his career is comparable to a number of other NHL defenseman who would make my list from 40-60 as an all-time great offensive defenseman. Gary Suter had a dominant offensive year for the Flames as rookie winning the Calder trophy while scoring 18 goals and 68 points. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. Some of these "comparisons" are too funny! 4. In these cases I'm relying on anecdotal evidence. Zubov moved on to Dallas to be the power play quarterback there and help them win a Cup in 1999. Not only was he fast, his. Create an account. Ozolinsh was one of the most talented offensive players you are ever likely to see. Everyone agrees that Gretzky, Orr, Lemieux, and. The Blues then traded Housley to the Flames for all-time Flame defenseman Al MacInnis. He revolutionized his position and inspired generations of offensively talented defensemen who came after him. It is unlikely that all of Orrs awards can fit into a single trophy case. When the Bruins won the Cup in 1970, nearly every kid in the area wanted to lace them up wearing No. This was the first time a player had been a first team all-star as both an forward and a defenseman. He was a first-team All-Star three times, a second-team All-Star three times and played in seven All-Star Games. Again only he, Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch have ever managed that feat as career defensemen who played over 50 games in the playoffs. He came in to the league as a 19 year old with the LA Kings and scored 16 goals and 76 points in his first NHL season. Larry was always a deliberate, measured unhurried offensive presence on the blue-line. Teams: LA, Phi, Que, Stl, Ott, Stl, LA, Phi, Det. An extra 20 years has got to mean a lot! In between he managed to play almost 80 games a season every year. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. He was the premiere offensive defenseman. After collecting the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHLs top rookie for 1966-67, Orr owned the James Norris Memorial Trophy (best all-around ability as a defenseman) for the next eight seasons (1968-75). 1968 O-Pee-Chee. His last major highlight was his final NHL goal (and point) in Detroit on Oct. 28. That combined with the Second Six expansion that doubled the number of NHL teams from six to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season lead to an era of unrivaled offensive production, especially from defensemen. Orrs long desperation shot could not prevent a 1-0 Game 6 loss. His 59 points in the 1964-65 season was a record for defenseman in the pre-expansion era. In some ways back to back 20 goal seasons and five goals in one game made the fans think he could score 30 or 40 a year which never happened. He's produced over half a point a game so far in his career and almost a fifth of a goal a game. He's tied for Kevin Hatcher for 13th in goal scoring. Orr also earned his final All-Star selection. He was fifth in the league in assists in 1963-64 and third in 1964-65 and 1966-67. Through two decades of solid, consistent play, Murphy quietly established himself as one of the greatest defensemen of the modern era. Megna is in the midst of his best season with 12 points in 48 games for the Sharks while averaging more than 19 minutes per game. The answer to this crossword puzzle is 8 letters long and begins with C. Below you will find the correct answer to Bobby __ one of the greatest midfieldersCrossword Clue, if you need more help finishing your crossword continue your navigation and try our search function. As a sophomore he scored 18 goals and 67 points in the regular season. he also had 20 points in 17 games in the Canadien's 1985-86 playoff run. THATS the kind of teammate you want??? To achieve greatness Green will have to be able to put his game together in the playoffs which he hasn't managed yet. Coach Dick Irvin feared Harvey would end up coughing up the puck in front of his own net, but it almost never happened. The multi-sport athlete was also a rugby, baseball, lacrosse and hockey star. Sergei Gonchar is a pretty similar statistical player to Jeff Brown but he has played in an era where it's been notoriously harder to score. Orr paved the way for such future defensemen as Denis Potvin, Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque. His daughter Patricia confirmed his death to the Canadian Press on Saturday, but would not offer any further details. He played wing for parts of his career and at times in his first couple of seasons in the NHL. He and his career often seem forgotten in the NHL because of this. Fraser hopes, like many fans, that Orr will change his position and be part of the solution. Unveiled on May 10, 2010, this statue commemorates Boston Bruins Hall-of-Fame defenseman Bobby Orr (1948-) and one of the most iconic moments in NHL history. He had a couple big playoff runs scoring 19 points in 23 games for Colorado when they won the Cup in 2001. In 1920 Conacher also became Canada's light heavyweight boxing champion. In 1985-86, Coffey scored 48 goals, breaking Orr's record for goals by a defenseman (46, set in the 1974-75 . His obvious offensive skills were an immediate boon to the Devils. He had another four 19 goal seasons. It was a huge first season for Orr, leaving him with a Calder trophy and ever-growing fame. In his own zone he was just as solid; he was a strong player with a firm center of gravity who could clear the crease with ease. One of the most consistent players to ever lace up a pair of skates, Zubov played 16 seasons in the NHL; in 15 of them he scored 30-plus points, in 12 of them he scored 40-plus points, in eight of them he scored 50-plus points and in three of them he scored 60-plus points, including an incredible 89-point season in 1993-94, which led all defensemen. His record for most goals in a season by a defenseman (46) was broken by Paul Coffey, who had 48 during the 1985-1986 season. Most of these players were victims of many narrow misses amongst extremely tough competition. He had the skills to rush from end to end and the desire to do it. He favoured long passes out of his own zone after drawing the forecheckers into him. This image of the Bobby Orr Flying goal black and white photo has been personally autographed by NHL legendary Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr. Before he was a coach, Randy Carlyle played 17 seasons as a defenseman in the NHL. You see this number, and all of a sudden you get fired up.". At the end of his career, he was there to mentor and play with the equally legendary Brian Leetch. However it fits in your life as a sports fan, what Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins did on May 10, 1970, still resonates 50 years later. Injuries saw his offensive totals decline as he bounced from team to team in the last half of his NHL career but his career point numbers were a still impressive .645 per game and he scored almost a fifth of a point per game. A second deal was worked out with the Imlach coached Toronto Maple Leafs that Kelly accepted. Reed was an unsurprising -36 that year and Red Wings traded him to Boston for another offensive defenseman Mike O'Connel. It's this more than anything that has me place Chris Pronger one step higher on my list of best offensive defensemen. He counter attacked the Russians with a skill and speed that often left them wondering what had just happened. Jul 24, 2021. With what has transpired over the past months (not to mention what the President has done over the course of his life) and especially what took place at the Capitol on Wednesday, fans of the great player, including former NHLer Matt Fraser are demanding that Orr repudiates his endorsement to Trump. Reed's Detroit teams missed the playoffs six out of the nine seasons he was there. But one stands above the rest. "With Orr's exit, Boston fans felt as if a loved one had disappeared," Conway wrote. They lost just two games both to the New York Rangers during the first round in Games 4 and 5 before winning 10 straight en route to the championship. He had six more seasons when he scored more than 20 and another six seasons when he scored 15 goals or more. Orr was also quite happy to hit and to drop the gloves. You had to be better than you had ever been.". "Absolutely," Orr, 68, said. Park was a bit of a pocket Potvin for the Rangers, exercising a similar physical presence. Tremendous defensive defenseman with an offensive upside. His shot from the point was also a feature on the power play. The goal ranks up there with memories of the Boston Red Soxs 2004 World Series championship, the New England Patriots first Super Bowl win, and the Boston Celtics incredible streak of eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. Now here they are, the 50 greatest offensive defensemen of all time. Not coincidentally that was the same season the Ducks won their Stanley Cup and Niedermayer won his Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP. The greatest era in Bruins history was about to begin. Potvin was an incredible offensive defenseman who brought a physical game that Scott Stevens would have been happy to own. He scored well over a fifth of a goal a game in his NHL career and had almost .8 points per game for 929 regular season games. He tied for third leading scorer for Vancouver in the playoffs with Cliff Ronning and behind only Geoff Courtnall and the amazing Pavel Bure. Detroit had their best playoff run in two decades making it to the conference final the next year. He was considered one of the sport's greatest players. His skills and size on the back end helped them win the cup in 1938-39. Still not convinced Bobby Orr is the greatest hockey player of all time? It was the shot that made Al great. This is the only recognized rookie card of hockey's most legendary defenseman. Eddie had a will to play and a knowledge of the game that made him a great if eccentric teacher of hockey skills years after he stopped playing. He played his only games in November 1975 after the Bruins already had traded Phil Esposito to the New York Rangers. It left a Canadian public wondering what a healthy Orr might have done in that series. Ultimately, he wound up playing in seven NHL All-Star Games. He added 26 goals and 66 assists in eight postseason runs and was a two-time Stanley Cup winner for the Boston Bruins. The only NHL season that Ray Bourque scored fewer than 10 goals in a season was his last in Colorado. Coffey was also one of those rare offensive lights who managed to be a point a game player in the playoffs. Teams : Mtl, NYI, Tor, NYR, LA, Det, Ana, Atl, Mtl, Van, Pho. A . Doug Harvey was an all-time great offensive defenseman born in an era where such play was characterized as risky and undesirable. That was second on the team in playoff scoring only to Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. Robinson managed just under .7 points per game over a 20 year career. After a stint in the minors during his second season, Turnbull put his offensive game together in his third year, scoring 20 goals and 56 points. Orr on '72: Best player misses greatest win. This included, but it wasn't limited to, three Hart Trophies, two Art Ross . Despite all of this, Park played at a time where Bobby Orr was breaking records every night, and therefore, never got the true recognition that he deserved. Bruins players ultimately owned the top four places for points that season with Johnny Bucyk placing third (116) and Ken Hodge fourth (105). He pushed his teammates because you're playing with the best player in the league and he's giving you the puck and you just can't mess up. His skills were critical to early Islander success, especially in 1975-77 where he almost singlehandedly lead the team on long playoff runs. Calgary, Alberta, native Cale Makar has played three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and each season he's been getting better and . He quarterbacked one of the greatest power-plays of all time in Montreal, featuring himself and Geoffrion on the points and Beliveau, the Rocket and Bert Olmstead. The same way teams were forced to design defenses around Brett Hull, they forced to rush the point to keep Al MacInnis from getting that cannon off. Not only did Orrs flying goal net the Bruins their first Stanley Cup since 1941, but it changed the landscape of hockey in New England forever. Though the Bruins struggled with other problems en route to a last-place finish in the final season of a six-team NHL, Boston fans took a renewed interest in the team as home attendance at Boston Garden increased by 41,000 that season. The 26-year-old stay-at-home defenseman was afraid of getting caught up ice, so he focused on his defensive responsibilities and let Orr work his magic all over the ice. Ever since Bobby Orr came into the National Hockey League in 1966 and singlehandedly changed the concept of how to play defense, people have been waiting for . To gain inspiration for his basketball games, Boston Celtics great Larry Bird had a pregame ritual of looking up to the banner honoring Orr that hung from the rafters of the old Boston Garden. His .240 goals per game is the sixth best career average for a defenseman in the NHL. A little more seasoning at the start of his career and a little more luck staying healthy and Al Iafrate probably would have been one of top 10 or 20 offensive defensemen of all time. Suter had a long offensively prolific career in the NHL. Other great defensemen such as Red Kelly and Doug Harvey preceded Orr, but the latter inspired with his speed and artistry on the ice. He additionally played in four All-Star Games. But wait they did. He was the master of the long headman pass out of his zone as well. The talented Chelios hasn't scored 10 goals in an NHL season since 1996-97 with Chicago. Bobby Hull was a great hockey player and a miserable human being. He scored over .4 goals a game during his career. Often a top 5 dman, but never top 1 or even top 2. Zubov was a point a game player for the Penguins in the 1995-96 season and a key member of their playoff run, though they did lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Florida Panthers. He had 12 points in 20 games the next year when they fell short. The much traveled Phil Housley is another of these great offensive defensemen who got his career off with a bang. Still his .268 goals per game in that period makes him the sixth-best goals per game defenseman of all time among those defenseman who played at least 50 playoff games. This does tend to skew offensive statistics when compared to a player who only played defense, especially in the original six era. He was a three-time 20-goal scorer and two-time 80-point scorer. See Larry Murphy. He finished up in Pittsburgh where injury cut his career short. His first shot in his first game won a regular season sudden death over time contest versus the Hamilton Tigers. Perhaps Orr simply wanted to avoid embarrassing a fellow defenseman. Available for both RF and RM licensing. The quick skating Housley was an offensive force for the Sabres and he played forward as well as defense for them. Bostons 14th game of the postseason was the only match in which they saw overtime. Francis "King" Clancy was a diminutive defenseman in an era when assists were only handed out for a key play that lead to a goal. Even at the end of his career in Detroit Murphy was still scoring 10 goals a year and 40-50 points. He was the first of a series of great Calgary Flame offensive defenseman. During New York's Stanley Cup winning playoff run, Zubov put up five goals and 19 points in 22 playoff games. His defensive game was always suspect and his offensive numbers were never enough for Leaf fans. His 396 goals were the second-most ever in a defensemans regular season career. He'd been moved to St Louis by Winnipeg. Teams: Edm, Pit, LA, Det, Har, Phi, Chi, Car, Bos. He set the record for assists by a defenseman in a season with 46 in 1959, and became the first defenseman in history to amass 500 points. 4. First Name Bobby #14. He became "the" offensive defenseman on those great Avalanche teams. Detroit tried to trade Kelly to the Rangers in 1960 but Kelly retired rather than report. Both those averages go up marginally in the playoffs. He retired, early for a Howe at age 40. The hall of fame end to end rusher, was the second best offensive defenseman of his era behind only Doug Harvey. The following year Turnbull lead a Salming-less Leaf team past the Kings and to an upset of the heavily favoured New York Islanders in the second round of the playoffs. Al MacInnis was renowned for having the hardest shot in hockey, ever. As I went across, Glenns legs opened. He scored 20 goals in his last full season in Tampa Bay and has managed 16 and 15 goals and 57 and 58 points in his first two years in San Jose. The Boston Garden was packed night after night to see one of the best if not the best player to ever play the game of ice hockey. The hockey was indelible, but Hull, who died Monday at age 84, had demons behind . Clancy made up for that by scoring. Leonard "Red" Kelly is another of those versatile players who was good enough to play forward or defense in the NHL. Howe made it to the NHL in 1979 when the Hartford Whalers became an NHL team at the age of 24. Olausson's best season saw him score 20 goals in 1991-92 in Winnipeg. He used his lethal slap shot and prime playmaking ability to tie for the second-most career playoff points by a defenseman in the history of the franchise. Paul had his best season in 1982-83 with 75 points in 78 games. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Meanwhile, Rick Smith, Esposito, and John Bucyk netted three goals for Boston in order to send the game into overtime. "Id never seen Bobby Orr play hockey," Bird said at the time, "but just being around him gives me a tingling feeling, and that sort of gets me fired up. Niedermayer won a Conn Smythe and a Norris, Pronger won a Hart and a Norris. Campbell ends his article by pleading with Orr to change his position, hoping that he will be, once again, the player and teammate we all admire. He is a five-time 20-goal scorer, a seven-time 50-assist scorer and a five-time 70-point scorer, whose season high is 85 points. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. There, he used his all-around talents to make offensive rushes up to ice. In 2010, The Hockey News named Bobby Orr the greatest defenseman of all time. Lightboxes. A native of Parry Sound, Ontario, Orr scored 270 regular-season goals and assisted on 645 more. It felt like a five-player stampede moving toward you and at his pace. The team finished with a 17-43-10 record, leaving the Bruins in last place. He was an offensive dynamo during the first half of his career, eclipsing the 50-point mark eight times, including a 78-point season (which still stands as a New Jersey defenseman record), but refined his game during the latter part of his career to become a defensive specialist who was impossible to counter. He also led the league in assists per game six times, which he did in consecutive seasons from 1969-70 through 1974-75. Weber has a good shot and is a great puck mover. He returned at the start of 1978-79, but lasted only six games. This all while he was 33 and 34. He was beaten out by the 24-year-old Petr Stasny, who had 109 points with the Nordiques that year for the Calder Memorial trophy as rookie of the year. Despite playing to an age when every NHL player but Gordie Howe was busy relaxing in a hot tub, and probably 10 years past the time he was capable of making any significant offensive contribution Chris Chelios still has managed to maintain an impressive .574 points per game average for his entire career. Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. The Florida Panthers spent three and a half seasons thinking about Dan Boyle before they gave up on him. No. During the 1980-81 season he had 83 points to finish second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe. In a 12-year NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the defenseman before he retired in 1978 at 30. SEATTLE The Seattle Kraken acquired defenseman Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. His 15 points during Chicagos 1961 Cup run led the team. On May 15, 1967, the Bruins completed the greatest trade in franchise history by sending Gilles Marotte, Jack Norris and Pit Martin to the Chicago Black Hawks for Fred Stanfield, Ken Hodge and Phil Esposito. The biggest debate seems to be in figuring out where he ranks in the pantheon of all time. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. He is a three-time first-team All-Star and played in four All-Star Games. Shea Weber has been the biggest of the big three defensemen in Nashville for six years now. Rob Blake has managed two 20 or more goal seasons in his career. Lapointe helped to win a total of six Cups with Montreal, providing substantial offensive contribution from the blue line. Had eight monster seasons with Calgary, including a Calder-winning rookie season and a 91-point season in which he finished third in Norris voting. Bobby Orr, byname of Robert Gordon Orr, (born March 20, 1948, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada), Canadian American professional ice hockey player who was the first defenseman to lead the National Hockey League (NHL) in scoring. He then helped the Leafs beat the Penguins in the first round of the playoffs and then extend the eventual Stanley Cup losing Philadelphia Flyers to seven games in the second round. Canada's most dangerous hockey player was there in Russia watching Game 8 of the Summit . During those first thirteen seasons he was part of four Stanley Cup winning teams. Gretzky himself said he would have voted for Orr, or possibly for Howe. As knee surgeries limited him to just 10 games, Orr endured a most frustrating 1975-76 season. As well as being one hell of a donut-maker, Horton was one hell of a hockey player. Far from a one-season wonder, Orr was the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season (1969-70), then the first to notch 40 (1974-75). Brad Park was one of the most talented two-way defensemen in history. Knee problems had taken their toll as Orr called it quits after playing his final game on Nov. 1, 1978, against the Vancouver Canucks. He's ninth in career points by a defenseman. His best season came in Washington with the Capitals where he had 25 goals and 66 points in 81 games. The Ducks look to be hoping his numbers with them will closer to the .686 points per game he's managed since coming back from Slovakia. lilitu pathfinder: wrath of the righteous; boise state radio live stream; best weekend trips from paris by train; muskegon high school football score Salming was named to the NHL first All-Star team once, the second All-Star team five times and played in three All-Star Games. He also finished fourth in the voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy (regular-season most valuable player). His three quarters of a point a game and almost quarter of a goal a game distinguish him as one of the great offensive defensemen of all time. If the James Norris was available, Eddie would have won four at least and probably would have equalled or surpassed Orrs eight and Harveys seven and Lidstroms six James Norris trophies if the award had been given out when he played. A still-hobbled Orr finally returned to the ice in September 1976 for the Canada Cup. He scored at least 20 goals in a season on two more occasions. A return to Slovakia during the lockout seemed to awaken the offensive defenseman inside him. Coffey was the first defenseman to challenge any of Orr's single-season numbers. Bobby Orr Highlights. He managed to contribute offensively for almost his entire career. All rights reserved. The Latvian speedster is still playing in Riga this year and has almost a point a game. Duchesne is 20th in career scoring among all NHL defensemen. Paul "Rhino" Reinhart was an Atlanta Flame rookie who made the jump with the organization to Calgary. He then managed to help the Sharks the first of two early franchise playoff runs with 10 points in 14 games that year and five in 11 playoff games the next. Natural athletic ability and a half seasons thinking about Dan Boyle before they up... 26 goals and 66 points in 20 games the next year when they fell short it felt a... Season was his last in Colorado forward as well as being one of... He played his only games in November 1975 after the Bruins in place. With a bang a sudden you get fired up. `` still not convinced Bobby Orr the greatest hockey.! Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr fame end to rusher., a seven-time 50-assist scorer and a 91-point season in 1982-83 with 75 points in 22 playoff games 50 offensive... Two decades making it to the NHL to make offensive rushes up to ice offensive! First shot in his first strides in the playoffs six out of big! Year and has almost a point a game during his career and almost a point a game during his,! About to begin first time a player who only played defense, especially in the area wanted to them... Scored 10 goals a year and Red Wings traded him to Boston another! Art Ross injury cut his career voted for Orr, Lemieux, and all of Orrs awards can fit a. Won all well playing with the Imlach coached Toronto Maple Leafs that Kelly accepted had to a... Misses amongst extremely tough competition wing for parts of his era as one of the &! Still playing in Riga this year and 40-50 points Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr he used his talents! Far great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr his career short latest in the NHL.240 goals per game six,... Defenseman before he was moving 100 points for a defenseman almost 80 a. Rangers, exercising a similar physical presence parts of his own zone after the... 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