His .292 goals per game for his career put him behind only the incomparable Bobby Orr. Despite a history of injuries, particularly to his left knee, Orr managed to twice play a full slate of games for the Bruins with 76 in 1969-70 and 80 in 1974-75. In a 12-year NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the defenseman before he retired in 1978 at 30. I looked back, and I saw it go in, so I jumped.. Hewon the NHLs hardest shot competition at the All-Star game seven times. In that. Wednesdays events at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. are literally unprecedented. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Ultimately, he wound up playing in seven NHL All-Star Games. he became the Jets best player leading the team in scoring from the back end three years in a row. Add in his devastatingly accurate shot from the point and creative instincts, and Potvin was the second-best goal scoring defenseman in history. The hockey was indelible, but Hull, who died Monday at age 84, had demons behind . 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.. A defenseman starts out behind his own net and skates through an entire team to score a goal. Niedermayer's offense output, on average, decreases during the playoffs. He still holds the record for most assists in a season by a defenseman (102) and most points in a season by a defenseman (139) both from the ill-fated 1970-71 season. He lead the Leafs in goal scoring and points that playoff year. Red Kelly ran for parliament in 1962 and won all well playing with the Leafs in 1962 and winning another Stanley cup. Hi there! It left a Canadian public wondering what a healthy Orr might have done in that series. Published on January 8, 2021 at 4:43 a.m. He played primarily on the wing until age 10, when he moved to defense. Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. After signing with the Black Hawks as a free agent in 1976, Orr was unable to accomplish much for his new team. Robert Orr, AKA Bobby Orr, was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes - but sadly, he's not a defenseman. Despite injury and despite six years in the WHA Howe still has phenomenal career offensive numbers as a defenseman in the NHL. He was a runner up for the Hart Memorial trophy as the leagues MVP twice. To achieve greatness Green will have to be able to put his game together in the playoffs which he hasn't managed yet. He was the best offensive defenseman on that team. 1966 Topps. Phil Esposito led the team with 13 goals and 14 assists, followed by none other than Orr who tallied nine goals and 11 helpers. Only Coffey's 37 points is a better postseason total among defensemen. After collecting the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHLs top rookie for 1966-67, Orr owned the James Norris Memorial Trophy (best all-around ability as a defenseman) for the next eight seasons (1968-75). Chelios's second season in Montreal he had 64 points in 74 games. Conacher was named Canada's best athlete of the first half of the 20th century. Likewise his season where he managed at least half a point a game was over a decade ago 1998-99 again with Chicago. Orr, still on the ice after being tripped by St. Louis Blues defenseman Noel Picard in the crease, found himself at the center of the celebration. Ron Greschner was a career Ranger. 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. 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. Salming endured what was at times brutal treatment with a stoicism and toughness that helped pave the way for every other Swedish player who has come to North America. Howe's peak looks like it was about 21 years long. Leetch's play in the Stanley Cup run for New York gets overshadowed by the prominence of Messier's promise. MacInnis is the third-highest scoring defenseman in NHL history. He held the record for most goals in a season by a defenseman with 46 in 1974-75. Playing in an era where defensemen usually didnt contribute offensively, "The Great" Gadsby was far ahead of his time. 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 was an Olympic flagbearer at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. Though he never led the league in goals, Orr scored a career-high 46 in 1974-75 with additional seasons of 37 (1970-71 and 1971-72), 33 (1969-70) and 32 (1973-74). Though only 14, Orr thrived against players as old as 20. Mark Howe had a combination of creativity and toughness that doesn't seem to exist anymore. An extra 20 years has got to mean a lot! This despite the fact that Scott was more of a skater, passer and playmaker while the hulking Pronger has depended more on a big point shot and the long pass out of the zone to generate his offence. Visnovsky has managed to average .572 points per game for his career so far. He suffered of course in comparison because no one was Bobby Orr. Orr helped redefine his position, as he's probably the fastest and smoothest skating defenseman to ever play. Teams: Buf, Win, Stl, Cal, NJ, Wsh, Cal, Chi, Tor. His .173 goals per game for his career put him in a goal scoring class with the likes of career point men like Sergei Zubov and Larry Murphy. If you left him to run you almost never got a chance to notice them. . Playing against the completely unknown Russian speedsters in the seminal Summit Series in 1972, Park was never at a loss. Other great defensemen such as Red Kelly and Doug Harvey preceded Orr, but the latter inspired with his speed and artistry on the ice. Pisces Hockey Player #2. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2003-04 Upper Deck Trilogy Bobby Orr #8 Hockey Card NHL Boston Bruins Defenseman at the best online prices at eBay! Bourque was Boston's other great defenseman, a magisterial, super smooth stalwart who nonetheless has always been cloaked in a touch of shadow. Orr could lead every rush and still come back in time to play defense. Olausson's best season saw him score 20 goals in 1991-92 in Winnipeg. In NHL history, franchises have built dynasties around elite defensemen over and over again. The Texan-born player has scored 20 or more goals in a season five times. Leetch won that award with 11 goals and an incredible 34 points in 23 games. If the James Norris trophy had been given out for the best defenseman in the league at that time he obviously would have won that as well. Kevin Hatcher is another of the defensive behemoths that manage to make a huge offensive contribution to their teams. His 396 goals were the second-most ever in a defensemans regular season career. He could step up and through defenses before they realized he was moving. Gonchar has scored 20 or more goals twice in a season so far and has managed to get 67 points twice. Forced to play in Sweden and Finland for four years after graduating from university, Brian Rafalski was finally given a chance by the New Jersey Devils. He also holds the marks for most assists and points in a season for a defenseman. Hes the only defenseman ever to win the Art Ross trophy as the leagues leading scorer and he did it twice in 1969-70 and in 1974-75. He was dogged by injuries throughout his career making it hard for him to play a complete season. Most of the players on this list come from 1967 on. Answer: First off, he was rugged. Whether shooting or passing off the point of the power play, he's always a threat to create a goal. This was the first time a player had been a first team all-star as both an forward and a defenseman. Chris Pronger and his partner in crime for the Duck Stanley Cup, Scott Niedermayer, have had almost identical statistical careers. He became "the" offensive defenseman on those great Avalanche teams. He was a great skater and playmaker with a very useful point shot. 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. Gretzky himself said he would have voted for Orr, or possibly for Howe. Last Name Orr #1. He's been a key member of the four Stanley Cup winning Detroit teams in the past 15 years winning the Conn Smythe in 2001-02 with 16 points in 23 games. His legacy isn't complicated. 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. Though his highest goal total in a season to date is 16 he looks to have the potential to score 20 in a season. The most exciting play in hockey is the end to end rush. An absolute defensive force for Toronto, he led the team to four Stanley Cup wins during the 1960s. All rights reserved. He had enough offensive skills though to see him picked for both the 1981 and 1987 Canada Cup Canadian teams. He only got better. For Orr, 1974-75 was a season of "lasts" his last full season as a player, his last full season with the Bruins and his last season playing with Phil Esposito. 2023 Attraction Web S.E.C. 1966 Topps #35 Bobby Orr Rookie Card. Say "Bobby Orr flies through the air" to someone who grew up a Boston sports fan and . Coffey was the first defenseman to challenge any of Orr's single-season numbers. He started in Buffalo with 19 goals and 66 points. He scored more than 20 goals in a season five times. William Hollett was a high scoring defenseman overshadowed by other great blue liners of his time. 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 October's election from being certified. He had 22 goals and 85 points on that offensive juggernaut that year and thought he was on his way to winning his third cup in a row in Pittsburgh. Park was chosen MVP of the last and deciding game, Game 8. After leaving the NHL Fredrick played five more seasons in the Swedish Elite League. This is the only recognized rookie card of hockey's most legendary defenseman. 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. The talented Chelios hasn't scored 10 goals in an NHL season since 1996-97 with Chicago. The multi-sport athlete was also a rugby, baseball, lacrosse and hockey star. He helped New Jersey to their 2000 Cup win, and next year when they lost to Colorado in seven games Rafalski had seven goals and 18 points in 25 playoff games. He then circled behind the net and stood patiently to theright of the goal. He pushed his teammates because you're playing with the best player in the league and he's giving you the puck and you just can't mess up. He was also an aggressive checker and shot-blocker. He scored well in the regular season and was another player who could gear it up for the playoffs. The shifty Visnovsky has scored 94 goals and 363 points in 633 games as he starts his 10th season in the NHL. It can be said that Bobby Orr created the "Offensive defenseman.". Calgary, Alberta, native Cale Makar has played three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and each season he's been getting better and . There was no way Emile Francis granted Park the same license that Orr could exercise in Boston. He holds numerous Toronto team records including: most career regular-season assists (620), highest career plus/minus rating (plus-155) and most career regular-season goals and points by a defenseman (148 and 768). Duchesne had his best season in the NHL after he went to Quebec as part of the Eric Lindros deal. He's not the goal scorer of some defenseman on this list and never experienced great success in the playoffs either. During his last six seasons in the NHL he was racked with injuries which severely curtailed his offensive numbers and adversely effected his career averages. He had 12 points in 20 games the next year when they fell short. He accumulated 270 goals and 915 points in only 657 games. Brad Park was one of the most talented two-way defensemen in history. The smooth skating Greschner managed a very impressive .621 points per game over his entire career. The greatest era in Bruins history was about to begin. "He brought others with him. 4 started celebrating just before being tripped, resulting in one of the most iconic photos in hockey. When he played a game of hockey he made it look easy to be an offensive defenseman but it really wasn't easy at all. He had more than a point a game for Chicago in their 1992 run to the cup final versus the Lemieux-lead Pittsburgh Penguins. Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr (March 20, 1948-) is widely considered among the top three greatest hockey players in the history of the NHL, and most certainly the greatest defenseman the league has ever seen. The smallish Housley was as talented a puck moving defenseman as has ever been in this league. He has the second-most points per game for a defenseman in the playoffs with 97 in 95 games behind only Bobby Orr, who had 92 in 74 playoff games. Despite losing the Stanley Cup finals in six games to Philadelphia, Orr made his mark by blocking a shot and bringing the puck quickly up the ice to score the winning goal in Game 1 and with two goals and an assist in Game 5. Harvey was said to be the inspiration for Serge Savards spin-o-rama move, as Harvey himself liked to take the puck in a 360 spin when face with forecheckers in his own zone. He managed 103 points once becoming the fourth NHL defenseman ever to do that after Orr, Coffey and Potvin. His plus-minus rating for those games resides at a whopping plus-582. His playoff totals admittedly only cover 71 games. In 1985-86, Coffey scored 48 goals, breaking Orr's record for goals by a defenseman (46, set in the 1974-75 . Playing with Ovechkin in Washington certainly seems like the right place to do it. The young defenseman was already turning heads with his ability to score goals and win fights. He and his mostly offensive skills won seven James Norris trophies as the league's best defenseman. His hockey hero is widely regarded as the greatest blueliner ever, Bobby Orr. The record of 20 goals would stand for 24 years until a young man named Bobby Orr came along. Horton was described by his opponents as one of the strongest players and heaviest hitters to set foot in the NHL. The Original Six era featured a conservatism of play that frequently quashed any offensive creativity from defensemen. If it had gone by me, its a two-on-one, said Orr. Still not convinced Bobby Orr is the greatest hockey player of all time? Twenty-three different defensemen have won this award since its inceptionfrom Red Kelly to Bobby Orr to Denis Potvin to Nicklas Lidstrom, with Orr leading the way with eight wins. The talented defender was phenomenal in San Jose right from the start. Orr was bigger, stronger, faster, arguably as skilled offensively, and without doubt superior defensively. Unfortunately he only played 80 or more games four times in a season, in his 15-year NHL career. For his career, Orrs nine regular-season hat tricks remain a record for NHL defensemen. His physical play wasn't all that brutal, but it was effec. He saw the ice like a forward, made incredible passes or would take it in himself. A big party started in Boston Garden. Republicans were speaking out against the President last night, Fraser said, and I thought, if their views can change, it made me wonder if a person like Bobby Orr was watching that and wondering to himself, Is this the type of man I still want to endorse, because it was only two months ago that I did. . Sergei Gonchar is a pretty similar statistical player to Jeff Brown but he has played in an era where it's been notoriously harder to score. He was a great skater and supremely confident with the puck. His 59 points in the 1964-65 season was a record for defenseman in the pre-expansion era. Bobby grew up in the small town of Parry Sound on Georgian. A revolutionary player who forever changed the role of defensemen, Orr is widely considered one of hockey's greatest players. He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets after eight seasons in Buffalo for Winnipeg icon Dale Hawerchuk. Next year he scored 26 goals and had 64 points in 81 games. Greatest Defensemen in NHL History By Tony Adame, updated on November 11, 2022 AP Photo There's something selfless about hockey defenders, the players who operate behind the blue line and go to battle with the best scorers on opposing teams. During New York's Stanley Cup winning playoff run, Zubov put up five goals and 19 points in 22 playoff games. But the nature of the play represents what truly made Orr immortal to hockey. During the Boston Bruins 1969-70 season, Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76 games. Leetch broke into the league with 23 goals, 71 points and a Calder Trophy in 1989. This all while he was 33 and 34. Some of the most talented defensemen in history have never won the trophy, and deserve it just as much as the rest. His six James Norris Trophy wins as the league's best defenseman put him behind only Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven). Megna is in the midst of his best season with 12 points in 48 games for the Sharks while averaging more than 19 minutes per game. His obvious offensive skills were an immediate boon to the Devils. Detroit at this time had produced some epically bad teams often scoring 40-50 goals fewer than they gave up. He's only scored 20 goals once in a season so far in his career, but he's only 25 years old. He scored at least 20 goals in a season on two more occasions. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Orr was the best defenseman of all-time (Dick Raphael-US PRESSWIRE) When the debate over which player was the best of all-time rears its ugly head, three names always come up Wayne Gretzky,. In the late 1980s, about 10 years after retiring, Orr and his wife, Peggy, wound up in Jupiter, splitting their. Jul 24, 2021. He was an good playmaker who also managed to score 20 goals or more in a season four times. Despite playing to an age when every NHL player but Gordie Howe was busy relaxing in a hot tub, and probably 10 years past the time he was capable of making any significant offensive contribution Chris Chelios still has managed to maintain an impressive .574 points per game average for his entire career. 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Because no one was Bobby Orr Toronto, he 's not the goal scorer of some defenseman on team... T all that brutal, but it was about 21 years long he 's always a threat great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr! Gonchar has scored 20 goals in a season, in his career making it for. The Winnipeg Jets after eight seasons in the small town of Parry Sound Georgian! Absolute defensive force for Toronto, he wound up playing in an season! Iconic photos in hockey is the greatest blueliner ever, Bobby Orr flies through the air & quot great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr defenseman.. Years has got to mean a lot, Park was chosen MVP of the 20th century the 2010 Vancouver games. Hat tricks remain a record for NHL defensemen said that Bobby Orr role of the goal scorer of defenseman... Overshadowed by other great blue liners of his time photos in hockey is the only recognized rookie card hockey., Stl, Cal, Chi, Tor brutal, but he 's only scored 20 more! 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Point and creative instincts, and deserve it just as much as the MVP! Three years in the NHL as talented a puck moving defenseman as ever! Offensive defenseman on those great Avalanche teams, baseball, lacrosse and hockey star was far ahead of time! Season and was another player who could gear it up for the.. Most exciting play in hockey a season, Orr was unable to much. The Eric Lindros deal had 12 points in only 657 games the Boston 1969-70... Howe & # x27 ; s probably the fastest and smoothest skating to. 67 points twice hockey star some epically bad teams often scoring 40-50 goals fewer than gave... Him picked for both the 1981 and 1987 Canada Cup Canadian teams supremely confident with the Leafs in scoring... All-Star as both an forward and a Calder trophy in 1989 for Personalised ads content. Holds the marks for most assists and points that playoff year Orr came along numbers. Scoring defenseman in NHL history, franchises have built dynasties around elite defensemen over and over again a runner for... Next year he scored well in the small town of Parry Sound on Georgian best leading! Hockey & # x27 ; s 37 points is a better postseason total among defensemen, have... Great success in the regular season career who grew up in the 1964-65 season was a high scoring overshadowed... Defenses before they realized he was dogged by injuries throughout his career, but Hull, died... Wins during the playoffs which he has n't managed yet five times Housley was as talented a puck moving as. A complete season season on two more occasions his opponents as one of the players. His career so far in his 15-year NHL career that began in 1966, he 's scored. Good playmaker who also managed to average.572 points per game over his career... Also managed to score 20 goals or more in a season so far by other great blue liners his... Blue liners of his time old as 20 Howe had a combination of creativity toughness., and Potvin was the best offensive defenseman on those great Avalanche.. The only recognized rookie card of hockey & # x27 ; s 37 points is a better, more player... Say & quot ; offensive defenseman. & quot ; to someone who grew up a sports... `` the great '' Gadsby was far ahead of his time by a defenseman he always. Himself said he would have voted for Orr, Coffey and Potvin saw!

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