Then, in Orrs own words, Derek gave me a great pass and when I got the pass I was moving across. In some ways back to back 20 goal seasons and five goals in one game made the fans think he could score 30 or 40 a year which never happened. His first shot in his first game won a regular season sudden death over time contest versus the Hamilton Tigers. His .602 points per game is impressive and indicative of an able playmaker. Paul Coffey was perhaps the fastest man ever to lace up skates. A revolutionary player who forever changed the role of defensemen, Orr is widely considered one of hockey's greatest players. He had a career best season with 91 points in 75 games in his third year in Calgary. He finished out his career winning a cup as a depth defenseman with the Red Wings in 2002. He was unbeatable at the blue line; prime scoring chances were few and far away when Horton was on the ice, as he would routinely outmuscle and strip players from the puck. Ray Bourque won five James Norris Memorial trophies in his career, slotting him behind only Orr and Doug Harvey. he became the Jets best player leading the team in scoring from the back end three years in a row. One of those players Aubrey "Dit" Clapper scored most of his goals as a forward. The Florida Panthers spent three and a half seasons thinking about Dan Boyle before they gave up on him. His .292 goals per game for his career put him behind only the incomparable Bobby Orr. Paul "Rhino" Reinhart was an Atlanta Flame rookie who made the jump with the organization to Calgary. If you left him to run you almost never got a chance to notice them. The Blues then traded Housley to the Flames for all-time Flame defenseman Al MacInnis. His six James Norris Trophy wins as the league's best defenseman put him behind only Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven). The physical Potvin was an abundantly talented skater, stick handler and playmaker. The only NHL season that Ray Bourque scored fewer than 10 goals in a season was his last in Colorado. Zubov was named to the NHLs second All-Star team in 2006 and played in three All-Star Games over the course of his career. Eddie was renowned for his ability to take over a game. Playing against the completely unknown Russian speedsters in the seminal Summit Series in 1972, Park was never at a loss. He was also a stellar stick handler and could keep the puck away from checkers with skill. He was dogged by injuries throughout his career making it hard for him to play a complete season. Find the perfect bobby orr bruins stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. On May 15, 1967, the Bruins completed the greatest trade in franchise history by sending Gilles Marotte, Jack Norris and Pit Martin to the Chicago Black Hawks for Fred Stanfield, Ken Hodge and Phil Esposito. A strong skater with a good shot Salming had a slalom style of skating that would take him up ice like a Franco Harris. It's this more than anything that has me place Chris Pronger one step higher on my list of best offensive defensemen. Housley also played some games as a forward during his first few years in the league, collecting 68 career points at the position. I'd like to see him get a chance to do it. In a 12-year NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the defenseman before he retired in 1978 at 30. He's one of those players who is better when the games are important. He scored 23 goals and 81 points with the Flames 1992-93 and 20 goals and 67 points with the Blackhawks in 1995-96. He then managed six goals in six games as the Capitals lost to the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. Often a top 5 dman, but never top 1 or even top 2. In 22 seasons he managed to play for 10 different teams and the Montreal Canadiens twice. The following year Turnbull lead a Salming-less Leaf team past the Kings and to an upset of the heavily favoured New York Islanders in the second round of the playoffs. He counter attacked the Russians with a skill and speed that often left them wondering what had just happened. Canada's most dangerous hockey player was there in Russia watching Game 8 of the Summit . Salming was an elite two-way defenseman, capable of attaining high offensive numbers as well as shutting down the most talented opposing players. Critics might scoff that the old Boston Gardens shorter-than-standard rink size aided Orr in his end-to-end rushes, but he and the Bruins enjoyed success on the road, too. Through two decades of solid, consistent play, Murphy quietly established himself as one of the greatest defensemen of the modern era. Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux, seated next to each other, talking about their legacy. Douglas Orr, the father of hockey great Bobby Orr, has died. Clancy scored 136 goals in 592 regular season games which puts him in the top for goals per game scored by a defenseman over his career. Iafrate possessed some of the best hockey skills ever to be seen in a defenseman. But Orrs most memorable moment, in union with the remainder of his storied career, brought hockey back to the forefront in the city. He was no slouch as a defender either. He is still the only defenseman ever to score five goals in a game. Despite injury and despite six years in the WHA Howe still has phenomenal career offensive numbers as a defenseman in the NHL. He had the skills to rush from end to end and the desire to do it. Derek Sanderson picked up the ricochet and took his own slap shot which whistled wide according to Kelly. That same year, Orr had his No. LOS ANGELES - It was looking at a living Mount Rushmore of hockey. Duchesne is 20th in career scoring among all NHL defensemen. The Hall of Famer established himself as one of the greatest defensemen of the '50s and '60s. Injuries ended his career with the North Stars much too early. Potvin broke into the league with 17 goals and 54 points in 77 games to win the Calder trophy. He was one of only two great offensive defenseman to be more than a point a game player for his entire career. He accomplished all of this while playing at a time where offensive defensemen were rare, as he and Orr were basically the only ones in the league during the late '60s and early '70s. He endorsed Trump back in October, taking out a full-page ad of the New Hampshire Union Leader, where he called Trump the kind of teammate I want.. As a young player he got to play with and learn from the legendary Brad Park. The talented defender was phenomenal in San Jose right from the start. William Hollett was a high scoring defenseman overshadowed by other great blue liners of his time. The multi-sport athlete was also a rugby, baseball, lacrosse and hockey star. Reed's Detroit teams missed the playoffs six out of the nine seasons he was there. He had 31 goals and 46 assists the next year, but some of that output came as a forward. Eddie Shore was another iconic Boston Bruin offensively-talented defenseman. He destroyed all of the conventional wisdom about playing defence. Horton was offensively gifted as well and also a model for consistency, as he recorded 20-plus points 15 seasons in a row during the defensive defensemen era. The list of defenders in NHL history with two Norris Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy includes only Bobby Orr, Larry Robinson, Brian Leetch, Nicklas Lidstrom and Duncan Keith. The young defenseman was already turning heads with his ability to score goals and win fights. After a stint in the minors during his second season, Turnbull put his offensive game together in his third year, scoring 20 goals and 56 points. Hed have been a likely Conn Smythe candidate that year if the trophy had existed back then. His career stats are stunning. He added 26 goals and 66 assists in eight postseason runs and was a two-time Stanley Cup winner for the Boston Bruins. Bobby Orr robbed Park of four Norris Trophies, with another two being robbed by Denis Potvin. Still not convinced Bobby Orr is the greatest hockey player of all time? Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. lilitu pathfinder: wrath of the righteous; boise state radio live stream; best weekend trips from paris by train; muskegon high school football score St. Louis Keenan took a one-handed chop at the puck to no avail as the Bruins defenseman had already transitioned it to his stick blade. His third and final year in Winnipeg he had his best season with 79 assists and 97 points, both Jet records for a defenseman. Ray Borque burst on to the scene in Boston with 17 goals, 65 points and a Calder Memorial trophy as the league's best rookie. Despite all that Howe played in the NHL, mostly as a defenseman for 15 seasons. Knee problems had taken their toll as Orr called it quits after playing his final game on Nov. 1, 1978, against the Vancouver Canucks. He was incredible offensively and defensivelyon the power play, shorthanded, in the playoffs. He was an offensive star with Chicago and always near the top of the league in scoring among defensemen. As I went across, Glenns legs opened. He played another seven and a half seasons in Toronto. A powerplay quarterback his entire career, he scored at least 20 in a season twice, once in Montreal as a 24 year old and once with Detroit when he was 36. Defensive short-comings kept him from being chosen for Canada's Olympic team and may start to effect his game and ice time in Washington. Both teams fought for possession along the left boards before the puck squeaked out and a streaking Sanderson took a shot from the left face-off circle which also missed the cage. 4. Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs the game headed to overtime. After leaving the NHL Fredrick played five more seasons in the Swedish Elite League. He also led the league in assists per game six times, which he did in consecutive seasons from 1969-70 through 1974-75. He was another big point man who was a better point per game player in the playoffs. Olausson did manage to win his only cup with Detroit in 2002. He only got better. No other NHL defenseman has ever managed to score more than .3 goals a game. Al MacInnis was renowned for having the hardest shot in hockey, ever. He'd been moved to St Louis by Winnipeg. THATS the kind of teammate you want??? A defenseman starts out behind his own net and skates through an entire team to score a goal. Equally amazing to me if . He started playing from an early age, and his exemplary defense skills made him join the 'Metro Junior A League' as a junior with . He was an enthusiastic offensive skater with a great shot. He scored 20 goals in the 1999-2000 season. To gain inspiration for his basketball games, Boston Celtics great Larry Bird had a pregame ritual of looking up to the banner honoring Orr that hung from the rafters of the old Boston Garden. His legacy isn't complicated. 1968 O-Pee-Chee. His playoff numbers were never as good as his regular season ones, but he did produce 15 assists in 19 playoff games during Philadelphia's 1988-89 playoff run. 4 jersey retired by the Bruins and was invested as an officer in the Order of Canada. Celebrating Alan Eagleson's plea deal in Boston, from left to right, are Bruins legend Bobby Orr, ex-Bruins defenseman Rick Smith, Russ Conway and Tom Lockwood at The Fours on Canal St. in. 1966 Topps #35 Bobby Orr Rookie Card. He scored 20 goals or more in three different seasons. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. He set the record for assists by a defenseman in a season with 46 in 1959, and became the first defenseman in history to amass 500 points. Thats the kind of teammate Mark Fraser and a lot of other people are looking for right now.. Borje Salming was the first of what came to be a flood of talented Swedish players to the NHL. A defenceman, Park played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings.Considered to be one of the best defencemen of his era, he was named to an All-Star team seven times. He is the WHA career leader in playoff points. For the first time in his long public life, hockey's greatest all-time player is affiliated with more than just the game and his revolutionary role in it.. Continue with Recommended Cookies. He scored more than 20 goals in a season five times. Youve probably heard of Bobby Orr. His best seasons never reached the heights of Orr or Coffey. Orr, the 74-year-old legendary defenseman, ranks No. His best season saw him score 17 goals and 40 points for the Ottawa Senators in 1929-30. Is a seven-time Stanley Cup winner, one-time Conn Smythe winner, named to second All-Star team once, played in four All-Star Games and finished in the top five in Norris Trophy voting four times. He accumulated 270 goals and 915 points in only 657 games. Though only 14, Orr thrived against players as old as 20. If the James Norris was available, Eddie would have won four at least and probably would have equalled or surpassed Orrs eight and Harveys seven and Lidstroms six James Norris trophies if the award had been given out when he played. Though injuries limited Orr to 46 games in the 1967-68 season, he still earned an All-Star berth and the first of his eight James Norris Memorial trophies as the leagues top defenseman. Bobby first played organized hockey at age 5, and soon showed an ability to skate faster than anyone else his age. His best statistical season in the league came while playing with Mario Lemieux and company in 1992-93. Orr also earned his final All-Star selection. Craig Hartsburg after a year in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars. The Bobby Orr Fan Club became so popular so fast that the organization ran out of membership kits. A moment later, Gostisbehere shared that he prefers playing like a defenseman who was even better than Coffey and Iafrate. He scored 41 goals in 44 games for them in that capacity during the 1929-30 seasons and was a first team All-Star. Kelly started his career in Detroit as a defenseman. He is a three-time first-team All-Star and played in four All-Star Games. Whether shooting or passing off the point of the power play, he's always a threat to create a goal. He comes out behind only Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Denis Potvin, and Paul Reinhart for goals per game in the playoffs. He was another of a wave of talented American-born offensive defensemen who grew watching Bobby Orr play hockey. He had three 20 goal or more seasons in LA all, unsurprisingly enough, while Gretzky was on the team. This slide show is designed to honour and rank those offensively skilled players who have played defense in the NHL. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Bobby Orr (69/70 - Norris, Hart, Art Ross, Conn Smythe) is one of two players to win four major awards in one season (Ovi 07/08 - Richard, Hart, Art Ross Lester B. Pearson). His skill as a defenseman let him become the first NHLer to have a 20-year career in the league, all with the Bruins. Back to 1969-70, Orr became the only player ever to win the Norris, Ross, Hart and Smythe trophies all in the same season. Names like Eddie Shore (who was often Hollett's defensive partner), Dit Clapper and Art Coulter dominated the era. He had 31 points in 33 games during his next season in Vancouver. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Orr picked up the loose puck, skated it to the red line and dumped it back into St. Louis zone. Still his .268 goals per game in that period makes him the sixth-best goals per game defenseman of all time among those defenseman who played at least 50 playoff games. Without getting into the entire story, hundreds of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building in what appeared to be an attempt to stop the results of Octobers election from being certified. Mark Howe had a combination of creativity and toughness that doesn't seem to exist anymore. During 82 playoff games he had 77 points and 23 goals. As one of the greatest offensive defensemen in NHL history, Housleys scoring totals are remarkable for a D-man, even most forwards could never dream of amassing the numbers that Housley accumulated. He is also the second-highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, behind Mike Modano. His considerable goal scoring ability improved in the post season where he managed to score almost a quarter of a goal a game. Doug Harvey was an all-time great offensive defenseman born in an era where such play was characterized as risky and undesirable. He's tied for Kevin Hatcher for 13th in goal scoring. Self described as not having enough sense to stay back on defense where he belonged Clancy constantly rushed with the puck and made significant contributions to both Ottawa's and then the Maple Leafs offense. Bobby Hull was a great hockey player and a miserable human being. The Hall of Famer put up five seasons of 40 points or more with Chicago and. During the Boston Bruins 1969-70 seasonif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',823,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3-0');,Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76 games. After signing with the Black Hawks as a free agent in 1976, Orr was unable to accomplish much for his new team. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 03/04 BAP Ultimate Bobby Orr Defenseman Glove Patch Auto Signature 4/4 1/1 Jsy# at the best online prices at eBay! He skated like the wind and had one of the hardest slap-shots ever. Orr helped redefine his position, as he's probably the fastest and smoothest skating defenseman to ever play. Though the Bruins struggled with other problems en route to a last-place finish in the final season of a six-team NHL, Boston fans took a renewed interest in the team as home attendance at Boston Garden increased by 41,000 that season. Orrs long desperation shot could not prevent a 1-0 Game 6 loss. For good measure, he added another hat trick in the postseason. Bobby Orr Highlights. Far from a one-season wonder, Orr was the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season (1969-70), then the first to notch 40 (1974-75). Coffey was also one of those rare offensive lights who managed to be a point a game player in the playoffs. Skate faster than anyone else his age passing off the point of the 1970 Stanley cup winner for the Senators. Five more seasons in Toronto best seasons never reached the heights of or. Eight postseason runs and was invested as an officer in the WHA with the Blackhawks 1995-96! 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