Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. His offensive credentials were notarized the next year when he scored five goals versus the Red Wings in a 9-1 rout. Bourque was Boston's other great defenseman, a magisterial, super smooth stalwart who nonetheless has always been cloaked in a touch of shadow. The Ducks look to be hoping his numbers with them will closer to the .686 points per game he's managed since coming back from Slovakia. But Orr was equally amazing to watch and let's not forget that he only played 36 games after age 27. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. But Orrs goal goes beyond winning the Stanley Cup. Harvey is a long story for another day, as the. Lionel Conacher earned his nick-name the Big Train playing football in Toronto. Doug Harvey was an all-time great offensive defenseman born in an era where such play was characterized as risky and undesirable. His last major highlight was his final NHL goal (and point) in Detroit on Oct. 28. He was a better skater and play maker early in his career but even at the end he could shoot and he could hit. He scored 20 goals in his last full season in Tampa Bay and has managed 16 and 15 goals and 57 and 58 points in his first two years in San Jose. Orrs long desperation shot could not prevent a 1-0 Game 6 loss. He skated like the wind and had one of the hardest slap-shots ever. 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 finished out his career winning a cup as a depth defenseman with the Red Wings in 2002. "With Orr's exit, Boston fans felt as if a loved one had disappeared," Conway wrote. His next year, 1993-94, he had an incredible 89 points in 78 games. Orrs ability to pace the Bruins offense helped him surpass 100 points in six seasons, including league highs of 120 in 1969-70 and 135 for 1974-75. Noticed by the Boston Bruins in 1961 at age 13, Orr signed a year later and began playing for the teams Oshawa Generals junior club. In this list, I will recognize the 10 greatest players who were never able to take home the defenseman holy grail. Dit managed to help the Bruins win a cup again in 1941. He was also an ageless wonder, as he played quality hockey right up until his death at the age of 44. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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 has been called the best offensive defenseman of the Original Six era of the NHL. For good measure, he added another hat trick in the postseason. Hartsburg could play in big games, obviously on the international stage and as well in the Stanley Cup playoffs. His career stats are stunning. The 19 goals in Detroit and 3 in Bostonmarked his last +20 goal season. He played 37 games that first season and had 23 points. He's 34 now and will need a strong end to his career to improve his standing among the great offensive defensemen of all time. He and his career often seem forgotten in the NHL because of this. Poor Reed though was gone. His hockey hero is widely regarded as the greatest blueliner ever, Bobby Orr. He had 31 goals and 46 assists the next year, but some of that output came as a forward. He was an offensive star with Chicago and always near the top of the league in scoring among defensemen. Eddie was renowned for his ability to take over a game. It can be said that Bobby Orr created the "Offensive defenseman.". He was runner up in the Calder trophy balloting to young Mike Bossy with his 53 goals and 91 points as a rookie. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993, Lapointe was a key part of an unstoppable Montreal defensive corps during their years of Stanley Cup dominance in the 1970s. Had eight monster seasons with Calgary, including a Calder-winning rookie season and a 91-point season in which he finished third in Norris voting. According to Orr, though, his flight through the air was by choice. Robinson won two James Norris trophies. McDonald coached Orr in peewee and bantam hockey. Chelios's second season in Montreal he had 64 points in 74 games. During Games 1 and 2 in St. Louis, Boston outscored their opponent 12-3. He was also an aggressive checker and shot-blocker. That was the only year Phil scored more than 30 goals in an NHL season. If those two players had never existed, youd be looking at possibly the greatest defenseman in NHL history, with his six Norris Trophies and all. Salming was an elite two-way defenseman, capable of attaining high offensive numbers as well as shutting down the most talented opposing players. He moved east-west but was constantly looking for the spot where he could move north south and he invariably found it. Dave Babych was a big point man in Hartford, Winnipeg and Vancouver. He had 31 points in 33 games during his next season in Vancouver. He was not a Sergei Zubov type player, often taking the role of the hard rock NHL defenseman. He was seventh in the league in assists that year. He would miss nine games and the Bruins would lose six of them. Play-by-play announcer Dan Kellys call of the final moments of Game 4 will give you goosebumps even to this day. He was another big point man who was a better point per game player in the playoffs. Murphy became a key international player for Canada and contributed a goal and six assists in the 1987 Canada Cup. Ron Greschner was a career Ranger. He improved his goals and points totals from one season to the next in each of his four years with the Generals, who moved to the Ontario Hockey Association from the Metro Junior A League after Orrs first season in 1962-63. Pronger has scored goals and points at a fractionally higher rate. Defensively, Orrs penalty-killing abilities set a standard that remains to this day. He had the skills to rush from end to end and the desire to do it. His 59 points in the 1964-65 season was a record for defenseman in the pre-expansion era. Leetch's play in the Stanley Cup run for New York gets overshadowed by the prominence of Messier's promise. With blazing speed and tenacity, Bobby Orr always seemed to be around the puck. Paul "Rhino" Reinhart was an Atlanta Flame rookie who made the jump with the organization to Calgary. He has 202 goals in what has been a 1002 game career. His first game back he looked like he was playing on one leg. January 27, 2017, 9:36 PM. Mark Howe spent, I hate to say wasted, the first six years of his professional career in the WHA playing for the Houston Aero's and then the New England Whalers. A second deal was worked out with the Imlach coached Toronto Maple Leafs that Kelly accepted. The same way teams were forced to design defenses around Brett Hull, they forced to rush the point to keep Al MacInnis from getting that cannon off. His natural athletic ability and a will to compete propelled to be one of the NHL's best offensive defensemen of his era. Other great defensemen such as Red Kelly and Doug Harvey preceded Orr, but the latter inspired with his speed and artistry on the ice. He was 82. Fraser hopes, like many fans, that Orr will change his position and be part of the solution. He scored 31 goals once. Guy scored 20 goals in a season three times including 28 during the 1974-75 campaign. He is a five-time 20-goal scorer, a seven-time 50-assist scorer and a five-time 70-point scorer, whose season high is 85 points. Even at the end of his career in Detroit Murphy was still scoring 10 goals a year and 40-50 points. Campbell ends his article by pleading with Orr to change his position, hoping that he will be, once again, the player and teammate we all admire. Despite a much different ending, the 2019 Stanley Cup Final between the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins could only bring to mind that only other finals meeting between the teams 49 years earlier. He was the first of a series of great Calgary Flame offensive defenseman. His career featured five 20 goal or better seasons. He is just ahead of Paul Coffey, who had 196 points in 194 games. 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). The 1966 Topps #35 Bobby Orr rookie hockey card is his only rookie card and one of the most recognizable in the hobby. Only Paul Coffey has had a better offensive postseason as a defenseman with 37 points in 1985. He managed to contribute offensively for almost his entire career. In his own zone he was just as solid; he was a strong player with a firm center of gravity who could clear the crease with ease. That was second on the team in playoff scoring only to Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. 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. Clancy is now honoured by the King Clancy Memorial Trophy pictured above which is given every year to the NHL player who best shows leadership off and on the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Just like the citys hero, hockey itself took flight in Boston. he became the Jets best player leading the team in scoring from the back end three years in a row. Throughout his career, Orr was able to amass a pile of hardware that is almost unimaginable. His last three seasons he scored 56, 73 and 76 points. It was just the third time they were forced to take a matchup by one goal during their historic playoff run. After Orr's sixth award-filled NHL season, the great defenseman became the subject of a well-organized and multi-faceted fan club. When he scored 23 in 1997-98 with LA, he also won the James Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman that year. All rights reserved. Orr Destroyed By "Loonies" TORONTO (Mar. Pairded with Earl Seibert, Hollett . The Boston Garden was packed night after night to see one of the best if not the best player to ever play the game of ice hockey. During the 1980-81 season he had 83 points to finish second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe. 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