Bobby Orr
Encyclopedia
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC
(born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
player. Orr played in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins
, joining the Chicago Black Hawks
for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest hockey players of all time. A defenceman
, Orr used his ice skating
speed and scoring and play-making abilities to revolutionize the position. , Orr remains the only defenceman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies
and holds the record for most points
and assists
in a single season by a defenceman. Orr won a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player
(MVP). Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1979 at age 31, the youngest to that day to be inducted into the Hall.
Orr started in organized hockey at age five. He first played as a forward
, but was later moved to defence by his coach, Royce Tennant. Going against the standard practice of the time, Tennant felt that Orr's offensive skills were best suited for a rushing defenceman role and he gave Orr the freedom to play that role despite its inherent risks. With Orr on defense, the Parry Sound Shamrocks had many successes. After Tennant, Bucko MacDonald coached Orr,and Orr continued to excel against small town Ontario provincial competition on defense. At fourteen, Orr joined the Oshawa Generals
, the Bruins' junior hockey affiliate, and he was an all-star for three of his four seasons. In 1966, Orr joined Boston, a team that had not won a Stanley Cup
since 1941 and had not qualified for the playoffs since 1959. With Orr, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1970 and 1972, and lost in the 1974 Final. In both victories, Orr scored the clinching goal
and was named the playoff MVP. In the final achievement of his career, he was the MVP of the 1976 Canada Cup
international hockey tournament. In 1976, Orr left Boston as a free agent
to join the Black Hawks, but repeated injuries had effectively destroyed his left knee, and he retired in 1978 at age 30.
Orr's first professional contract was one of the first in professional ice hockey to be negotiated by an agent
. It made him the highest-paid player in NHL history as a rookie
. His second contract was the first million-dollar contract in the NHL. However, after his retirement, Orr learned that he was deeply in debt and he had to sell off most of what he owned. Orr broke with his agent Alan Eagleson
and sued the Black Hawks to settle his contract. Orr and his family returned to Boston where Orr went into business to rebuild his finances. Orr aided the investigations that led to Eagleson's fraud
convictions and disbarment
. Orr also supported the law suit that exposed the corruption of the NHL's pension plan.
Orr entered the player agent business in 1996 and today is president of the Orr Hockey Group agency. , the agency represents over 30 active NHL players. Orr is also active in charitable works and in television commercials. Since 1996, Orr has coached a team of junior hockey players in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game
. Orr was married in 1972. He is the father of two sons and is a grandfather.
located on the shores of Georgian Bay
in Ontario
, Canada
. His grandfather, Robert Orr, was a professional soccer player from Ballymena
, Ireland
before emigrating to Parry Sound early in the 20th century. Orr's father, Doug Orr, had once been a hockey prospect himself and was invited to join the Atlantic City Seagulls in 1942 but turned down the offer. Doug Orr instead joined the Canadian Navy, serving during the Second World War
. He returned after the war to Parry Sound, to Arva Steele, who he had married before he left for war, and to a job in the CIL
dynamite factory. Doug and Arva had five children together: Patricia, Ronnie, Bobby, Penny and Doug Jr. Bobby was born on March 20, 1948 at St. Joseph's Hospital, where his grandmother Elsie Orr worked as a nurse. Bobby was a sick baby at birth and his survival was tenuous.
Bobby Orr displayed his hockey talents from an early age. Orr played his first organized hockey in 1953 at age five, in the "minor squirt" division, a year after getting his first skates and playing shinny
. Although he was tiny and somewhat frail, he soon was able to skate faster than anyone his own age, speed he demonstrated in races around the rink and in games. Until he was ten years old, Orr played on the wing, as a forward. His coach, former NHL player Bucko McDonald moved Orr to defence. Although Orr played defence, McDonald encouraged Orr to use his talents as a stickhandler, a natural skater and scorer to make offensive rushes. According to McDonald: "I used to tell Doug the kid was in his natural position when he played defence. You didn't have to be genius to see that - honest. I don't think Doug agreed, but he accepted my decision." Orr would later credit McDonald: "Bucko taught me almost everything I know."
Orr was first noticed by the Boston Bruins
in the spring of 1961, playing in a youth hockey tournament in Gananoque, Ontario
. The Bruins' Wren Blair
described him as "a combination of Doug Harvey and Eddie Shore
." The Bruins immediately pursued Orr. Blair made regular visits to the family home. In the fall of 1961, the Bruins invested C$1,000 (C$ in dollars) to sponsor his minor hockey team. Although three other NHL teams (Toronto Maple Leafs
, Detroit Red Wings
and Montreal Canadiens
) were interested in Orr, he signed in 1962 with the Bruins. Orr explained that he signed with the Bruins because "they're a team of the future. They're rebuilding and I want to be part of that building program."
Blair was involved with a plan to start a new Oshawa Generals
franchise in a new arena in Oshawa, Ontario
. Despite the Bruins already having a junior hockey franchise, the Niagara Falls Flyers
, Blair was able to convince the Bruins to own another. He arranged a deal whereby the Bruins owned 51% of the franchise. But Orr would have to play for Oshawa. When Orr was fourteen, Blair convinced the Orr family to allow Bobby to attend the Flyers' tryout camp. When camp came to an end and it came time to sign with the Bruins, a meeting with Bruins' owner Weston Adams
went sour and Orr headed back to Parry Sound. Blair was able to smooth over the situation and convince Arva that Bobby was old enough to leave home. To get the Orrs' signatures on a "C" Form, committing Bobby to the Bruins at age eighteen, Blair agreed to have Bobby stay in Parry Sound for his schooling, skipping Generals' practices and only drive south to play games on weekends. The bonus for signing was an unprecedented C$10,000 (C$ in dollars), a new car
and the Bruins would pay to stucco
the family home.
Orr debuted in junior in the 1962–63 season for the new Generals in the new Metro Junior A League
. Orr was only fourteen, competing against eighteen-, nineteen- and twenty-year-olds. The 1963–64 season brought further changes as the Metro League folded and Oshawa joined the Ontario Hockey Association
(OHA). Orr moved to Oshawa, where he started attending R. S. McLaughlin high school and boarded with a local family. Orr scored 29 goals to set a junior record for goals by a defenceman and was named to the OHA's First All-Star team.
Orr's goal and point totals increased every year during his junior career and he was named to the OHA First-All Star team every season he was in the OHA. Orr had his best season in 1965–66, his fourth season of junior. Orr scored 38 goals to increase his goal-scoring record, and finished with 94 points to average two points per game for the Generals. The Generals finished fourth in the league but won the OHA championship, the J. Ross Robertson Cup
, by defeating the St. Catharines Black Hawks
, the Montreal Junior Canadiens and the Kitchener Rangers
. The team defeated the Northern Ontario champions North Bay Trappers and the Quebec champions Shawinigan Bruins to win a berth in the Memorial Cup
Final for the junior championship of Canada.
Oshawa's hopes in the Cup Final were damaged when Orr suffered a groin
injury against Shawinigan, an injury that is painful and weakens a player's skating ability. To promote the event, held in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens
, the Generals had advertised that this was the last chance to see Orr in junior and were anxious for him to play. Bruins' management demanded that Orr not play in the Final, not wanting to risk any further damage to their property, while Orr and his parents were adamant that he be allowed to play for the national championship. He was not yet signed professionally to the Bruins, and they threatened that he would never play for them if he was held out. Blair decided to defy the Bruins' ownership and let Orr play. While Orr dressed and played some, he was not a factor and Edmonton defeated Oshawa for the Cup. Oshawa coach Bep Guidolin
was fired for letting Orr play, while Blair left the organization of his own accord to join the expansion Minnesota North Stars
.
at a juvenile fastball
tournament dinner in Parry Sound and asked Eagleson to help out with the situation. Eagleson agreed to work with the family for free and continued to do so for the next two years. Bobby and Eagleson developed a relationship Orr would later describe as being like brothers. The two soon became a team, discussing Bobby's future plans without his father Doug.
Eagleson was determined to get Orr a top salary. When Hap Emms
, the general manager of the Bruins offered a US$5,000 (US$ in dollars) signing bonus and US$7,000 and US$8,000 (US$ and US$ in dollars) for his first two years in the league, Eagleson countered with US$100,000 (US$ in dollars) for the two years. Or Orr would refuse to play with the Bruins and play for Canada's national team instead, like Carl Brewer
. Orr wanted desperately to play in the NHL, but he went along with Eagleson's strategy and was willing to play for the nationals. The Bruins and Orr agreed on a US$25,000 signing bonus (US$ in dollars), and a salary "less than $100,000" for the two years, a figure kept secret. Speculation has ranged on an annual salary of US$25,000 to US$40,000 (US$ to US$ in dollars) at a time when the typical maximum rookie salary was US$8,000. (US$ in dollars) The official signing ceremony was done on Emms' boat, the Barbara Lynn, where Eagleson and Emms had conferred during negotiations.
At the time, it made Orr the highest-paid player in league history. But beyond that, the signing became one of the most important in the history of professional hockey. Until that time, players had been forced to accept whatever NHL management paid in salaries. It was the start of the player's agent
era in professional hockey. For Eagleson, it was the start of his sports business empire. Based on the Orr signing, Eagleson would become the executive director of the new National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and started on his rise to become one of the most powerful men in the sport and business of ice hockey.
, his first professional season. The Bruins were not convinced at first that Orr belonged on defence, trying him out at centre first. Through the pre-season, Orr was given jersey number 27 to wear. At the season's start, the Bruins offered him jersey number 5, that of past Bruins star Dit Clapper
, but Orr declined and chose jersey number 4. Orr made his NHL regular-season debut on October 19, 1966, against the Detroit Red Wings
, getting one assist. On October 22, he scored his first NHL goal
against the Montreal Canadiens
. It was a slap shot past Gump Worsley
and the Boston Garden
crowd gave Orr a standing ovation.
In that first season, Orr was challenged physically as a rookie by the veterans, and he earned respect by fighting Montreal
tough guy Ted Harris and defeating him in his first NHL fight. On December 4, 1966, Toronto Maple Leafs
' defenceman Marcel Pronovost
checked him into the boards, injuring Orr's knees for the first time in the NHL. He would miss nine games and the Bruins would lose six of them. The team finished with a 17–43–10 record, leaving the Bruins in last place. However, attendance at Boston Garden had increased by forty-one thousand fans.
For the season, Orr scored 13 goals and 28 assists
, one of the best rookie seasons in NHL history to that point and unprecedented by a defenceman. Orr won the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the league's outstanding rookie and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star team
. New York Rangers
' defenceman Harry Howell, won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman that year. In accepting the award, Howell said he was glad to win when he did, predicting "Orr will own this trophy from now on." Orr was runner-up in voting.
In 1967–68
, his second season, injuries limited Orr to just 46 games. Prior to the season, Orr had injured his right knee during a charity game in Winnipeg
during the summer requiring five weeks in a cast. In December, a Frank Mahovlich
check caused a fracture of Orr's collar bone and a shoulder separation. Orr returned in January in time to play in the NHL All-Star Game
, his first appearance of eight appearances overall. Orr had to sit out five games afterwards due to soreness in his left knee. In February, he had to leave a game against Detroit after his left knee went stiff. He would receive the first of his many operations on the knee, repairing ligament
and removing cartilage
. Orr did return to finish the season, but required a further operation during the off-season to remove a bone chip. Despite the injuries, Orr won the first of a record eight consecutive Norris trophies and was named to the NHL's First All-Star team.
After finishing last in 1966–67, the Bruins qualified for the 1968 playoffs
, their first appearance in the playoffs since the 1958–59
season. In the pre-season, the Bruins had added Phil Esposito
, Fred Stanfield
and Ken Hodge
from the Chicago Black Hawks
in one of the most famous deals ever made. The Bruins also added rookies Glen Sather
and Derek Sanderson
, developing a more aggressive image that led to the nickname of the 'Big Bad Bruins.' The Bruins, happy to make the playoffs, were swept by eventual champion Montreal in the first round.
In 1968–69
, Orr skipped the pre-season to rest the knee but was in uniform for the season start. He required an ice pack on the knee after every game and missed nine games after he caught a skate in a crack in the ice, twisting his knee. He returned to the lineup and finished the season playing through the pain, sometimes struggling to get up to speed and relying on team-mates instead of making the plays himself. In other games, Orr was outstanding, scoring his first career NHL hat trick
on December 14 against Chicago
, adding two assists for a five-point night. He scored 21 goals on the season, breaking the goal scoring record for a defenceman, and totalled 64 points to set a new point scoring record for one season for a defenceman.
Orr developed a feud with Toronto
rookie defenceman Pat Quinn
that season. In a late season game, Orr attempted to knock the puck loose from the Maple Leafs' goaltender Bruce Gamble
and Quinn cross-checked Orr to the ice. Orr kicked Quinn and Quinn kicked Orr. On-ice officials would break it up, but the feud would continue into the 1969 playoffs. The Bruins finished second in the NHL's East Division
and drew the Maple Leafs
in the first round. In the first game, in Boston, Quinn would catch Orr with his head down during a rush, and catch him with an open-ice hit, knocking Orr unconscious. Quinn, assessed five minutes for elbowing, would be attacked in the penalty box by a fan and Quinn swung at the fan with his stick, breaking the glass. Quinn went back on the ice and the Boston fans showered garbage onto the ice. Orr was carried out on a stretcher to the dressing room where he revived after the concussion. According to a Boston cop at the scene "The fans here don't like anybody to touch Orr. He's their Frank Merriwell
and Jack Armstrong rolled into one. To my thinking, it looked like a clean check." The game degenerated from that point into a brawl after the score reached 10–0 for the Bruins. The Bruins would go on to sweep the Maple Leafs before losing in six games to the Montreal Canadiens
in the second round. Orr would return for the third game against Toronto, getting two assists as the Bruins won their first games in Toronto since 1965.
In 1969–70
, Orr doubled his scoring total from the previous season, to 120 points, six shy of the league record and led the league in scoring. , Orr is the only defenceman in history to win the Art Ross Trophy
as the league's leading scorer. In addition to the Norris and the Art Ross, Orr captured the first of three consecutive Hart Trophies
as regular-season MVP and later won the Conn Smythe Trophy
for his playoff performance, becoming the only player in history to win four major NHL awards in one season.
Orr went on to lead the Bruins in a march through the 1970 playoffs that culminated on May 10, 1970, when he scored one of the most famous goals in hockey history and one that gave Boston its first Stanley Cup
since 1941. The goal came off a give-and-go
pass with teammate Derek Sanderson
at the 40-second mark of the first overtime period in the fourth game, helping to complete a sweep of the St. Louis Blues
. According to Orr:
The subsequent photograph by Ray Lussier of a horizontal Orr flying through the air, his arms raised in victory – as he made the shot, he had been tripped by Blues' defenceman Noel Picard
while watching the puck pass by goaltender Glenn Hall
– has become one of the most famous and recognized hockey images of all time.
The following season
, the powerhouse Bruins shattered dozens of league offensive records. Orr himself finished second in league scoring while setting records that still stand for points in a season by a defenceman and for plus-minus (+124) by any position player. Orr's Bruins were heavy favourites to repeat as Cup champions, but were upset by the Montreal Canadiens
and their rookie goaltender Ken Dryden
, at one time Bruins' property, in the first round of the 1971 playoffs.
For the season, the Bruins gave Orr a solid gold puck, one of four they gave out to Bruins players - to each of the four Bruins who scored over 100 points that season - Esposito, Orr, Johnny Bucyk
and Ken Hodge
. Orr later gave his puck to Alan Eagleson. In 2007, Eagleson sold the puck in an auction of memorabilia for C$16,500.
Orr signed a new five-year contract on August 26, 1971, for US$200,000 (US$ in dollars) per season - the first million dollar contract in the NHL. In the following 1971–72 season
, Orr placed second in the scoring race to team-mate Phil Esposito, and won the Hart and Norris trophies, helping the Bruins to a first-place finish in the East. In the 1972 playoffs, Orr led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup again, leading the scoring in the playoffs and scoring the championship-winning goal. For his performance in the playoffs, he was awarded his second Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, making him the first two-time winner of this award. Final opponent New York Rangers
forward Vic Hadfield
commented "We played them pretty even, but they had Bobby Orr and we didn't." By this time, Orr already knew that his left knee was deteriorating and he would not have many seasons left. Orr also won the MVP award at the 1972 NHL All-Star Game to win three MVP awards in one season.
The 1972–73 season
saw upheaval at the Bruins. Coach Sinden became the general manager. Bruins players Gerry Cheevers
, Derek Sanderson
and Johnny McKenzie left to join the upstart World Hockey Association
. Coach Tom Johnson was fired fifty-two games into the season, replaced by Bep Guidolin
, who had once coached Orr. The Adams family, which had owned the team since its founding in the 1920s, sold it to Storer Broadcasting. The Bruins' season came to a premature end in a first-round loss in the 1973 playoffs, losing Esposito to injury in that first round. Orr himself did make it to 101 points during the regular season, but had only two points in the playoff loss.
In 1973–74
, Orr led the Bruins to another first-place finish in the regular season. The Bruins made it to the Stanley Cup final, but lost this time to the Philadelphia Flyers
. Flyers' coach Fred Shero
commented: "They had Orr and he can do an awful lot. But we've got 17 good hockey players and every one of them put out. It was 17 against one." That season, Orr set the record (since surpassed) for the most points in a game by a defenceman, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in a November 15, 1973 game against the New York Rangers
. One goal, a shot from the blue line, broke Rangers' defenceman Rod Seiling
's stick.
In the 1974–75 season
, Orr broke his own previous record for goals by a defenceman, scoring 46 goals to go with 89 assists for his sixth straight 100-point season. He won the league scoring title and the Art Ross Trophy for the second time. 1974–75 would be his last full season and his last season playing with Phil Esposito. The Bruins placed second in the Adams Division, and lost to the Chicago Black Hawks
in the first round of the 1975 playoffs, losing a best-of-three series, two games to one.
The 1975–76 season
was Orr's final season with the Bruins and it was tumultuous. Orr's contract was ending after the season, potentially making him a free agent. The Bruins were sold by Storer Broadcasting in August 1975 and the new Jacobs ownership group had to promise to keep Orr as a condition of the purchase. The Bruins and Orr reached a verbal agreement with the Jacobs during the summer of 1975, including a controversial agreement for Orr to take an 18.5% share of the Bruins after his playing days were over. The agreement was to be checked out as to whether it would be legal for tax reasons and whether or not the league would approve it.
Before the season started though, Orr underwent another surgery on September 20, 1975. The Bruins' contract talks with Orr and Eagleson became difficult. The Bruins' insurer would not insure a contract with Orr and doctors advised the Bruins that Orr would not be able to play much longer. Orr returned to the lineup on November 8, 1975, the day after the Bruins traded Esposito to the New York Rangers
. Orr was able to play the next ten games for the team, but had to stop on November 28 due to pain in his knee. The next day, he underwent another knee surgery. Originally thought to only be out for seven to eight weeks, his knee did not respond to therapy and he returned home to Parry Sound. His season was over after ten games and he would not play again for the Bruins. His impending free agency led to speculation that the Bruins would trade him, but despite his injury, they were negotiating to keep him until the end.
During his Bruins career, Orr was often the player the press wanted for a post-game interview. Orr instead would hide in the trainer's room. Team-mate Terry O'Reilly
described him as a "very private, very shy guy, who just happened to be the best hockey player in the world." According to the Bruins public relations director Nate Greenberg "one of my toughest jobs in the day was trying to get Orr to come out of the trainer's room to talk to the press. The reason he wouldn't or didn't all the time was that he really wanted his team-mates to get proper accolades, while everybody, all the time wanted him." , Orr has not authorized a biography of himself, preferring to not be the center of attention.
as saying "Boston offered a five-year deal at US$925,000 or 18.6 percent ownership of the club in 1980. I didn't think it would be wise for him to be a player-owner." On June 9, 1976, after Orr had signed with Chicago, Eagleson told the Toronto Globe and Mail that the Bruin offer was "a five-year offer for US$295,000 a year. In addition, Orr was to receive US$925,000 in cash payable in June 1980. That was to be a cash payment or involve Orr's receiving 18.6 percent of the Bruins stock." According to a famous 1990 story in the Toronto Star by Ellie Tesher, Orr stated that Eagleson never told him of the offer, during negotiations or after. While Eagleson had spoken publicly to reporters of the offer, he had not discussed it with Orr.
In 1976, the Bruins offered Orr US$600,000 (US$ in dollars) per season, but he would have to pass a physical examination at the start of each season's training camp. Only the first year's money was guaranteed. Eagleson was quoted at the time "There is only one way that Bobby Orr will ever be back with the Bruins. And that's if Jeremy Jacobs
asks him for another meeting and straightens out the whole situation. Otherwise he's gone." Instead, Orr became a free agent, with Boston to receive compensation. Orr and Eagleson whittled down a list of potential teams to St. Louis and Chicago. Chicago offered a five-year guaranteed contract with the Black Hawks, and on June 8, 1976, he officially signed with the Black Hawks. The Bruins' general manager, Harry Sinden
complained of tampering by the Black Hawks, and demanded that Chicago owner Bill Wirtz
submit to a lie detecter test. According to documents held by Orr, they had a valid case. Orr signed with the Black Hawks at a secret meeting in May 1976, prior to becoming a free agent.
Then-Bruins head coach Don Cherry
suggested that the reason Orr never re-signed with the Bruins was Orr's complete trust in Eagleson at the time (Orr said that he described Eagleson as a brother). Cherry recalled Orr had refused to speak with the Bruins team president directly, allowing Eagleson to mislead or withhold enough details from Boston's offer. Orr's departure from the Bruins was acrimonious and he has not held an official role with the Bruins since. Years later, it emerged that Eagleson had very good relations with Black Hawks owner Bill Wirtz
and NHL president John Ziegler that colluded to hold back salaries of certain players. Orr disassociated himself from Eagleson in 1980.
Orr's contract with Chicago, five years in length, was for US$3 million dollars, (US$ in dollars), to be paid over 30 years. Spreading out the payments in this way was done to minimize taxes. While a player, he never cashed a Chicago paycheck, stating that he was paid to play hockey and would not accept a salary if he was not playing.
tournament. Orr did not play in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union and he wanted badly to play for Canada. Orr had been unable to play in the Summit Series due to knee surgery, although he did participate as a non-player. Orr's participation in the Canada Cup was considered ill-conceived and Eagleson later thought it may have been the 'last straw' that killed his career. Orr himself said that he knew before the tournament that "I knew I didn't have much longer. That series didn't do it. I thought I could get the next season in, but not much after that. I knew, looking at that team, I wouldn't have to do as much. I wouldn't have traded it for anything."
Despite his knee, Orr's performance in the Canada Cup led to him being named to the tournament All-Star team and he was named the overall MVP
for the tournament. According to team-mate Bobby Clarke
, Orr "would hardly be able to walk on the morning of the game. And he would hardly be able to walk in the afternoon. And then, at night, he would be the best player on one of the greatest teams ever assembled. He was the best player in every game; he was the best player in the tournament. He couldn't skate like he used to, but he could still go." According to team-mate Darryl Sittler
, "Bobby Orr was better on one leg, than anybody else was on two."
. He scored his last NHL goal and point against Detroit on October 28, 1978, at Detroit's Olympia Stadium
.
Orr retired having scored 270 goals and 645 assists in 657 games, adding 953 penalty minutes. At the time of his retirement, he was the leading defenceman in league history in goals, assists and points, tenth overall in assists and 19th in points. , the only players in league history to have averaged more points per game than Orr are Wayne Gretzky
, Mario Lemieux
and Mike Bossy
, all of them forwards. "Losing Bobby", said Gordie Howe
, "was the greatest blow the National Hockey League has ever suffered".
The Hockey Hall of Fame
waived the normal three-year waiting period for induction into the Hall and he was enshrined at age 31 – the youngest player living at the time of his induction in history. , Orr is one of only ten players to get in without having to wait three years.
His number 4 jersey was retired by the Bruins on January 9, 1979. At the ceremony, the crowd at Boston Garden would not stop applauding and as a result, most of the evening's program had to be scrapped at the last second due to the constant cheering. The crowd did not allow Orr to say his thank you speech until he put on a Bruins jersey. The day was proclaimed "Bobby Orr Day" in Boston and the event raised thousands of dollars for charity. He attended the Massachusetts Senate
and House of Representatives
and was given a five-minute standing ovation.
, were known for having offensive ability, they were the exception rather than the norm in the NHL before Orr's arrival. Orr's offensive style has influenced countless defencemen who followed him. His speed – most notably a rapid acceleration – and his open-ice artistry electrified fans as he set almost every conceivable record for a defenceman. When Orr and the Bruins visited cities, attendance was usually a sell-out.
According to the Bruins' Phil Esposito
, "No matter how fast an opponent was, Bobby could skate faster than him if he needed to do it in the framework of a play. If he was caught up-ice and the other team had an odd-man rush, that's when you saw his truly great speed. Very seldom did he not get back to have a hand in breaking up the play."
Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden
described of Orr: "When he began to move...the sensation was unique: All the Canadiens began backpedaling in a small panic, like beachgoers sighting a coming monster wave. He brought others with him; he wanted them involved. That's what made him so different: It felt like a five-player stampede moving toward you—and at his pace. 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 it up. You had to be better than you'd ever been."
In contrast to the style of hanging-back defensive play common in the later 1950s and 1960s, Orr was known for his fluid skating and end-to-end rushing. Orr's rushing enabled him to be where the puck was, allowing him not only to score effectively but also to defend when necessary. According to long-time Bruins coach and general manager Harry Sinden
, "Bobby became a star in the NHL about the time they played the National Anthem for his first game with us".
Orr also benefited from playing most of his career in Boston Garden
, which was 9 feet (2.7 m) shorter than the standard NHL rink. This suited his rushing style very well, as he was able to get from one end of the ice to the other faster than in a standard rink.
His style of play was hard on his left knee, leading to injuries and surgeries that shortened his career. The left knee took all of the punishment and was operated on "13 or 14" times according to Orr. Orr was a left-hand shot who played the right side. He would race down the right wing with the puck and attempt to beat the opposing defenceman using his speed and strength. He 'protected the puck', leading with his left knee, and holding his left arm up to fend off opponents. This put him into a position where a hit by the opposing defencemen would often hit the left knee. Also, he would often end up crashing into either the opposing goalie, the net or the end boards. "It was the way I played," Orr has said. "I liked to carry the puck and if you do that, you're going to get hit. I wish I'd played longer, but I don't regret it." Orr stated in 2008. "I had a style—when you play, you play all-out. I tried to do things. I didn't want to sit back. I wanted to be involved."
His right knee was basically undamaged during his career; his left knee looks like "a road map of downtown Boston" according to sportswriter Bob McKenzie. His left knee was used in a MasterCard commercial in 2008, his scar lines used in an animation connecting his many achievements to the year of the individual scar line. According to a 2009 Sports Illustrated
article Orr has since had two knee replacement surgeries that have left him pain-free.
Orr was also known for his mean streak. Former coach Don Cherry
recounts an incident one night in Los Angeles during a game that the Bruins were losing. With a minute to go, Orr pulled one of the Bruins off the ice, left the bench and attacked a Los Angeles Kings
player. Asked why, Orr said to Cherry "He was laughing at us." According to Cherry, he fought a lot. On another occasion in November 1967, Orr was clipped in the face by a stick from the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brian Conacher
. Boston team-mate Johnny McKenzie flattened Conacher from behind and started punching Conacher. Orr, cut and bleeding, got up from the ice, pulled MacKenzie off Conacher and started punching Conacher. Conacher, who was not fighting back, was also sucker-punched by the Bruins' Ken Hodge
. Orr would be booed in Toronto from that date onwards.
s, leaving him essentially bankrupt despite being supposedly one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. As well, Orr's taxes were under review. Eagleson had set up a corporation to receive Orr's income and pay Orr a salary, but the arrangement was rejected by US and Canadian tax authorities. His assets in July 1980 totalled US$456,604 (US$ in dollars) and his tax, legal and accounting bills totalled US$469,546 (US$ in dollars). Eagleson, who had once said Orr was 'fixed for life', criticized Orr for 'living beyond his means' and ignoring his investment advice. Orr split with Eagleson on April 1, 1980. As part of the legal settlement with Orr, Eagleson agreed to purchase various of Orr's assets for $US620,000 (US$ in dollars), including his Orr–Walton Hockey Camp, which paid off US$450,000 (US$ in dollars) of Orr's bank loans.
Orr served briefly as an assistant coach for Chicago, and as a consultant to the NHL and the Hartford Whalers
. The Black Hawks balked at paying him the balance of his contract, and Orr took them to court, settling in 1983 for US$450,000 (US$ in dollars), one-third of the money owed him. Of this, US$200,000 (US$ in dollars) went to taxes and legal fees. Orr moved back to the Boston area and formed Can-Am Enterprises with partners Tom Kelly and Paul Shanley, which built up a clientele of endorsements for Orr, including Baybank
and Standard Brands
. Orr did eventually restore his finances, thanks to endorsement contracts and public relations work.
Orr later played a role in the exposure of Eagleson's misconduct over the years. He had once considered Eagleson a "big brother", but broke with him in 1980 in part because he suspected that Eagleson had not been truthful with him. In addition to misleading his clients about contract terms, Eagleson fraudulently used NHLPA funds to enrich himself. Orr was one of several players who filed a formal complaint of legal misconduct against Eagleson with the Law Society of Upper Canada
over Eagleson's lending of trust monies without the consent or knowledge of his clients. In 1998, Eagleson was convicted of fraud, embezzlement and racketeering. After the conviction, Orr was one of eighteen former players who threatened to resign from the Hockey Hall of Fame
if Eagleson was not removed as a builder. Facing almost certain removal, Eagleson resigned instead.
Orr was also involved in the 1991 lawsuit of retired NHL players against the NHL over its control of the players' pension fund. Eagleson was involved there too, arranging for the players to give up a seat on the trusteeship of the pension fund in 1969 to gain the acceptance of the NHLPA with the NHL owners. Orr and ex-Bruin Dave Forbes
discussed the law suit with the sports newspaper The National. Orr: "Our money is being used to pay pensions for current players". The NHL's response was to file a notice of libel and slander against Orr and Forbes. Carl Brewer
defended Orr in a letter to then-NHL president John Ziegler: "It is regrettable that the NHL and the member clubs would resort to such treatment of one of our game's icons, Bobby Orr. And isn't it interesting that baseball players who started their pension plan in 1947, as did the NHL, have assets in their plan of some US$500 million while we, as far as we can understand, have US$31.9 million." The pension law suit was finally won by the players in 1994 after two courts ruled against the NHL. The NHL had appealed the case to the Supreme Court of Canada
which decided not to hear the case.
Orr became an agent representing hockey players in 1996. Along with investors, Orr purchased the Woolf Associates agency founded by Boston lawyer Bob Woolf. To prevent conflicts of interest, Orr sold an investment in the Lowell Lock Monsters minor pro hockey team and cut his ties with a credit card firm that had a contract with the NHLPA. Orr became a certified agent, although he would not be negotiating with hockey clubs. Player agent Rick Curran merged his agency with Orr's in 2000. Curran and Orr along with partner Paul Krepelka incorporated the agency as Orr Hockey Group in February 2002.
The group represents such players as Jason Spezza
, Eric Staal
, Jordan Staal
, Marc Staal
, Nathan Horton
, Jeff Carter
, Steve Downie
, Anthony Stewart, Tomas Kaberle
, Taylor Hall
and Colton Orr
(no relation). Spezza, asked to comment on the experience of having Orr as an agent, replied: "I don't think I have a true feeling for how great he is. I have so much respect for him. I watch him on tapes and it's just ridiculous how good he was compared to the guys he was playing against. He's a great guy and you don't even know it's Bobby Orr, the way he talks to you."
For a number of years, Orr has coached a team of top Canadian Hockey League
junior players against a similar team coached by Don Cherry
in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game
. Cherry, briefly his former coach in Boston, considers Orr the greatest hockey player who ever lived, noting that Orr was a complete all-around player who could skate, score, fight, and defend. , Orr's teams have won most of the games, winning seven of the eleven times Orr has coached against Cherry. Orr's participation was criticized as a conflict-of-interest while he was a player's agent and he stopped coaching in the series. Organizers of the series convinced Orr to return to coaching in the series. He stepped down again before the 2011 game for the birth of his second grand-child. One of the teams remained named 'Team Orr.'
Orr was known to be fiercely loyal to former Bruin personnel and teammates. When Derek Sanderson
had alcohol and prescription drug-abuse problems and wound up penniless, Orr spent his own money to ensure that Sanderson successfully completed rehab. Decades later, Orr and Sanderson went into business together managing finances for hockey players. Orr also helped out Bruins trainer John (Frosty) Forristall, his roommate during his first years with the Bruins, who had just been fired from the Tampa Bay Lightning
for alcoholism in 1994. Forristall's drinking put him on bad terms with his brother John, so he returned to Boston jobless and soon afterwards was diagnosed with brain cancer. Orr took Forristall into his home for a year until he passed away at age 51. Orr was a pallbearer at his funeral.
Orr was well known for his charitable works, although he kept mentions of them out of the newspaper. Writer Russ Conway writes of one occasion when Orr visited Boston Children's Hospital, with a box of programs, pennants, pucks, pictures and Boston memorabilia: "We went from room to room, Orr popping in, unannounced to visit the kids. Some couldn't believe their eyes; sick as they were, they laughed in astonishment and delight. Bobby Orr! He talked and joked with every one of them, asking names, rubbing heads, giving everybody a little present from the box, leaving a stick, autographing everything in sight." Orr made Conway promise to not print a word in the newspaper. Orr was involved in numerous charity fund raisers. In 1980, Orr was awarded the Multiple Sclerosis Silver Hope Chest Award by the Multiple Sclerosis Society
for his "numerous and unselfish contributions to society".
Among other personal interests, Orr has a passion for fishing
which he has had since childhood. He has a talent for solving jigsaw puzzles quickly. Orr is also known for his taste in clothes and style of dress. When living as a bachelor with Forristall during his years with the Bruins, Orr was also known for keeping a clean apartment and not drinking or smoking or going night-clubbing. Orr projected a clean image.
. Two buildings in Parry Sound honour Orr. A museum, called the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, where his Order of Canada medal is on display along with other exhibits. Also named in his honour is The Bobby Orr Community Centre. Orr has been honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
in Toronto. On November 27, 2008, the Oshawa Generals retired Orr's number 2 jersey; the Generals had not issued the number since Orr transferred to the NHL in 1966. Orr thanked all who helped him in the four years he played in Oshawa: "I did a lot of growing up in Oshawa from ages 14 to 18 and I'll be forever grateful for those people who helped me in that time of my life." In February 2010, Orr was one of the eight bearers of the Olympic flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
.
On May 10, 2010, the fortieth anniversary of Orr scoring the game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues in overtime to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup, the Bruins commemorated the event with a bronze statue of Orr outside the TD Garden, the Bruins' home rink. The statue depicts Orr sprawled in mid-flight after scoring the goal. The unveiling was attended by many of Orr's past team-mates. Orr spoke at the unveiling: "This specific moment and time we celebrate with this statue is something we can all now nostalgically remember with fondness, together, each time we enter Boston Garden. To all of you, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I'm honoured. Guys, thank you."
As of the end of the season:
Records since surpassed:
Source: hockeydb.com
International statistics
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. Orr played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, joining the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest hockey players of all time. A defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
, Orr used his ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
speed and scoring and play-making abilities to revolutionize the position. , Orr remains the only defenceman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
and holds the record for most points
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
and assists
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
in a single season by a defenceman. Orr won a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
(MVP). Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1979 at age 31, the youngest to that day to be inducted into the Hall.
Orr started in organized hockey at age five. He first played as a forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
, but was later moved to defence by his coach, Royce Tennant. Going against the standard practice of the time, Tennant felt that Orr's offensive skills were best suited for a rushing defenceman role and he gave Orr the freedom to play that role despite its inherent risks. With Orr on defense, the Parry Sound Shamrocks had many successes. After Tennant, Bucko MacDonald coached Orr,and Orr continued to excel against small town Ontario provincial competition on defense. At fourteen, Orr joined the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
, the Bruins' junior hockey affiliate, and he was an all-star for three of his four seasons. In 1966, Orr joined Boston, a team that had not won a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
since 1941 and had not qualified for the playoffs since 1959. With Orr, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1970 and 1972, and lost in the 1974 Final. In both victories, Orr scored the clinching goal
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
and was named the playoff MVP. In the final achievement of his career, he was the MVP of the 1976 Canada Cup
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
international hockey tournament. In 1976, Orr left Boston as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
to join the Black Hawks, but repeated injuries had effectively destroyed his left knee, and he retired in 1978 at age 30.
Orr's first professional contract was one of the first in professional ice hockey to be negotiated by an agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
. It made him the highest-paid player in NHL history as a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
. His second contract was the first million-dollar contract in the NHL. However, after his retirement, Orr learned that he was deeply in debt and he had to sell off most of what he owned. Orr broke with his agent Alan Eagleson
Alan Eagleson
Robert Alan Eagleson is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, convicted felon in two countries, former politician, hockey agent and promoter...
and sued the Black Hawks to settle his contract. Orr and his family returned to Boston where Orr went into business to rebuild his finances. Orr aided the investigations that led to Eagleson's fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
convictions and disbarment
Disbarment
Disbarment is the removal of a lawyer from a bar association or the practice of law, thus revoking his or her law license or admission to practice law...
. Orr also supported the law suit that exposed the corruption of the NHL's pension plan.
Orr entered the player agent business in 1996 and today is president of the Orr Hockey Group agency. , the agency represents over 30 active NHL players. Orr is also active in charitable works and in television commercials. Since 1996, Orr has coached a team of junior hockey players in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game
CHL Top Prospects Game
The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event in which forty of the top draft eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other, each hoping to boost their draft ranking with the National Hockey League scouts and general managers who attend.The players are typically coached...
. Orr was married in 1972. He is the father of two sons and is a grandfather.
Early life
Orr was born in the town of Parry SoundParry Sound, Ontario
Parry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the...
located on the shores of Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His grandfather, Robert Orr, was a professional soccer player from Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
before emigrating to Parry Sound early in the 20th century. Orr's father, Doug Orr, had once been a hockey prospect himself and was invited to join the Atlantic City Seagulls in 1942 but turned down the offer. Doug Orr instead joined the Canadian Navy, serving during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He returned after the war to Parry Sound, to Arva Steele, who he had married before he left for war, and to a job in the CIL
Canadian Industries Limited
Canadian Industries Limited, also known as C-I-L is a Canadian chemicals manufacturer. Products include paints, fertilizers and pesticides, and explosives. It was formed in 1910 by the merger of five Canadian explosives companies...
dynamite factory. Doug and Arva had five children together: Patricia, Ronnie, Bobby, Penny and Doug Jr. Bobby was born on March 20, 1948 at St. Joseph's Hospital, where his grandmother Elsie Orr worked as a nurse. Bobby was a sick baby at birth and his survival was tenuous.
Bobby Orr displayed his hockey talents from an early age. Orr played his first organized hockey in 1953 at age five, in the "minor squirt" division, a year after getting his first skates and playing shinny
Shinny
Shinny is an informal type of hockey played on ice or the street. There are no formal rules or specific positions, and generally, there are no goaltenders. The goal areas at each end may be marked by nets, or simply by objects, such as blocks of snow, stones, etc...
. Although he was tiny and somewhat frail, he soon was able to skate faster than anyone his own age, speed he demonstrated in races around the rink and in games. Until he was ten years old, Orr played on the wing, as a forward. His coach, former NHL player Bucko McDonald moved Orr to defence. Although Orr played defence, McDonald encouraged Orr to use his talents as a stickhandler, a natural skater and scorer to make offensive rushes. According to McDonald: "I used to tell Doug the kid was in his natural position when he played defence. You didn't have to be genius to see that - honest. I don't think Doug agreed, but he accepted my decision." Orr would later credit McDonald: "Bucko taught me almost everything I know."
Orr was first noticed by the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in the spring of 1961, playing in a youth hockey tournament in Gananoque, Ontario
Gananoque, Ontario
Gananoque is a town in Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario, Canada. The town had a population of 5,287 year-round residents in the Canada 2006 Census, as well as summer residents sometimes referred to as "Islanders" because of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River, Gananoque's most...
. The Bruins' Wren Blair
Wren Blair
Wren Blair is a former Canadian ice hockey coach. He was head coach of the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1970. He was also the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins from July 1975 to December 1976...
described him as "a combination of Doug Harvey and Eddie Shore
Eddie Shore
Edward William Shore was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, principally for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, and the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League, iconic for his toughness and defensive skill.Shore won the Hart Trophy as the...
." The Bruins immediately pursued Orr. Blair made regular visits to the family home. In the fall of 1961, the Bruins invested C$1,000 (C$ in dollars) to sponsor his minor hockey team. Although three other NHL teams (Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
) were interested in Orr, he signed in 1962 with the Bruins. Orr explained that he signed with the Bruins because "they're a team of the future. They're rebuilding and I want to be part of that building program."
Blair was involved with a plan to start a new Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
franchise in a new arena in Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
. Despite the Bruins already having a junior hockey franchise, the Niagara Falls Flyers
Niagara Falls Flyers
----The Niagara Falls Flyers were two junior ice hockey franchises that played in the top tier in the Ontario Hockey Association. The first, a Junior "A" team existed from 1960 until 1972, and the second in Tier I Junior "A" from 1976 until 1982....
, Blair was able to convince the Bruins to own another. He arranged a deal whereby the Bruins owned 51% of the franchise. But Orr would have to play for Oshawa. When Orr was fourteen, Blair convinced the Orr family to allow Bobby to attend the Flyers' tryout camp. When camp came to an end and it came time to sign with the Bruins, a meeting with Bruins' owner Weston Adams
Weston Adams
Weston W. Adams was the director of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and son of fellow Hall-of-Famer Charles Adams....
went sour and Orr headed back to Parry Sound. Blair was able to smooth over the situation and convince Arva that Bobby was old enough to leave home. To get the Orrs' signatures on a "C" Form, committing Bobby to the Bruins at age eighteen, Blair agreed to have Bobby stay in Parry Sound for his schooling, skipping Generals' practices and only drive south to play games on weekends. The bonus for signing was an unprecedented C$10,000 (C$ in dollars), a new car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and the Bruins would pay to stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
the family home.
Orr debuted in junior in the 1962–63 season for the new Generals in the new Metro Junior A League
Metro Junior A League
The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 1963...
. Orr was only fourteen, competing against eighteen-, nineteen- and twenty-year-olds. The 1963–64 season brought further changes as the Metro League folded and Oshawa joined the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
(OHA). Orr moved to Oshawa, where he started attending R. S. McLaughlin high school and boarded with a local family. Orr scored 29 goals to set a junior record for goals by a defenceman and was named to the OHA's First All-Star team.
Orr's goal and point totals increased every year during his junior career and he was named to the OHA First-All Star team every season he was in the OHA. Orr had his best season in 1965–66, his fourth season of junior. Orr scored 38 goals to increase his goal-scoring record, and finished with 94 points to average two points per game for the Generals. The Generals finished fourth in the league but won the OHA championship, the J. Ross Robertson Cup
J. Ross Robertson Cup
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is an ice hockey trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Ontario Hockey League playoff championship. It was presented by and named for John Ross Robertson, the president of the Ontario Hockey Association who served from 1899 to 1905.Originally it was awarded to the...
, by defeating the St. Catharines Black Hawks
St. Catharines Black Hawks
The St. Catharines Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
, the Montreal Junior Canadiens and the Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
. The team defeated the Northern Ontario champions North Bay Trappers and the Quebec champions Shawinigan Bruins to win a berth in the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
Final for the junior championship of Canada.
Oshawa's hopes in the Cup Final were damaged when Orr suffered a groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
injury against Shawinigan, an injury that is painful and weakens a player's skating ability. To promote the event, held in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
, the Generals had advertised that this was the last chance to see Orr in junior and were anxious for him to play. Bruins' management demanded that Orr not play in the Final, not wanting to risk any further damage to their property, while Orr and his parents were adamant that he be allowed to play for the national championship. He was not yet signed professionally to the Bruins, and they threatened that he would never play for them if he was held out. Blair decided to defy the Bruins' ownership and let Orr play. While Orr dressed and played some, he was not a factor and Edmonton defeated Oshawa for the Cup. Oshawa coach Bep Guidolin
Bep Guidolin
Armand "Bep" Guidolin was a Canadian National Hockey League player. He was born in Thorold, Ontario. He and Eleanor, his wife of 62 years, had four children....
was fired for letting Orr play, while Blair left the organization of his own accord to join the expansion Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
.
Orr and Eagleson
By the time Orr turned 16 in 1964, he was still two years away from playing in to the NHL and his father Doug was dissatisfied with the Bruins' treatment of the prospect. Doug had asked the Bruins' Blair for more money for Bobby and was turned down. Doug Orr met Toronto lawyer Alan EaglesonAlan Eagleson
Robert Alan Eagleson is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, convicted felon in two countries, former politician, hockey agent and promoter...
at a juvenile fastball
Fastpitch softball
Fast-pitch softball is a form of softball played commonly by women and men, though coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. The International Softball Federation is the international governing body of softball...
tournament dinner in Parry Sound and asked Eagleson to help out with the situation. Eagleson agreed to work with the family for free and continued to do so for the next two years. Bobby and Eagleson developed a relationship Orr would later describe as being like brothers. The two soon became a team, discussing Bobby's future plans without his father Doug.
Eagleson was determined to get Orr a top salary. When Hap Emms
Hap Emms
Leighton A. "Hap" Emms was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, owner, general manager and pioneer of the game. Emms was as controversial as he was successful during close to 60 years in hockey...
, the general manager of the Bruins offered a US$5,000 (US$ in dollars) signing bonus and US$7,000 and US$8,000 (US$ and US$ in dollars) for his first two years in the league, Eagleson countered with US$100,000 (US$ in dollars) for the two years. Or Orr would refuse to play with the Bruins and play for Canada's national team instead, like Carl Brewer
Carl Brewer
Carl Thomas Brewer was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He had attended De La Salle College prior to his hockey career....
. Orr wanted desperately to play in the NHL, but he went along with Eagleson's strategy and was willing to play for the nationals. The Bruins and Orr agreed on a US$25,000 signing bonus (US$ in dollars), and a salary "less than $100,000" for the two years, a figure kept secret. Speculation has ranged on an annual salary of US$25,000 to US$40,000 (US$ to US$ in dollars) at a time when the typical maximum rookie salary was US$8,000. (US$ in dollars) The official signing ceremony was done on Emms' boat, the Barbara Lynn, where Eagleson and Emms had conferred during negotiations.
At the time, it made Orr the highest-paid player in league history. But beyond that, the signing became one of the most important in the history of professional hockey. Until that time, players had been forced to accept whatever NHL management paid in salaries. It was the start of the player's agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
era in professional hockey. For Eagleson, it was the start of his sports business empire. Based on the Orr signing, Eagleson would become the executive director of the new National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and started on his rise to become one of the most powerful men in the sport and business of ice hockey.
Bruins career
Orr joined the Bruins for the 1966–67 season1966–67 Boston Bruins season
The 1966–67 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 42nd season in the NHL. The highlight of the season was the NHL debut of Bobby Orr, who was drafted first-overall in the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft...
, his first professional season. The Bruins were not convinced at first that Orr belonged on defence, trying him out at centre first. Through the pre-season, Orr was given jersey number 27 to wear. At the season's start, the Bruins offered him jersey number 5, that of past Bruins star Dit Clapper
Dit Clapper
Aubrey Victor "Dit" Clapper was a Canadian Hall of Fame ice hockey player....
, but Orr declined and chose jersey number 4. Orr made his NHL regular-season debut on October 19, 1966, against the Detroit Red Wings
1966–67 Detroit Red Wings season
-Game log:-Regular season:ScoringGoaltendingNote: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus-minus PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals;...
, getting one assist. On October 22, he scored his first NHL goal
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
against the Montreal Canadiens
1966–67 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1966–67 Montreal Canadiens season was the Canadiens' 58th season of play, and 50th in the National Hockey League . The Canadiens lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games...
. It was a slap shot past Gump Worsley
Gump Worsley
Lorne John "Gump" Worsley was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he was given his nickname due to friends deciding he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.-Career:...
and the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
crowd gave Orr a standing ovation.
In that first season, Orr was challenged physically as a rookie by the veterans, and he earned respect by fighting Montreal
1966–67 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1966–67 Montreal Canadiens season was the Canadiens' 58th season of play, and 50th in the National Hockey League . The Canadiens lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games...
tough guy Ted Harris and defeating him in his first NHL fight. On December 4, 1966, Toronto Maple Leafs
1966–67 Toronto Maple Leafs season
The 1966–67 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the fiftieth season of the Toronto NHL franchise, fortieth as the Maple Leafs. The Leafs finished third in the NHL with a record of 32-27-11 for 75 points to qualify for the playoffs...
' defenceman Marcel Pronovost
Marcel Pronovost
Joseph Rene Marcel Pronovost was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League. He played for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.Marcel was one of the best defensive defenceman of his era...
checked him into the boards, injuring Orr's knees for the first time in the NHL. He would miss nine games and the Bruins would lose six of them. The team finished with a 17–43–10 record, leaving the Bruins in last place. However, attendance at Boston Garden had increased by forty-one thousand fans.
For the season, Orr scored 13 goals and 28 assists
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
, one of the best rookie seasons in NHL history to that point and unprecedented by a defenceman. Orr won the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as the league's outstanding rookie and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
. New York Rangers
1966–67 New York Rangers season
The 1966–67 New York Rangers season was the 41st season for the team in the National Hockey League . In the regular season, the Rangers finished in fourth place in the NHL with 72 points and qualified for the playoffs...
' defenceman Harry Howell, won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman that year. In accepting the award, Howell said he was glad to win when he did, predicting "Orr will own this trophy from now on." Orr was runner-up in voting.
In 1967–68
1967–68 Boston Bruins season
The 1967–68 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 43rd season in the NHL.-Offseason:In 1967, the Black Hawks made a trade with the Boston Bruins that turned out to be one of the most one-sided in the history of the sport...
, his second season, injuries limited Orr to just 46 games. Prior to the season, Orr had injured his right knee during a charity game in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
during the summer requiring five weeks in a cast. In December, a Frank Mahovlich
Frank Mahovlich
Francis William "The Big M" Mahovlich, CM is a Canadian Senator, and a retired NHL ice hockey player, nicknamed the "Big M." He played on six Stanley Cup-winning teams and is an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Playing career:...
check caused a fracture of Orr's collar bone and a shoulder separation. Orr returned in January in time to play in the NHL All-Star Game
21st National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 21st National Hockey League National Hockey League All-Star Game was played in Maple Leaf Gardens on January 16, 1968, where the host Toronto Maple Leafs battled a team of all-stars from the remaining NHL teams...
, his first appearance of eight appearances overall. Orr had to sit out five games afterwards due to soreness in his left knee. In February, he had to leave a game against Detroit after his left knee went stiff. He would receive the first of his many operations on the knee, repairing ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
and removing cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
. Orr did return to finish the season, but required a further operation during the off-season to remove a bone chip. Despite the injuries, Orr won the first of a record eight consecutive Norris trophies and was named to the NHL's First All-Star team.
After finishing last in 1966–67, the Bruins qualified for the 1968 playoffs
1968 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, to decide the 1968 championship of the National Hockey League was the first after the expansion from six to twelve teams. The defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs did not qualify and a new champion would be crowned. The Montreal Canadiens would defeat the St...
, their first appearance in the playoffs since the 1958–59
1958–59 Boston Bruins season
-Offseason:Claimed Jen-Guy Gendron and Gord Redahl from the New York Rangers, Earl Reibel from Chicago.Traded Allan Stanley to Toronto for Jim Morrison.-Game log:-Playoffs:...
season. In the pre-season, the Bruins had added Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
, Fred Stanfield
Fred Stanfield
Frederic William Stanfield is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1964 until 1978.Stanfield played 914 career NHL games, scoring 211 goals and 405 assists for 616 points...
and Ken Hodge
Ken Hodge
Kenneth Raymond Hodge, Sr. is a retired hockey player for the NHL Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers.-Playing career:...
from the Chicago Black Hawks
1966–67 Chicago Black Hawks season
The 1966–67 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' forty-first season in the NHL, and the team was coming off a team record 37 victories in the 1965-66 season, as they finished in second place in the NHL. The Black Hawks then were upset by the fourth place Detroit Red Wings in the NHL...
in one of the most famous deals ever made. The Bruins also added rookies Glen Sather
Glen Sather
Glen Cameron "Slats" Sather is the President and general manager of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also served as the head coach of the Rangers, as well as General Manager and coach of the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association and later NHL...
and Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
, developing a more aggressive image that led to the nickname of the 'Big Bad Bruins.' The Bruins, happy to make the playoffs, were swept by eventual champion Montreal in the first round.
In 1968–69
1968–69 Boston Bruins season
The 1968–69 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 45th season in the NHL.-Game log:-Playoffs:Eastern Conference Semi-finalsEastern Conference Finals-Regular season:ScoringGoaltending-Playoffs:ScoringGoaltending...
, Orr skipped the pre-season to rest the knee but was in uniform for the season start. He required an ice pack on the knee after every game and missed nine games after he caught a skate in a crack in the ice, twisting his knee. He returned to the lineup and finished the season playing through the pain, sometimes struggling to get up to speed and relying on team-mates instead of making the plays himself. In other games, Orr was outstanding, scoring his first career NHL hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
on December 14 against Chicago
1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks season
The 1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' forty-third season in the NHL, and the club was coming off a 4th place finish in the East Division in 1967-68, as they earned 80 points, and qualified for the post-season for the tenth consecutive season...
, adding two assists for a five-point night. He scored 21 goals on the season, breaking the goal scoring record for a defenceman, and totalled 64 points to set a new point scoring record for one season for a defenceman.
Orr developed a feud with Toronto
1968–69 Toronto Maple Leafs season
The 1968–69 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the Toronto Maple Leafs fifty-second season of the franchise, forty-second season as the Maple Leafs...
rookie defenceman Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (ice hockey)
John Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
that season. In a late season game, Orr attempted to knock the puck loose from the Maple Leafs' goaltender Bruce Gamble
Bruce Gamble
Bruce George Gamble was a professional ice hockey goaltender who played 10 seasons in the NHL between 1962 and 1972, with some years in the minor leagues in between...
and Quinn cross-checked Orr to the ice. Orr kicked Quinn and Quinn kicked Orr. On-ice officials would break it up, but the feud would continue into the 1969 playoffs. The Bruins finished second in the NHL's East Division
East Division (NHL)
The East Division of the National Hockey League existed from 1967 until 1974 when the league realigned into two conferences of two divisions each....
and drew the Maple Leafs
1969–70 Toronto Maple Leafs season
The 1969–70 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the fifty-third season of play of the NHL Toronto franchise and forty-third as the Maple Leafs. After qualifying for the playoffs the previous season, the Leafs fell to last-place in the NHL East and did not qualify for the playoffs.-Offseason:Punch...
in the first round. In the first game, in Boston, Quinn would catch Orr with his head down during a rush, and catch him with an open-ice hit, knocking Orr unconscious. Quinn, assessed five minutes for elbowing, would be attacked in the penalty box by a fan and Quinn swung at the fan with his stick, breaking the glass. Quinn went back on the ice and the Boston fans showered garbage onto the ice. Orr was carried out on a stretcher to the dressing room where he revived after the concussion. According to a Boston cop at the scene "The fans here don't like anybody to touch Orr. He's their Frank Merriwell
Frank Merriwell
Frank Merriwell is a fictional character appearing in a series of novels and short stories by Gilbert Patten, who wrote under the pseudonym Burt L. Standish...
and Jack Armstrong rolled into one. To my thinking, it looked like a clean check." The game degenerated from that point into a brawl after the score reached 10–0 for the Bruins. The Bruins would go on to sweep the Maple Leafs before losing in six games to the Montreal Canadiens
1968–69 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1968–69 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 60th season of play. The Canadiens would defeat the St. Louis Blues to win their 16th Stanley Cup championship in club history.-Game log:-Quarter-final:Versus New York Rangers...
in the second round. Orr would return for the third game against Toronto, getting two assists as the Bruins won their first games in Toronto since 1965.
In 1969–70
1969–70 Boston Bruins season
The 1969–70 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 46th season in the NHL.The Bruins were coming off of a successful season in 1968–69, as they finished with a franchise record 100 points, sitting in 2nd place in the Eastern Division, however, they would lose to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern...
, Orr doubled his scoring total from the previous season, to 120 points, six shy of the league record and led the league in scoring. , Orr is the only defenceman in history to win the Art Ross Trophy
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
as the league's leading scorer. In addition to the Norris and the Art Ross, Orr captured the first of three consecutive Hart Trophies
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as regular-season MVP and later won the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
for his playoff performance, becoming the only player in history to win four major NHL awards in one season.
Orr went on to lead the Bruins in a march through the 1970 playoffs that culminated on May 10, 1970, when he scored one of the most famous goals in hockey history and one that gave Boston its first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
since 1941. The goal came off a give-and-go
Give-and-go
A give-and-go is a fundamental manoeuvre in many team sports which involves two players passing the ball or puck back and forth. The player who has the ball or puck passes to a teammate and then repositions in order to receive a return pass and a scoring opportunity....
pass with teammate Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
at the 40-second mark of the first overtime period in the fourth game, helping to complete a sweep of the St. Louis Blues
1969–70 St. Louis Blues season
The 1969–70 St. Louis Blues season involved finishing in first place in the West Division for the second consecutive season. The Blues were the only team in the West Division with a winning record as they finished 22 points ahead of the second place Pittsburgh Penguins...
. According to Orr:
"If it had gone by me, it's a two-on-one. So I got a little lucky there, but Derek gave me a great pass and when I got the pass I was moving across. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. I was really trying to get the puck on net, and I did. As I went across, Glenn's legs opened. I looked back, and I saw it go in, so I jumped."
Noel Picard
Jean Noel Picard is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Picard started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1965. He would also play for the St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Flames. He would retire after the 1973 season. He would win one Stanley Cup with Montreal in...
while watching the puck pass by goaltender Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
– has become one of the most famous and recognized hockey images of all time.
The following season
1970–71 Boston Bruins season
The 1970–71 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 47th season in the NHL.-Offseason:*Bobby Orr signed the NHL’s first one million dollar contract .-NHL Draft:-Regular season:...
, the powerhouse Bruins shattered dozens of league offensive records. Orr himself finished second in league scoring while setting records that still stand for points in a season by a defenceman and for plus-minus (+124) by any position player. Orr's Bruins were heavy favourites to repeat as Cup champions, but were upset by the Montreal Canadiens
1970–71 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1970–71 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 62nd season. After missing the playoffs in the previous season, the team rebounded to place third in the East Division, qualifying for the playoffs...
and their rookie goaltender Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden
Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...
, at one time Bruins' property, in the first round of the 1971 playoffs.
For the season, the Bruins gave Orr a solid gold puck, one of four they gave out to Bruins players - to each of the four Bruins who scored over 100 points that season - Esposito, Orr, Johnny Bucyk
Johnny Bucyk
John Paul "Chief" Bucyk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Having played most of his career with the Boston Bruins, he has been associated in one capacity or another with the Bruins' organization since the late 1950s.-Early life:Bucyk...
and Ken Hodge
Ken Hodge
Kenneth Raymond Hodge, Sr. is a retired hockey player for the NHL Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers.-Playing career:...
. Orr later gave his puck to Alan Eagleson. In 2007, Eagleson sold the puck in an auction of memorabilia for C$16,500.
Orr signed a new five-year contract on August 26, 1971, for US$200,000 (US$ in dollars) per season - the first million dollar contract in the NHL. In the following 1971–72 season
1971–72 Boston Bruins season
The 1971–72 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 48th season in the NHL. For the second time in three years, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup.-NHL Draft:-Game log:-Playoffs:...
, Orr placed second in the scoring race to team-mate Phil Esposito, and won the Hart and Norris trophies, helping the Bruins to a first-place finish in the East. In the 1972 playoffs, Orr led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup again, leading the scoring in the playoffs and scoring the championship-winning goal. For his performance in the playoffs, he was awarded his second Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, making him the first two-time winner of this award. Final opponent New York Rangers
1971–72 New York Rangers season
The 1971–72 New York Rangers season was the 46th season in franchise history. Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield, and Rod Gilbert ranked third, fourth and fifth overall in league scoring. The Rangers qualified for the postseason for the sixth consecutive season...
forward Vic Hadfield
Vic Hadfield
Victor Edward Hadfield is a retired professional ice hockey player. One of the most popular players in New York Rangers history, Hadfield had a sixteen-year career in the NHL, tallying 323 goals and 389 assists with 1154 penalty minutes in 1002 career games with the Rangers and the Pittsburgh...
commented "We played them pretty even, but they had Bobby Orr and we didn't." By this time, Orr already knew that his left knee was deteriorating and he would not have many seasons left. Orr also won the MVP award at the 1972 NHL All-Star Game to win three MVP awards in one season.
The 1972–73 season
1972–73 Boston Bruins season
The 1972–73 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 49th season in the NHL.-Game log:-Regular season:ScoringGoaltending-Playoffs:ScoringGoaltending-Milestones:-Trades:-Free agents:-Claimed from waivers:-Draft picks:...
saw upheaval at the Bruins. Coach Sinden became the general manager. Bruins players Gerry Cheevers
Gerry Cheevers
Gerald Michael "Cheesey" Cheevers is a former goaltender in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association between 1961 and 1980, most famous for his two stints with the Boston Bruins, where he backstopped the team to Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972...
, Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
and Johnny McKenzie left to join the upstart World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
. Coach Tom Johnson was fired fifty-two games into the season, replaced by Bep Guidolin
Bep Guidolin
Armand "Bep" Guidolin was a Canadian National Hockey League player. He was born in Thorold, Ontario. He and Eleanor, his wife of 62 years, had four children....
, who had once coached Orr. The Adams family, which had owned the team since its founding in the 1920s, sold it to Storer Broadcasting. The Bruins' season came to a premature end in a first-round loss in the 1973 playoffs, losing Esposito to injury in that first round. Orr himself did make it to 101 points during the regular season, but had only two points in the playoff loss.
In 1973–74
1973–74 Boston Bruins season
The 1973–74 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 50th season in the NHL.-NHL draft:-Stanley Cup finals:The Bruins returned to the Stanley Cup, but were defeated by the Flyers in six games.-Schedule and results:-Regular season:Scoring...
, Orr led the Bruins to another first-place finish in the regular season. The Bruins made it to the Stanley Cup final, but lost this time to the Philadelphia Flyers
1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers season
The 1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' seventh season in the National Hockey League . The Flyers became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup....
. Flyers' coach Fred Shero
Fred Shero
Frederick Alexander "The Fog" Shero was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager. He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . However, he spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues...
commented: "They had Orr and he can do an awful lot. But we've got 17 good hockey players and every one of them put out. It was 17 against one." That season, Orr set the record (since surpassed) for the most points in a game by a defenceman, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in a November 15, 1973 game against the New York Rangers
1973–74 New York Rangers season
The 1973–74 New York Rangers season was the 48th season for the team in the National Hockey League . The Rangers compiled 94 points during the regular season and finished third in the East Division. The team made the Stanley Cup playoffs, where New York defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–2 in the...
. One goal, a shot from the blue line, broke Rangers' defenceman Rod Seiling
Rod Seiling
Rodney Albert Seiling is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1962, Seiling played only one game with the Leafs and spent most of his time in the minors. The next year he would participate with the Canadian hockey team that played in the 1964 Winter...
's stick.
In the 1974–75 season
1974–75 Boston Bruins season
The 1974–75 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 51st season in the NHL.-Game log:g-Regular season:ScoringGoaltending-Playoffs:ScoringGoaltending-Milestones:-Trades:-Free agents:-Claimed from waivers:-Draft picks:...
, Orr broke his own previous record for goals by a defenceman, scoring 46 goals to go with 89 assists for his sixth straight 100-point season. He won the league scoring title and the Art Ross Trophy for the second time. 1974–75 would be his last full season and his last season playing with Phil Esposito. The Bruins placed second in the Adams Division, and lost to the Chicago Black Hawks
1974–75 Chicago Black Hawks season
The 1974–75 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' forty-ninth season in the NHL, and the club was coming off a 41-14-23 record in 1973-74, earning 105 points, and finishing in second place in the West Division...
in the first round of the 1975 playoffs, losing a best-of-three series, two games to one.
The 1975–76 season
1975–76 Boston Bruins season
The 1975–76 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 52nd season in the NHL. The season involved trading Phil Esposito to the New York Rangers.-NHL Draft:-Game log:-Regular season:ScoringGoaltending-Playoffs:ScoringGoaltending-Roster:...
was Orr's final season with the Bruins and it was tumultuous. Orr's contract was ending after the season, potentially making him a free agent. The Bruins were sold by Storer Broadcasting in August 1975 and the new Jacobs ownership group had to promise to keep Orr as a condition of the purchase. The Bruins and Orr reached a verbal agreement with the Jacobs during the summer of 1975, including a controversial agreement for Orr to take an 18.5% share of the Bruins after his playing days were over. The agreement was to be checked out as to whether it would be legal for tax reasons and whether or not the league would approve it.
Before the season started though, Orr underwent another surgery on September 20, 1975. The Bruins' contract talks with Orr and Eagleson became difficult. The Bruins' insurer would not insure a contract with Orr and doctors advised the Bruins that Orr would not be able to play much longer. Orr returned to the lineup on November 8, 1975, the day after the Bruins traded Esposito to the New York Rangers
1975–76 New York Rangers season
The 1975–76 New York Rangers season was the Rangers' fiftieth season of operation. The Rangers would finish in fourth in the Patrick Division and miss the playoffs.-Offseason:The Rangers chose Wayne Dillon as their first pick in the 1975 draft...
. Orr was able to play the next ten games for the team, but had to stop on November 28 due to pain in his knee. The next day, he underwent another knee surgery. Originally thought to only be out for seven to eight weeks, his knee did not respond to therapy and he returned home to Parry Sound. His season was over after ten games and he would not play again for the Bruins. His impending free agency led to speculation that the Bruins would trade him, but despite his injury, they were negotiating to keep him until the end.
During his Bruins career, Orr was often the player the press wanted for a post-game interview. Orr instead would hide in the trainer's room. Team-mate Terry O'Reilly
Terry O'Reilly
Terence Joseph James O'Reilly is a retired ice hockey right winger, who played for the NHL's Boston Bruins, and one of the most effective enforcers in NHL history....
described him as a "very private, very shy guy, who just happened to be the best hockey player in the world." According to the Bruins public relations director Nate Greenberg "one of my toughest jobs in the day was trying to get Orr to come out of the trainer's room to talk to the press. The reason he wouldn't or didn't all the time was that he really wanted his team-mates to get proper accolades, while everybody, all the time wanted him." , Orr has not authorized a biography of himself, preferring to not be the center of attention.
Free agency, and the move to Chicago
In September 1975, the Bruins and Eagleson had reached a deal that would pay Orr US$4 million (US$ in dollars) for ten years. But when Orr's knee required surgery, the Bruins reduced its offer to US$295,000 (US$ in dollars) per season and a payment of US$925,000 (US$ in dollars) or 18.6% of the Bruins in June 1980. Eagleson turned down the offer and on June 7, 1976 was quoted in the Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
as saying "Boston offered a five-year deal at US$925,000 or 18.6 percent ownership of the club in 1980. I didn't think it would be wise for him to be a player-owner." On June 9, 1976, after Orr had signed with Chicago, Eagleson told the Toronto Globe and Mail that the Bruin offer was "a five-year offer for US$295,000 a year. In addition, Orr was to receive US$925,000 in cash payable in June 1980. That was to be a cash payment or involve Orr's receiving 18.6 percent of the Bruins stock." According to a famous 1990 story in the Toronto Star by Ellie Tesher, Orr stated that Eagleson never told him of the offer, during negotiations or after. While Eagleson had spoken publicly to reporters of the offer, he had not discussed it with Orr.
In 1976, the Bruins offered Orr US$600,000 (US$ in dollars) per season, but he would have to pass a physical examination at the start of each season's training camp. Only the first year's money was guaranteed. Eagleson was quoted at the time "There is only one way that Bobby Orr will ever be back with the Bruins. And that's if Jeremy Jacobs
Jeremy Jacobs
Jeremy Maurice Jacobs, Sr. perhaps best known as the owner of the Boston Bruins, is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Delaware North Companies...
asks him for another meeting and straightens out the whole situation. Otherwise he's gone." Instead, Orr became a free agent, with Boston to receive compensation. Orr and Eagleson whittled down a list of potential teams to St. Louis and Chicago. Chicago offered a five-year guaranteed contract with the Black Hawks, and on June 8, 1976, he officially signed with the Black Hawks. The Bruins' general manager, Harry Sinden
Harry Sinden
Harry James Sinden was the long-time general manager, coach, and president for the Boston Bruins NHL hockey team, and was the coach of Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series...
complained of tampering by the Black Hawks, and demanded that Chicago owner Bill Wirtz
Bill Wirtz
William Wadsworth "Dollar Bill" Wirtz was the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corporation. He was best known as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, who are part of Wirtz Corp's holdings...
submit to a lie detecter test. According to documents held by Orr, they had a valid case. Orr signed with the Black Hawks at a secret meeting in May 1976, prior to becoming a free agent.
Then-Bruins head coach Don Cherry
Don Cherry
Don Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...
suggested that the reason Orr never re-signed with the Bruins was Orr's complete trust in Eagleson at the time (Orr said that he described Eagleson as a brother). Cherry recalled Orr had refused to speak with the Bruins team president directly, allowing Eagleson to mislead or withhold enough details from Boston's offer. Orr's departure from the Bruins was acrimonious and he has not held an official role with the Bruins since. Years later, it emerged that Eagleson had very good relations with Black Hawks owner Bill Wirtz
Bill Wirtz
William Wadsworth "Dollar Bill" Wirtz was the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corporation. He was best known as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, who are part of Wirtz Corp's holdings...
and NHL president John Ziegler that colluded to hold back salaries of certain players. Orr disassociated himself from Eagleson in 1980.
Orr's contract with Chicago, five years in length, was for US$3 million dollars, (US$ in dollars), to be paid over 30 years. Spreading out the payments in this way was done to minimize taxes. While a player, he never cashed a Chicago paycheck, stating that he was paid to play hockey and would not accept a salary if he was not playing.
1976 Canada Cup
After signing with Chicago, Orr was given permission by the Black Hawks to play for Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
tournament. Orr did not play in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union and he wanted badly to play for Canada. Orr had been unable to play in the Summit Series due to knee surgery, although he did participate as a non-player. Orr's participation in the Canada Cup was considered ill-conceived and Eagleson later thought it may have been the 'last straw' that killed his career. Orr himself said that he knew before the tournament that "I knew I didn't have much longer. That series didn't do it. I thought I could get the next season in, but not much after that. I knew, looking at that team, I wouldn't have to do as much. I wouldn't have traded it for anything."
Despite his knee, Orr's performance in the Canada Cup led to him being named to the tournament All-Star team and he was named the overall MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for the tournament. According to team-mate Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
, Orr "would hardly be able to walk on the morning of the game. And he would hardly be able to walk in the afternoon. And then, at night, he would be the best player on one of the greatest teams ever assembled. He was the best player in every game; he was the best player in the tournament. He couldn't skate like he used to, but he could still go." According to team-mate Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler
Darryl Glen Sittler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.On February 7, 1976, Sittler set an NHL...
, "Bobby Orr was better on one leg, than anybody else was on two."
Retirement
Orr signed with Chicago, but his injuries limited him to only 26 games over the next three seasons. He sat out the entire 1977–78 season. By 1978, Orr had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries, was having trouble walking and barely skated any more. However, in the summer of 1978, he decided to make a comeback. He played six games of the 1978–79 season and came to the conclusion that he could no longer play and informed the Black Hawks that he was retiring. He started a new role as an assistant to Chicago general manager Bob PulfordBob Pulford
Robert Jesse Pulford is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League...
. He scored his last NHL goal and point against Detroit on October 28, 1978, at Detroit's Olympia Stadium
Detroit Olympia
Olympia Stadium, better known as the Detroit Olympia and nicknamed The Old Red Barn, stood at 5920 Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan from 1927 until 1987. It was best known as the home of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team of the National Hockey League from its opening until...
.
Orr retired having scored 270 goals and 645 assists in 657 games, adding 953 penalty minutes. At the time of his retirement, he was the leading defenceman in league history in goals, assists and points, tenth overall in assists and 19th in points. , the only players in league history to have averaged more points per game than Orr are Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
and Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
, all of them forwards. "Losing Bobby", said Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, "was the greatest blow the National Hockey League has ever suffered".
The Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
waived the normal three-year waiting period for induction into the Hall and he was enshrined at age 31 – the youngest player living at the time of his induction in history. , Orr is one of only ten players to get in without having to wait three years.
His number 4 jersey was retired by the Bruins on January 9, 1979. At the ceremony, the crowd at Boston Garden would not stop applauding and as a result, most of the evening's program had to be scrapped at the last second due to the constant cheering. The crowd did not allow Orr to say his thank you speech until he put on a Bruins jersey. The day was proclaimed "Bobby Orr Day" in Boston and the event raised thousands of dollars for charity. He attended the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
and House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
and was given a five-minute standing ovation.
Style of play
Orr inspired the game of hockey with his command of the two-way game. While a few Hall of Fame defencemen, such as Red KellyRed Kelly
Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly, CM is a retired Canadian ice hockey player in the NHL. He played on more Stanley Cup winning teams than any player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens, and is the only player to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history...
, were known for having offensive ability, they were the exception rather than the norm in the NHL before Orr's arrival. Orr's offensive style has influenced countless defencemen who followed him. His speed – most notably a rapid acceleration – and his open-ice artistry electrified fans as he set almost every conceivable record for a defenceman. When Orr and the Bruins visited cities, attendance was usually a sell-out.
According to the Bruins' Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
, "No matter how fast an opponent was, Bobby could skate faster than him if he needed to do it in the framework of a play. If he was caught up-ice and the other team had an odd-man rush, that's when you saw his truly great speed. Very seldom did he not get back to have a hand in breaking up the play."
Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden
Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...
described of Orr: "When he began to move...the sensation was unique: All the Canadiens began backpedaling in a small panic, like beachgoers sighting a coming monster wave. He brought others with him; he wanted them involved. That's what made him so different: It felt like a five-player stampede moving toward you—and at his pace. 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 it up. You had to be better than you'd ever been."
In contrast to the style of hanging-back defensive play common in the later 1950s and 1960s, Orr was known for his fluid skating and end-to-end rushing. Orr's rushing enabled him to be where the puck was, allowing him not only to score effectively but also to defend when necessary. According to long-time Bruins coach and general manager Harry Sinden
Harry Sinden
Harry James Sinden was the long-time general manager, coach, and president for the Boston Bruins NHL hockey team, and was the coach of Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series...
, "Bobby became a star in the NHL about the time they played the National Anthem for his first game with us".
Orr also benefited from playing most of his career in Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
, which was 9 feet (2.7 m) shorter than the standard NHL rink. This suited his rushing style very well, as he was able to get from one end of the ice to the other faster than in a standard rink.
His style of play was hard on his left knee, leading to injuries and surgeries that shortened his career. The left knee took all of the punishment and was operated on "13 or 14" times according to Orr. Orr was a left-hand shot who played the right side. He would race down the right wing with the puck and attempt to beat the opposing defenceman using his speed and strength. He 'protected the puck', leading with his left knee, and holding his left arm up to fend off opponents. This put him into a position where a hit by the opposing defencemen would often hit the left knee. Also, he would often end up crashing into either the opposing goalie, the net or the end boards. "It was the way I played," Orr has said. "I liked to carry the puck and if you do that, you're going to get hit. I wish I'd played longer, but I don't regret it." Orr stated in 2008. "I had a style—when you play, you play all-out. I tried to do things. I didn't want to sit back. I wanted to be involved."
His right knee was basically undamaged during his career; his left knee looks like "a road map of downtown Boston" according to sportswriter Bob McKenzie. His left knee was used in a MasterCard commercial in 2008, his scar lines used in an animation connecting his many achievements to the year of the individual scar line. According to a 2009 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
article Orr has since had two knee replacement surgeries that have left him pain-free.
Orr was also known for his mean streak. Former coach Don Cherry
Don Cherry
Don Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...
recounts an incident one night in Los Angeles during a game that the Bruins were losing. With a minute to go, Orr pulled one of the Bruins off the ice, left the bench and attacked a Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
player. Asked why, Orr said to Cherry "He was laughing at us." According to Cherry, he fought a lot. On another occasion in November 1967, Orr was clipped in the face by a stick from the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brian Conacher
Brian Conacher
Brian Kennedy Conacher was a professional ice hockey player and hockey broadcaster, specializing in colour commentary. He is the son of the legendary Lionel Conacher, who was voted Canada's top athlete for the first half of the century...
. Boston team-mate Johnny McKenzie flattened Conacher from behind and started punching Conacher. Orr, cut and bleeding, got up from the ice, pulled MacKenzie off Conacher and started punching Conacher. Conacher, who was not fighting back, was also sucker-punched by the Bruins' Ken Hodge
Ken Hodge
Kenneth Raymond Hodge, Sr. is a retired hockey player for the NHL Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers.-Playing career:...
. Orr would be booed in Toronto from that date onwards.
Post-hockey career
Shortly after Orr retired, an independent accountant revealed that Orr's liabilities exceeded his assetAsset
In financial accounting, assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive economic value is considered an asset...
s, leaving him essentially bankrupt despite being supposedly one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. As well, Orr's taxes were under review. Eagleson had set up a corporation to receive Orr's income and pay Orr a salary, but the arrangement was rejected by US and Canadian tax authorities. His assets in July 1980 totalled US$456,604 (US$ in dollars) and his tax, legal and accounting bills totalled US$469,546 (US$ in dollars). Eagleson, who had once said Orr was 'fixed for life', criticized Orr for 'living beyond his means' and ignoring his investment advice. Orr split with Eagleson on April 1, 1980. As part of the legal settlement with Orr, Eagleson agreed to purchase various of Orr's assets for $US620,000 (US$ in dollars), including his Orr–Walton Hockey Camp, which paid off US$450,000 (US$ in dollars) of Orr's bank loans.
Orr served briefly as an assistant coach for Chicago, and as a consultant to the NHL and the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
. The Black Hawks balked at paying him the balance of his contract, and Orr took them to court, settling in 1983 for US$450,000 (US$ in dollars), one-third of the money owed him. Of this, US$200,000 (US$ in dollars) went to taxes and legal fees. Orr moved back to the Boston area and formed Can-Am Enterprises with partners Tom Kelly and Paul Shanley, which built up a clientele of endorsements for Orr, including Baybank
BankBoston
BankBoston was a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts, which was created by the 1996 merger of Bank of Boston and BayBank. Bank of Boston had a venerable history dating back to 1784, but the merged BankBoston was short-lived, being acquired by Fleet Bank in 1999...
and Standard Brands
Standard Brands
Standard Brands was formed in 1929 by J.P. Morgan with the merger of:*Fleischmann Company*Royal Baking Powder Company*E. W. Gillett*Widlar Food Products Company*Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company...
. Orr did eventually restore his finances, thanks to endorsement contracts and public relations work.
Orr later played a role in the exposure of Eagleson's misconduct over the years. He had once considered Eagleson a "big brother", but broke with him in 1980 in part because he suspected that Eagleson had not been truthful with him. In addition to misleading his clients about contract terms, Eagleson fraudulently used NHLPA funds to enrich himself. Orr was one of several players who filed a formal complaint of legal misconduct against Eagleson with the Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
over Eagleson's lending of trust monies without the consent or knowledge of his clients. In 1998, Eagleson was convicted of fraud, embezzlement and racketeering. After the conviction, Orr was one of eighteen former players who threatened to resign from the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
if Eagleson was not removed as a builder. Facing almost certain removal, Eagleson resigned instead.
Orr was also involved in the 1991 lawsuit of retired NHL players against the NHL over its control of the players' pension fund. Eagleson was involved there too, arranging for the players to give up a seat on the trusteeship of the pension fund in 1969 to gain the acceptance of the NHLPA with the NHL owners. Orr and ex-Bruin Dave Forbes
Dave Forbes
David Stephen Forbes is a retired Canadian ice hockey player.Signed as a free agent in 1973 by the Boston Bruins, Forbes made an impact as a defensive-minded forward as he helped guide the Bruins to the finals in 1974 during his rookie season, and to the finals in 1977...
discussed the law suit with the sports newspaper The National. Orr: "Our money is being used to pay pensions for current players". The NHL's response was to file a notice of libel and slander against Orr and Forbes. Carl Brewer
Carl Brewer
Carl Thomas Brewer was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He had attended De La Salle College prior to his hockey career....
defended Orr in a letter to then-NHL president John Ziegler: "It is regrettable that the NHL and the member clubs would resort to such treatment of one of our game's icons, Bobby Orr. And isn't it interesting that baseball players who started their pension plan in 1947, as did the NHL, have assets in their plan of some US$500 million while we, as far as we can understand, have US$31.9 million." The pension law suit was finally won by the players in 1994 after two courts ruled against the NHL. The NHL had appealed the case to the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
which decided not to hear the case.
Orr became an agent representing hockey players in 1996. Along with investors, Orr purchased the Woolf Associates agency founded by Boston lawyer Bob Woolf. To prevent conflicts of interest, Orr sold an investment in the Lowell Lock Monsters minor pro hockey team and cut his ties with a credit card firm that had a contract with the NHLPA. Orr became a certified agent, although he would not be negotiating with hockey clubs. Player agent Rick Curran merged his agency with Orr's in 2000. Curran and Orr along with partner Paul Krepelka incorporated the agency as Orr Hockey Group in February 2002.
The group represents such players as Jason Spezza
Jason Spezza
Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
, Eric Staal
Eric Staal
Eric Craig Staal is a Canadian ice hockey player and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
, Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal
Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
, Marc Staal
Marc Staal
Marc Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
, Nathan Horton
Nathan Horton
Nathan Horton is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
, Jeff Carter
Jeff Carter
Jeff Carter is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League...
, Steve Downie
Steve Downie
Steve Downie is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Anthony Stewart, Tomas Kaberle
Tomas Kaberle
Tomáš Kaberle is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He previously played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins....
, Taylor Hall
Taylor Hall
Taylor Strba Hall is a Canadian ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Hall has had a highly successful junior career, helping the Windsor Spitfires to two consecutive Memorial Cup...
and Colton Orr
Colton Orr
Colton Douglas Orr is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently playing in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs.- Playing career :...
(no relation). Spezza, asked to comment on the experience of having Orr as an agent, replied: "I don't think I have a true feeling for how great he is. I have so much respect for him. I watch him on tapes and it's just ridiculous how good he was compared to the guys he was playing against. He's a great guy and you don't even know it's Bobby Orr, the way he talks to you."
For a number of years, Orr has coached a team of top Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
junior players against a similar team coached by Don Cherry
Don Cherry
Don Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...
in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game
CHL Top Prospects Game
The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event in which forty of the top draft eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other, each hoping to boost their draft ranking with the National Hockey League scouts and general managers who attend.The players are typically coached...
. Cherry, briefly his former coach in Boston, considers Orr the greatest hockey player who ever lived, noting that Orr was a complete all-around player who could skate, score, fight, and defend. , Orr's teams have won most of the games, winning seven of the eleven times Orr has coached against Cherry. Orr's participation was criticized as a conflict-of-interest while he was a player's agent and he stopped coaching in the series. Organizers of the series convinced Orr to return to coaching in the series. He stepped down again before the 2011 game for the birth of his second grand-child. One of the teams remained named 'Team Orr.'
Personal life
While on vacation, Orr met Margaret Louise "Peggy" Wood, a Detroit native and speech therapist who worked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They became engaged on Christmas Day, 1972 and married in September 1973 at a 'secret' ceremony in Parry Sound. They have two sons, Darren and Brent. Son Darren works as a player's agent at Orr Hockey Group. Orr's mother Arva died in November 2000, 18 months after being diagnosed with cancer. Orr's father Doug died in 2007. Orr became a grandfather when granddaughter Alexis was born in 2009. A second grandchild, Robert, was born in January 2011.Orr was known to be fiercely loyal to former Bruin personnel and teammates. When Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
had alcohol and prescription drug-abuse problems and wound up penniless, Orr spent his own money to ensure that Sanderson successfully completed rehab. Decades later, Orr and Sanderson went into business together managing finances for hockey players. Orr also helped out Bruins trainer John (Frosty) Forristall, his roommate during his first years with the Bruins, who had just been fired from the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
for alcoholism in 1994. Forristall's drinking put him on bad terms with his brother John, so he returned to Boston jobless and soon afterwards was diagnosed with brain cancer. Orr took Forristall into his home for a year until he passed away at age 51. Orr was a pallbearer at his funeral.
Orr was well known for his charitable works, although he kept mentions of them out of the newspaper. Writer Russ Conway writes of one occasion when Orr visited Boston Children's Hospital, with a box of programs, pennants, pucks, pictures and Boston memorabilia: "We went from room to room, Orr popping in, unannounced to visit the kids. Some couldn't believe their eyes; sick as they were, they laughed in astonishment and delight. Bobby Orr! He talked and joked with every one of them, asking names, rubbing heads, giving everybody a little present from the box, leaving a stick, autographing everything in sight." Orr made Conway promise to not print a word in the newspaper. Orr was involved in numerous charity fund raisers. In 1980, Orr was awarded the Multiple Sclerosis Silver Hope Chest Award by the Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a United States-based non-profit organization, and its network of chapters nationwide promote research, educate, advocate on issues relating to multiple sclerosis, and organize a wide range of programs, including support for the newly diagnosed and those...
for his "numerous and unselfish contributions to society".
Among other personal interests, Orr has a passion for fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
which he has had since childhood. He has a talent for solving jigsaw puzzles quickly. Orr is also known for his taste in clothes and style of dress. When living as a bachelor with Forristall during his years with the Bruins, Orr was also known for keeping a clean apartment and not drinking or smoking or going night-clubbing. Orr projected a clean image.
Honours
In 1979, Orr was invested as an officer in the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. Two buildings in Parry Sound honour Orr. A museum, called the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, where his Order of Canada medal is on display along with other exhibits. Also named in his honour is The Bobby Orr Community Centre. Orr has been honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
in Toronto. On November 27, 2008, the Oshawa Generals retired Orr's number 2 jersey; the Generals had not issued the number since Orr transferred to the NHL in 1966. Orr thanked all who helped him in the four years he played in Oshawa: "I did a lot of growing up in Oshawa from ages 14 to 18 and I'll be forever grateful for those people who helped me in that time of my life." In February 2010, Orr was one of the eight bearers of the Olympic flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held on February 12, 2010 beginning at 6:00 pm PST at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors...
.
On May 10, 2010, the fortieth anniversary of Orr scoring the game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues in overtime to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup, the Bruins commemorated the event with a bronze statue of Orr outside the TD Garden, the Bruins' home rink. The statue depicts Orr sprawled in mid-flight after scoring the goal. The unveiling was attended by many of Orr's past team-mates. Orr spoke at the unveiling: "This specific moment and time we celebrate with this statue is something we can all now nostalgically remember with fondness, together, each time we enter Boston Garden. To all of you, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I'm honoured. Guys, thank you."
Career achievements
Despite playing only twelve seasons and 657 games (of which only his first nine seasons, totaling 621 games, were full seasons), and only playing 47 NHL games after his 27th birthday, Orr accomplished many records and achievements, a number of which still stand today, and are listed below.As of the end of the season:
- First and only defenceman to score nine hat tricks
- First defenceman to score 30 goals (1969–70) and 40 goals in a season (1974–75)in a season.
- First player to record 100 assists in a season (1970–71)
- Only defenceman to lead the league in scoring (1969–70, 1974–75)
- Only player ever to win the Norris Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy in one season (1969–70)
- Second all-time in career plus-minus rating (+597) (retired as the overall leader)
- Fourth in league history in career point-per-game average, all-time, (1.393) (highest among defensemen)
- Fifty-ninth overall in league history in career assists and 90th in career points
Awards
- OHA First All-Star Team - 1964, 1965, 1966
- Awarded the Calder Memorial TrophyCalder Memorial TrophyThe Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
(rookie of the year) in 1967, the youngest ever to win the award, and the youngest ever to win a major NHL award up to that time - Named to the Second All-Star Team in 1966–67 (his only full season when he did not make the First Team, as a rookie)
- Named to the NHL First All-Star Team eight times consecutively (1968-1975)
- Awarded the James Norris Trophy eight times (from 1968 to 1975, his last full season)
- Played in the NHL All-Star GameNational Hockey League All-Star GameThe National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
eight times (from 1968 to 1975) - Won the Art Ross TrophyArt Ross TrophyThe Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
in 1969–70 and 1974–75 - NHL Plus/Minus leaderNHL Plus/Minus AwardThe NHL Plus-Minus Award is a trophy awarded annually by the National Hockey League to the ice hockey "player, having played a minimum of 60 games who leads the league in plus/minus statistics." It is sponsored by a commercial business, and it has been known under five different names...
in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 and 1975, the most in history - Awarded the Hart Memorial TrophyHart Memorial TrophyThe Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
three times consecutively (1970-1972) - Awarded the Conn Smythe TrophyConn Smythe TrophyThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
in 1970 and 1972, the first two-time winner of the playoff MVP award - Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
winner in 1970 and 1972 - Won Lou Marsh TrophyLou Marsh TrophyThe Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
as Canadian athlete of the year in 1970 - NHL All-Star Game MVP in 1972
- Received Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine's "Sportsman of the YearSportsman of the YearSince its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
" award in 1970 - Voted the greatest athlete in Boston history in the Boston Globe newspaper's poll of New Englanders in 1975, beating out baseball and basketball stars such as Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, Bill Russell, Carl YastrzemskiCarl YastrzemskiCarl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
and Bob CousyBob CousyRobert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season... - Awarded the Lester B. Pearson AwardLester B. Pearson AwardThe Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
in 1975 - Named the Canada CupCanada Cup (ice hockey)The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
Tournament MVPMost Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
in 1976 - Awarded the Lester Patrick TrophyLester Patrick TrophyThe Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL...
in 1979 - Inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1979, with the mandatory three-year waiting period waived, making him the youngest inductee at 31 years of age - Voted the second greatest hockey player of all time by an expert committee in 1997 by The Hockey NewsThe Hockey NewsThe Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
. Orr is behind only Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and ahead of Gordie HoweGordie HoweGordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
as well as being named the top defenceman of all time. - Ranked 31 in ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCentury: 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th CenturySportsCenturySportsCentury is an ESPN biography program that reviews the people and athletic events that defined sports in North America throughout the 20th and 21st centuries....
in 1999 - Named the top defenceman of all time in 2010 by The Hockey NewsThe Hockey NewsThe Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
Records
- Most points in one NHL season by a defenceman (139; 1970–71)
- Most assists in one NHL season by a defenceman (102; 1970–71).
- Highest plus/minus in one NHL season (+124; 1970–71)
- Tied for most assists in one NHL game by a defenceman (6; tied with Babe PrattBabe PrattWalter "Babe" Pratt was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman/left winger who played for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League.Babe was an important member of two Stanley Cup winning teams, the 1940 Rangers and 1945 Maple Leafs...
, Pat Stapleton, Ron StackhouseRon StackhouseRonald Lorne Stackhouse is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman.-Playing career:Stackhouse started his career playing with the Peterborough Petes under Roger Neilson in the OHA. Stackhouse was drafted 18th overall by the Oakland Seals in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft...
, Paul CoffeyPaul CoffeyPaul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
and Gary SuterGary SuterGary Lee Suter is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He played his junior hockey for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, high school hockey at Culver Military Academy and then moved on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
)
Records since surpassed:
- Held record for most assists in one NHL season from 1970 to 1981 (87 in 1969–70, which he surpassed in 1970–71 with 102; broken by Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and also bettered by Mario LemieuxMario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
) - Held record for most goals in one NHL season by a defenceman from 1968 to 1986 (21, in 1967–68, 37 in 1970–71, broke own record in 1974–75 with 46; broken in 1985–86 by Paul CoffeyPaul CoffeyPaul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
with 48) - Held record for most points by a defenceman in one game from 1973 until 1977 (7 (3 goals/4 assists) in game November 15, 1973)
- Held record for longest consecutive point-scoring streak by a defenceman from 1971 until 1984 ( 15 games, set in 1970–71 and 1973–74)
- Held record for career goal-scoring by a defenceman (270) until surpassed by Denis PotvinDenis PotvinDenis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...
in 1987. - Held record for most consecutive 100-or-more point seasons from 1974 until 1980 ( 6, from 1969–70 until 1974–75)
- Held record for career plus-minus rating from 1978 until 1985 (+597)
- Held record for most assists in a season by any player from 1971 until 1981 (102)
Career statistics
- Career highs in each statistical category are marked in boldface.
Regular season Playoffs Season Season (sports)In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...Team League GP G Goal (ice hockey)In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...A Assist (ice hockey)In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...Pts Point (ice hockey)Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...PIM Penalty (ice hockey)A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...+/- PP SH GW GP G A Pts PIM 1962–63 Oshawa Generals Oshawa GeneralsThe Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...Metro Jr.A Metro Junior A LeagueThe Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 1963...34 6 15 21 45 — — — — — — — — — 1963–64 Oshawa Generals OHA Ontario Hockey LeagueThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....56 29 43 72 142 — — — — 6 0 7 7 21 1964–65 Oshawa Generals OHA 56 34 59 93 112 — — — — 6 0 6 6 10 1965–66 Oshawa Generals OHA 47 38 56 94 92 — — — — 17 9 19 28 14 1966–67 Boston Bruins Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...NHL National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...61 13 28 41 102 — 3 1 0 — — — — — 1967–68 Boston Bruins NHL 46 11 20 31 63 +30 3 0 1 4 0 2 2 2 1968–69 Boston Bruins NHL 67 21 43 64 133 +65 4 0 2 10 1 7 8 10 1969–70 Boston Bruins NHL 76 33 87 120 125 +54 11 4 3 14 9 11 20 14 1970–71 Boston Bruins NHL 78 37 102 139 91 +124 5 3 5 7 5 7 12 10 1971–72 Boston Bruins NHL 76 37 80 117 106 +86 11 4 4 15 5 19 24 19 1972–73 Boston Bruins NHL 63 29 72 101 99 +56 7 1 3 5 1 1 2 7 1973–74 Boston Bruins NHL 74 32 90 122 82 +84 11 0 4 16 4 14 18 28 1974–75 Boston Bruins NHL 80 46 89 135 101 +80 16 2 4 3 1 5 6 2 1975–76 Boston Bruins NHL 10 5 13 18 22 +10 3 1 0 — — — — — 1976–77 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 20 4 19 23 25 +6 2 0 0 — — — — — 1978–79 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 6 2 2 4 4 +2 0 0 0 — — — — — OHA totals 193 107 173 280 391 29 9 32 41 45 NHL totals 657 270 645 915 953 +597 76 16 26 74 26 66 92 92
Source: hockeydb.com
International play
- Was named to Canada's 1972 Summit SeriesSummit SeriesThe Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
team, but did not play due to injuries. - Played for Team Canada in the 1976 Canada CupCanada Cup (ice hockey)The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
.
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Canada | Summit Series Summit Series The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 1976 Canada Cup The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991... |
Canada | Canada Cup Canada Cup (ice hockey) The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional... |
7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 |