Orr, Bobby (1948—)

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Orr, Bobby (1948—)

Before Wayne Gretzky, three names topped the lists of the greatest hockey players: Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, and Bobby Orr.Bobby Orr's name is indelibly linked with the Boston Bruins as their legendary #4. With 915 career points in the National Hockey League (NHL), including 270 career goals and 645 career assists, this defenseman revolutionized hockey by being highly efficient in the offense as well.

Born on March 20, 1948, in the small town of Parry Sound in Ontario, Canada, Robert Gordon Orr, the third child of Arva Steele and amateur athlete Douglas Orr, was named after a paternal grandfather who had been a professional soccer player in Ireland. At the age of four, he began skating and playing "shinny," a good training game for stick handling, dodging, passing, and controlling the puck. From the age of five he played hockey in the Minor Squirt Hockey league, becoming the Most Valuable Player in the Pee-Wee division at age nine while dazzling fans with a particularly fast spin on his skates. He was quickly considered as a natural defenseman, though he was an offensive threat as well.

In 1960, playing in a tournament with the Parry Sound Bantam All-Stars, Orr made a profound impression on a scout for the Boston Bruins. At thirteen, while still attending school, he signed a Junior A contract card with Boston to play for the Oshawa Generals. In a team of much older players Orr was noted for his precise interceptions and dazzling rushes up ice; he played for four all-star seasons and won the MVP.

In 1966, when Hull signed a $50,000 contract for two years with the Bruins, with a $25,000 signing bonus, this contract played a part in changing the NHL pay structure. Assigned #27 when he first signed, he quickly switched to the #4. His first goal against the Montreal Canadiens at the Boston Garden marked the beginning of a career during which, while a blueliner, he won twice the Art Ross Trophy as the scoring leader in the league, in 1970 and 1975.

Orr won the Calder Trophy as top rookie for the 1966-67 season and, beginning with the 1967-68 season, he won the James Norris Trophy for the NHL's top defenseman for a record eight years in a row. He was also a perennial choice for the NHL All-Star Team. During his best season with the Bruins, in 1970-71, he had 37 goals and 102 assists for 139 points. From 1969 to 1975, he established a record for defensemen with regular 100-point seasons. Sports Illustrated named him "Sportsman of the Year" in 1970.

Although his individual brilliance is undisputed, Bobby Hull won the heart of Boston fans because he was the ultimate team player. He led a team of perennial also-rans to the top of the NHL. With his speed, grace, precision, and recklessness he made hockey history by leading the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup in 29 years. His most famous goal, in overtime of the fourth game of the Stanley Cup Finals on May 10, 1970, where he can be seen flying through the air, was voted the greatest moment in NHL history in 1996.

Although the 1970-71 Stanley Cup went to the Montreal Canadiens, the 1971-72 finals saw the cup back in Boston, with Orr winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) for the second time after having scored his second Stanley Cup clinching goal. In 1976 he played, despite extreme pain, in the historic Canada Cup series against the Soviets, winning again the "Outstanding Player" award as Team Canada defeated the Soviets.

In 1976, wanting to prove to himself he could still play despite numerous knee surgeries, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for $3,000,000 over five years, but was able to play only 26 games. At age 30 he had to hang up his skates. On January 9, 1979, Orr's #4 was lifted to the rafters at the Boston Garden. In 1979 he was the youngest player, at 31, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. A newspaper chose him in 1989 as the most representative Boston athlete.

Human qualities won Orr the enduring respect of fans and other players alike. In his retirement, Orr worked as a sports agent and devoted his spare time to doing charity work throughout New England. Although his contracts with the Bruins obviously paved the way for the high pay scales of NHL stars, he never agreed to a heavy commercial use of his name and accomplishments.

—Henri Paratte