Bobby Orr: Ice Hockey Legend

Bobby Orr is considered one of the greatest ice Hockey Players of all time. Follow his story from his humble beginnings in Parry Sound, Ontario to his Stanley Cup winning days with the Boston Bruins

Bobby Orr A Legend on the Ice

Bobby Orr is considered one of the greatest defensemen in the history of hockey and changed the game forever with his skills and style of play. He played for the Boston Bruins from 1966-1976 and helped lead them to two Stanley Cup wins. He was the first player to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman three times and was also named the league’s MVP in 1970 and 1971 – an unprecedented feat for a defenseman. In 1979, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame where he remains the youngest player ever to be inducted.

Orr’s Early Life and Career

Bobby Orr is a former professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 12 seasons, from 1966 to 1978. Orr is the only defenceman to have won the league Scoring Title with two different teams, and he remains the only player to have won eight Stanley Cups in his career.

Born in Parry Sound, Ontario, Orr began his career with the junior Oshawa Generals before being recruited by the Boston Bruins of the NHL. He quickly became one of the most talented and popular players in the league, winning numerous awards and breaking numerous records. In 1970, he became the first player to win both the Hart Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.

Orr’s career was plagued by injuries, particularly knee problems that forced him to miss large portions of several seasons. He retired in 1978 at age 30, after undergoing several unsuccessful knee surgeries. After his retirement, he served as a player-coach for two seasons with HC Davos of Switzerland’s National League A before returning to Boston as a team consultant. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 at age 31, making him its youngest inductee at that time.

Orr’s Record-Setting Career

Bobby Orr is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He played for the Boston Bruins from 1966 to 1976, and is credited with revolutionizing the game of defenseman. Orr was the first player to ever score more than 100 points in a single season by a defenseman, and he did it twice. He also holds the record for most assists in a season by a defenseman, with 102.

Orr’s Impact on the Game

Bobby Orr is widely regarded as one of the greatest Hockey players of all time. He changed the game of hockey with his incredible skating ability and scoring touch. Orr redefined the role of the defenseman, scoring goals and racking up assists at a pace that had never been seen before. He helped the Boston Bruins win two Stanley Cups and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP both times. Orr also won three Hart Trophies as league MVP and eight Norris Trophies as the NHL’s top defenseman. His impact on the game was so great that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Orr’s Post-Playing Career

After his sudden retirement in 1978, Orr became a successful agent, representing many Top Players In 1996, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the youngest player to receive that honor. In 1979, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. His career was plagued by injuries, particularly to his knees, which ultimately forced his early retirement from the game at age 30. He remains one of the most popular athletes in Boston Sports history.

Orr’s post-playing career has been just as successful as his on-ice career. He has been active in numerous charities, including the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame and Museum and the Bobby Orr Foundation for children’s charities. He has also been a successful businessman, running his own advertising and investments firm.

Orr’s Personal Life

Bobby Orr is widely regarded as one of the greatest Ice Hockey players of all time.
Orr was born in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, the third son of Douglas and Margaret Orr. He had two older brothers, Ronald and George. His father worked as a butcher, and died when Orr was 10 years old.

Orr started playing organized hockey at age five, skating on naturally frozen creeks and ponds near his home. At age six, he first played organized hockey in a youth league in Parry Sound. When he was eight, his family moved to Oshawa, Ontario where he played minor hockey for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA).
Orr joined the Boston Bruins in 1966. He quickly became known as one of the best defencemen in history, winning two Stanley Cups with the team and earning numerous individual awards including the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year, three consecutively James Norris Memorial Trophies as the NHL’s best defenceman from 1968 to 1970, and two Art Ross Trophies as leading scorer from 1970 to 1972; becoming the only defenceman in history to win either award more than once.

Orr’s Legacy

Bobby Orr is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He played for the Boston Bruins from 1966 to 1976 and helped lead the team to two Stanley Cup championships. Orr is also one of only two players in NHL history to win the Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, and Norris Trophy in the same season (the other being Wayne Gretzky). After his playing career ended, Orr became a successful hockey agent and is currently working as a business advisor.

Top 10 Bobby Orr Moments

Bobby Orr is widely considered to be one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He played for the Boston Bruins from 1966 to 1976, and is one of only two defensemen to have ever won the league scoring title (the other is Doug Harvey). Orr redefined the position of defensemen, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Here are some of his most memorable moments:

10. Winning his first Stanley Cup championship with the Bruins in 1970–71.

9. Scoring the infamous “Goal” that won the Stanley Cup for the Bruins in overtime against the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1970-71.

8. Being named captain of the Bruins at age 21, becoming the youngest captain in NHL history at that time.

7. Being named MVP of both the regular season and playoffs in 1970-71 (becoming the first player to ever achieve this feat).

6. Setting a then-NHL record for most points by a defenseman in a season with 103 during the 1974-75 season (a record that stood until 1985 when it was broken by Paul Coffey).

5. Becoming only the second defenseman in NHL history to average over a point per game for an entire season, during 1974-75 (the other being Doug Harvey).

4. Becoming only the third player in NHL history to win 3 consecutive Hart trophies as league MVP (joining Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe). He accomplished this feat from 1970-71 to 1972-73.

3. Playing a pivotal role in Team Canada’s victory at the 1976 Canada Cup, considered by many to be one of if not THE greatest international Hockey Tournament ever held. His performance was so good that he was named MVP of tournament, despite playing on a team loaded with other superstars such as Phil Esposito and Guy Lafleur

2. Holding or sharing no fewer than 8 different NHL records at retirement, including most goals and assists by a defenseman in a career, most points by a defenseman in a season, and most goals by a defenseman in a playoff season (sharing these last two records with Paul Coffey). These records have since been broken by other players, but he still holds several other records including: Most assists by a rookie defenseman: 46 (1966–67) Most points by a rookie: 58 (1966–67) Highest plus/minus total: +124 (1970–71) First defenseman to lead league outright in scoring: 103 points (1974–75) First defenseman to reach 100 assists: 102 assists (1974–75) His +124 plus/minus rating during 1970–71 remains an NHL single-season record for all skaters(forwards and defensemen), as does his 16 goals during that same playoff year – both marks were established during his legendary run with The Big Bad Bruins teams of late 1960s and early ’70s which also included Future Hall of-Famers such as Phil Esposito and Johnny Bucyk up front; Gerry Cheevers minding their net; plus fellow blue liners Dallas Smith and Brad Park joining Orr on what many believe is still – even almost 50 years later -the best defensive corps ever assembled on one team .

1. Orr’s greatest moment came on May 10th, 1970, when he scored “The Goal” against St Louis Blues’ goaltender Glenn Hall at 4:43 into overtime, giving Boston their first Stanley Cup championship since 1941.(Footage of The Goal can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFLhm7ANpm0)

Quotes About Bobby Orr

“Bobby Orr revolutionized the game of hockey. He turned a style of play that was, at the time, scrambling and random into an orderly art form.”

— Teddy Green, Bobby’s Bruins teammate

“In my opinion, Bobby Orr is the greatest player ever to play the game of hockey.”
— Wayne Gretzky

“His greatest asset was his passion for the game. You can talk about all his great attributes, but if he didn’t love playing hockey he wouldn’t have been nearly as good as he was.”
— Stan Fischler

Further Reading on Bobby Orr

If you want to learn more about Bobby Orr, there are a few sources we recommend. Orr’s official website provides an overview of his life and career, with commentary from Orr himself. The website for the Hockey Hall of Fame includes a comprehensive biography of Orr, detailing his accomplishments both on and off the ice. And finally, the sports website Bleacher Report has an article that takes a look at some of the ways Orr has inspired current and future generations of Hockey players