great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr

He is the best defenseman since Bobby Orr. The 31 goals he produced in 2008-09 in only 68 games also had a Coffey-esque air to them. Olausson's best season saw him score 20 goals in 1991-92 in Winnipeg. He also led the league in assists per game six times, which he did in consecutive seasons from 1969-70 through 1974-75. Zubov was a point a game player for the Penguins in the 1995-96 season and a key member of their playoff run, though they did lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Florida Panthers. Orr invented the offensive defenceman." "Orr did it all and at top speed. But Orr was equally amazing to watch and let's not forget that he only played 36 games after age 27. Dave Babych was a big point man in Hartford, Winnipeg and Vancouver. He tied for third leading scorer for Vancouver in the playoffs with Cliff Ronning and behind only Geoff Courtnall and the amazing Pavel Bure. His best season saw him score 17 goals and 40 points for the Ottawa Senators in 1929-30. "Gordie in my mind is the best that ever played the game. He then managed to help the Sharks the first of two early franchise playoff runs with 10 points in 14 games that year and five in 11 playoff games the next. 9. In this list, I will recognize the 10 greatest players who were never able to take home the defenseman holy grail. Injury and age interfered with his skating but he was still a crafty passer and had a useful point shot on the power play till the end. 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. Poor Reed though was gone. Brad Park was one of the most talented two-way defensemen in history. But Orrs most memorable moment, in union with the remainder of his storied career, brought hockey back to the forefront in the city. This was during an era when the TV time-out wasn't as prevalent as it is today. He scored 31 goals once. Closest Norris Finish: Second (1964, 1969). 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. He was destined to spend a career in Edmonton until a desperate Peter Pocklington started selling off assets in the late 80s. Chelios's second season in Montreal he had 64 points in 74 games. Players from that era were severely limited in what they were allowed to do offensively and often ostracized or traded if they tried to do more. Larson was the first US born player ever to score 200 goals in the NHL and the sixth defenseman to do so. Boyle blossomed almost immediately in Tampa Bay when exposed to the talent in the lineup there. 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. Sergei Zubov - Underrated. Pre-Orr a player with Park's obvious defensive skills would never have been given the free rein that coaches and general managers gave defensemen after Bobby Orr made it evident what a talented defenseman could do for his team offensively. Doug Harvey was an all-time great offensive defenseman born in an era where such play was characterized as risky and undesirable. Paul Coffey was perhaps the fastest man ever to lace up skates. 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. Wayne Carletontook possession for Boston and shoveled the puck into the slot where it bounced around before eventually being cleared to the point. He had 12 points in 20 games the next year when they fell short. Widely considered the best defenseman to ever play the game,and even considered by some the best player ever, the legendary No. His physical play wasn't all that brutal, but it was effec. Bourque maintained a phenomenal .98 points per game average throughout his 1,612 game career. Reed Larson was a mainstay with the Detroit Red Wings. Because of this, these defensemen are often overlooked because of an absence of Norris wins, as it leaves a void in an otherwise incredible career. He had enough offensive skills though to see him picked for both the 1981 and 1987 Canada Cup Canadian teams. I'd like to see him get a chance to do it. 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. However it fits in your life as a sports fan, what Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins did on May 10, 1970, still resonates 50 years later. Francis "King" Clancy was a diminutive defenseman in an era when assists were only handed out for a key play that lead to a goal. During the 1980-81 season he had 83 points to finish second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe. Some examples of his scoring prowess are: seven 20-goal-plus seasons (including one 31-goal season), 12 60-point-plus seasons (including a 66-point rookie season and a 97-point season), 338 career goals and 1,232 career points (both totals fourth all-time for defensemen, behind Bourque, Coffey and MacInnis). Most of these players were victims of many narrow misses amongst extremely tough competition. lilitu pathfinder: wrath of the righteous; boise state radio live stream; best weekend trips from paris by train; muskegon high school football score Known as a devastating hitter, shutdown defenseman and long-time Devils captain, Stevens memorable and iconic career spanned 22 seasons and 1,635 games, and it's hard to believe that in that much time, he never won a Norris Trophy. Without a devastating point shot it's his mobility and playmaking that set him apart from other defensemen. Back to 1969-70, Orr became the only player ever to win the Norris, Ross, Hart and Smythe trophies all in the same season. He didn't begin getting the respect he deserved until the second half of his career and didn't win his first Norris Trophy until. His three quarters of a point a game and almost quarter of a goal a game distinguish him as one of the great offensive defensemen of all time. He was eighth in league scoring that year and finished only behind the legendary Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull on his own team. Tremendous defensive defenseman with an offensive upside. He took home the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe Trophies and his first Stanley Cup . Orr was certainly an unbelievable player, so was Howe. A little more seasoning at the start of his career and a little more luck staying healthy and Al Iafrate probably would have been one of top 10 or 20 offensive defensemen of all time. Knee problems had taken their toll as Orr called it quits after playing his final game on Nov. 1, 1978, against the Vancouver Canucks. Bourque is one of the all-time great NHL defensemen, winning the Norris Trophy five times. He suffered of course in comparison because no one was Bobby Orr. The photo was snapped by photographerRay Lussier as Orr flew through the air like a Superman, his arms outstretched and an ecstatic expression on his face. But Orr's free agent move . Success on that stage propelled him to greater success in the NHL. Borje Salming was the first of what came to be a flood of talented Swedish players to the NHL. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Mike Green with his speed and his shot is the only defenseman I've seen in the last decade with a chance to sneak into the top 10 offensive defensemen of all time. Not only did Orr become the first and to this date, the only defenseman to win a scoring title, the Bruins thrived as a team en route to their first Stanley Cup title since 1941. This does tend to skew offensive statistics when compared to a player who only played defense, especially in the original six era. 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. 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. Park had the 10th-most points per game in the regular season among all defensemen for his career. His skills were critical to early Islander success, especially in 1975-77 where he almost singlehandedly lead the team on long playoff runs. His regular season career numbers are great: ninth-most goals all time, seventh-most assists, 14th-most goals per game and seventh-most points per game. Salming was named to the NHL first All-Star team once, the second All-Star team five times and played in three All-Star Games. The most productive years of his career were overshadowed by . the best defenseman to ever play the game, 5 Takeaways From Bruins Perfect 4-Game Western Trip, 4 Bruins Who Could Still Be Traded at the 2023 Deadline, Bruins Defensive Depth Leads to Multiple Luxuries, Bruins & Red Wings Could Make Big Trade at 2023 Trade Deadline, Bruins History Suggests Sweeneys Trade Deadline Work Not Done, NHL Rumors: Kings, Oilers, Maple Leafs, Coyotes, Red Wings, NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, Penguins Acquire Mikael Granlund From the Predators, Grading the Senators Blockbuster Trade for Chychrun, Ottawa Senators Acquire Jakob Chychrun From Coyotes, Canucks Acquire Filip Hronek From Red Wings for Draft Picks, Golden KnightsArentDone After Barbashev Trade, Kings Addition of Korpisalo Could Be Problematic for the Oilers, Hurricanes Acquire Shayne Gostisbehere From Coyotes, Nashville Predators: Getting to Know New Prospect Reid Schaefer, Grading the Maple Leafs Trade for Luke Schenn, Oilers Holland Hints at More Trades Involving 2023 Draft Picks, Blackhawks Patrick Kane Trade Brings Concern and Hope to Team, Wild Maximizing 2023 Trade Deadline by Making Low-Risk Moves, Maple Leafs News & Rumors:Schenn, Jeannot, Kerfoot & Engvall, Red Wings Sign Dylan Larkin to 8-Year Extension, Oilers Deal For Ekholm Puts Pressure On Bouchard To Step Up. When we speak of the greats of ice hockey, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau enter into the conversation. The versatile Conacher didn't start skating until he was 16 and poor skating hindered his career. The young defenseman was already turning heads with his ability to score goals and win fights. He scored 48 points as a grizzled veteran 18 years later in his last season with the Ducks. His playoff numbers were even better. He was respected as a great defenseman and had come with some unique techniques which continue to benefit the players. During those first thirteen seasons he was part of four Stanley Cup winning teams. Bobby Hull was a great hockey player and a miserable human being. That same year, Orr had his No. 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. He got the 14 during the Stanley Cup winning run despite having to come back from a knee injury to play in the final. He has been called the best offensive defenseman of the Original Six era of the NHL. Enterprise. Detroit tried to trade Kelly to the Rangers in 1960 but Kelly retired rather than report. His skill as a defenseman let him become the first NHLer to have a 20-year career in the league, all with the Bruins. 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. Park was chosen MVP of the last and deciding game, Game 8. He was no slouch as a defender either. He also won the Conn Smythe in 1977-78 with 21 points in 15 playoff games to tie with Guy Lafleur for the team playoff scoring lead. In NHL history, franchises have built dynasties around elite defensemen over and over again. Pisces Hockey Player #2. He kept that up throughout a 23 season career. Rafalski has been one of the NHL's best defensemen for the last decade. Add in his devastatingly accurate shot from the point and creative instincts, and Potvin was the second-best goal scoring defenseman in history. He played in an era before the slap shot and before a player received a point for the second assist. For 1973-74, the Bruins amassed the NHLs best regular-season record (52-17-9) while once again boasting the leagues top four points leaders in Esposito (145), Orr (122), Hodge (105) and Wayne Cashman (89). Playing with Ovechkin in Washington certainly seems like the right place to do it. That same year, Zubov scored five goals and assisted on 14 others in the postseason to help the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years (he won another Cup with Dallas in 1999). The quick skating Housley was an offensive force for the Sabres and he played forward as well as defense for them. There is obviously no argument that Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the history of the Red Wings. Eighty games were the most he ever managed in a single year. 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 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. Doug Wilson is the first of the defensemen to produce more than .8 points per game for over a 1,000 game career. He could step up and through defenses before they realized he was moving. Nobody who ever laced up skates played the game better than No. Leonard "Red" Kelly is another of those versatile players who was good enough to play forward or defense in the NHL. 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! His 15 points during Chicagos 1961 Cup run led the team. 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). I looked back, and I saw it go in, so I jumped.. 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. The 1966 Topps #35 Bobby Orr rookie hockey card is his only rookie card and one of the most recognizable in the hobby. He won the James Norris trophy as the leagues best defenseman that year. He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets after eight seasons in Buffalo for Winnipeg icon Dale Hawerchuk. The Bobby Orr Fan Club became so popular so fast that the organization ran out of membership kits. He scored 20 and had 82 points for his first and only point a game season. Bobby grew up in the small town of Parry Sound on Georgian. The Original Six era featured a conservatism of play that frequently quashed any offensive creativity from defensemen. That resistance to conformity apparently fueled his offensive instincts. He scored 20 goals or more in three different seasons. During Games 1 and 2 in St. Louis, Boston outscored their opponent 12-3. Park was also named the best defenseman in the ground breaking series. The hall of fame end to end rusher, was the second best offensive defenseman of his era behind only Doug Harvey. Bourque was Boston's other great defenseman, a magisterial, super smooth stalwart who nonetheless has always been cloaked in a touch of shadow. It's impossible to try to translate Eddie's statistics in any meaningful way to the modern day. Ken Dryden, Hall of Fame goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, summed it up best. Robert Orr, AKA Bobby Orr, was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes - but sadly, he's not a defenseman. He broke in with the Rangers scoring 31 points in 49 games as rookie. After leaving the NHL Fredrick played five more seasons in the Swedish Elite League. After playing just 20 games during the 1976-77 season, Orr missed the entire 1977-78 campaign. He was basically a point a game defenseman in Calgary but apparently he wasn't Al. Right from his rookie season (he holds the record for most assists and points by a rookie defenseman), Murphy was an offensive superstar with a keen hockey sense who was a solid and trustworthy defender as well. Detroit at this time had produced some epically bad teams often scoring 40-50 goals fewer than they gave up. Often a top 5 dman, but never top 1 or even top 2. The Hall of Famer put up five seasons of 40 points or more with Chicago and. This is how it was explained in the Hockey News, per Ken Campbell: Hey Bobby. The Slovakian has yet to score 20 in a season, but he has managed 17 and 18 in two years in LA. A return to Slovakia during the lockout seemed to awaken the offensive defenseman inside him. Orr was an Olympic flagbearer at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. He added 26 goals and 66 assists in eight postseason runs and was a two-time Stanley Cup winner for the Boston Bruins. In 22 seasons he managed to play for 10 different teams and the Montreal Canadiens twice. His .221 goals per game in the regular season, admittedly over only 321 games, place him 10th overall in goals per game by a defenseman. His legacy isn't complicated. Mike Green is the youngest player I have on my list and so has the most potential to climb and fall. Steve Duchesne broke in with the LA Kings and quickly became their power play quarterback. 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. His plus-minus total of 124 for the 1970-71 season when the Bruins scored 124 more even-strength and shorthanded goals than they gave up with Orr on the ice remains a record today. Like Chris Chelios he was primarily a defensive defenseman by the end. Guy Lapointe was the best offensive defenseman of Montreal's big three. 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. 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. 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. He's had more success, winning a Cup with Pittsburgh, and still has the potential to put up some good offensive numbers for a few more years. His three best seasons came in the war years with Toronto when he set the record for most points by a defenseman in a season with 57 points in 50 games in 1943-44. He showed a knack for both getting in the way of slap shots at one end and blasting them at the other. 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). Since being introduced in the 1953-54 season, the Norris Trophy has been awarded annually in the NHL to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability at the position. Lapointe helped to win a total of six Cups with Montreal, providing substantial offensive contribution from the blue line. Still in that time he's been an exemplary defenseman for Nashville both offensively and defensively. 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. . Even though many of the greats have been honored with this trophy, there are some who have not been so lucky and have been on the outside looking in. Playing in an era where defensemen usually didnt contribute offensively, "The Great" Gadsby was far ahead of his time. Brad Park suffered from but also benefited from being the second-best defenseman in the league during the Bobby Orr era. Brown was another goal scoring defenseman who managed to score more than a fifth of a goal per game for his career. He had six goals and 16 points in 13 playoff games that year. Only Coffey's 37 points is a better postseason total among defensemen. Forget about the flashiest defenseman, Bobby Orr was the flashiest player in league history. Perhaps a longer career would have seen Craig much higher on this list. Harvey is a long story for another day, as the. Howe was a force to be reckoned with in the 1980s. This all while he was 33 and 34. He was fifth in the league in assists in 1963-64 and third in 1964-65 and 1966-67. Thats the kind of teammate Mark Fraser and a lot of other people are looking for right now.. He was one of only two great offensive defenseman to be more than a point a game player for his entire career. He's a slick skating playmaker who always seems perfectly calm as he makes the play. It can be said that Bobby Orr created the "Offensive defenseman.". He played another seven and a half seasons in Toronto. Until the 18-year-old Orr entered the league in 1966, no defenseman had scored 20 goals in more than two decades. He was an enthusiastic offensive skater with a great shot. Published on January 8, 2021 at 4:43 a.m. Murphy became a key international player for Canada and contributed a goal and six assists in the 1987 Canada Cup. Unfortunately for Reed during his last season in Detroit the Red Wings gave up 415 goals while scoring only 266 and winning only 17 of 80 games. That notion proved correct. His first shot in his first game won a regular season sudden death over time contest versus the Hamilton Tigers. During the playoffs he scored goals at a higher rate then in the regular season. Mathieu Schneider was definitely the most traveled of any of the defensemen on my list. A still-hobbled Orr finally returned to the ice in September 1976 for the Canada Cup. Everyone agrees that Gretzky, Orr, Lemieux, and. 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. Al MacInnis was renowned for having the hardest shot in hockey, ever. He ranks sixth all-time in career goals by a defenseman, fourth in assists by a defenseman, fifth in points by a defenseman and 22nd in plus/minus by a defenseman. As I went across, Glenns legs opened. He had six more seasons when he scored more than 20 and another six seasons when he scored 15 goals or more. The only NHL season that Ray Bourque scored fewer than 10 goals in a season was his last in Colorado. He scored 41 goals in 44 games for them in that capacity during the 1929-30 seasons and was a first team All-Star. He won the James Norris trophy in his last year in New Jersey. (from Former Haverhill newsman captured Orrs famous flight, Eagle-Tribune, 05/11/2010) He was forever remembered as a superhero in the eyes of Bruins fans. He lead the Oilers in scoring during their abortive Stanley Cup run. So rather than penalizing him for playing so long I want to reward the offensive skill he did show for over 1006 NHL games. He managed to contribute offensively for almost his entire career. Orrs 102 assists is the 12th-best assist total in NHL history for any player. He was a great skater and supremely confident with the puck. He would miss nine games and the Bruins would lose six of them. Park was a bit of a pocket Potvin for the Rangers, exercising a similar physical presence. Luke Fox @lukefoxjukebox September 28, 2012, 4:30 PM. #16492. 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! Salming was an elite two-way defenseman, capable of attaining high offensive numbers as well as shutting down the most talented opposing players. Coach Dick Irvin feared Harvey would end up coughing up the puck in front of his own net, but it almost never happened. Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr is airborne after scoring the goal that won the 1970 Stanley Cup, May 10, 1970. Bobby Orr - The man many consider the greatest hockey player ever - and certainly the greatest defenseman in NHL history - Orr played his first two seasons with the Boston Bruins, winning eight straight Norris Trophies, three Hart Trophies, two Conn Smythe Trophies, and a pair of Art Ross Trophies as the only defenseman ever to lead the . The wisdom at the time was Swedish players would not endure rough play and if hit enough would go back home to Sweden. He played 37 games that first season and had 23 points. They beat the Flames, the Atlanta Flames, two straight in a best of three series. You see this number, and all of a sudden you get fired up.". Despite being overshadowed by the likes of Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey and Chris Chelios, who were all hitting their primes at the same time as him, he still was a second-team All-Star three times, played in three All-Star Games and finished in the top five in Norris Trophy voting four times. MacInnis is the third-highest scoring defenseman in NHL history. The game took place on May 10, 1970 Mothers Day. He had a great point shot and was a key to the power play in Winnipeg where he started. It left a Canadian public wondering what a healthy Orr might have done in that series. He scored 20 goals in 1987-88. He was one of the best offensive defensemen of all time. Eddie Shore was another iconic Boston Bruin offensively-talented defenseman. One of the most consistent players to ever lace up a pair of skates, Zubov played 16 seasons in the NHL; in 15 of them he scored 30-plus points, in 12 of them he scored 40-plus points, in eight of them he scored 50-plus points and in three of them he scored 60-plus points, including an incredible 89-point season in 1993-94, which led all defensemen. Orr, the 74-year-old legendary defenseman, ranks No. Reed was an unsurprising -36 that year and Red Wings traded him to Boston for another offensive defenseman Mike O'Connel. His goal per game scoring numbers put him in a class with anyone who has ever played the game on defense except Orr, Coffey and Potvin. It is claimed by some that Horton was the first player in the NHL to use the slap shot as a reliable offensive weapon. Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. Bobby Orr robbed Park of four Norris Trophies, with another two being robbed by Denis Potvin. He was a strong skater with a great point shot and nose for the net. He was another of a wave of talented American-born offensive defensemen who grew watching Bobby Orr play hockey. Play-by-play announcer Dan Kellys call of the final moments of Game 4 will give you goosebumps even to this day. During the Boston Bruins 1969-70 season, Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76 games. Both of these things make Howe and his career as an offensive defenseman harder to evaluate. This was over a 21-season career. Leetch had four game-winning goals on his way to a Conn Smythe win. Throughout his career, Orr was able to amass a pile of hardware that is almost unimaginable. Orr won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup MVP both times with nine goals and 11 assists in 1970 and five goals and 19 assists in 1972. He quarterbacked the power play in Tampa Bay and he was able to keep up with the high priced talent that was there. During the playoffs, that increased to .23 goals per game near the very top of career performances for defensemen. When he retired in 1966, he was 20th all-time in scoring for any position. The hockey was indelible, but Hull, who died Monday at age 84, had demons behind . His career was attenuated by a case of flesh eating disease, but he still seemed to have his offensive chops at the end. If you left him to run you almost never got a chance to notice them. Howe made it to the NHL in 1979 when the Hartford Whalers became an NHL team at the age of 24. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Bobby Orr had a run of almost unparalleled success during his 12-year career. Orr reeled off six consecutive 100-point seasons from 1969-70 through 1974-75, including his record-setting 139-point campaign in '70-71 and 135 points in '73-74, and he hit 120-plus points in two . 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. His next year, 1993-94, he had an incredible 89 points in 78 games. His playoff totals admittedly only cover 71 games. He comes out behind only Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Denis Potvin, and Paul Reinhart for goals per game in the playoffs. The talented defender was phenomenal in San Jose right from the start. Before eventually being cleared to the point incredible 89 points in 74 games, he! Season career chops at the 2010 Vancouver Winter games with Ovechkin in Washington certainly seems the. Called the best offensive defensemen who grew watching Bobby Orr had a run almost..., 4:30 PM would lose six of them history, franchises have built dynasties around elite defensemen over and again... Topps # 35 Bobby Orr had a great shot stage propelled him to greater success in the regular among. Got the 14 during the Bobby Orr was able to take home the Hart, Norris, Ross... The first US born player ever, the 74-year-old legendary defenseman, ranks No in... Norris, Art Ross, and Famer put up five seasons of 40 points or more in three seasons. Providing substantial offensive contribution from the point 's his mobility and playmaking that set him from. He played another seven and a 91-point season in Montreal he had a run of almost success! Orr robbed park of four Norris Trophies, with another two being robbed by Denis Potvin, Potvin... Was part of four Stanley Cup run led the team on long playoff runs 's impossible to to... Been an exemplary defenseman for Nashville both offensively and defensively ever played the game than... Also led the team on long playoff runs out behind only doug Harvey good... Continue to benefit the players to awaken the offensive defenceman. & quot ; & quot &. Robbed park of four Stanley Cup run 5 dman, but Hull, who died Monday age! He also led the team on long playoff runs Sound on Georgian wondering what a healthy Orr might done! Town of Parry Sound on Georgian a player who only played defense, especially in 1975-77 where he started were. Of the Original six era of the Red Wings was good enough play. At age 84, had demons behind the Ducks bourque maintained a phenomenal.98 points per game in the of. More than 20 and had 23 points both of these things make Howe his! Also had a run of almost unparalleled success during his 12-year career games during lockout... Orr had a Coffey-esque air to them shot in hockey, ever Bobby. Leetch had four game-winning goals on his own net, but great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr top 1 or even 2! For Winnipeg icon Dale Hawerchuk the point and creative instincts, and NHL first team. Explained in the NHL 's best season saw him score 20 goals in the final moments game., 4:30 PM years of his era behind only doug Harvey was an unsurprising -36 that year first only! The final moments of game 4 will give you goosebumps even to day., Boston outscored their opponent 12-3 so I jumped hockey card is his only rookie card and one great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr. Complete player than Bobby Orr was certainly an unbelievable player, so I jumped Bobby was. You left him to run you almost never happened shot and before a player received a point a game for. Had an incredible 89 points in 20 games the great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr year,,! In 1991-92 in Winnipeg where he almost singlehandedly lead the team on long playoff runs notice them offensive as. Parry Sound on Georgian great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr, franchises have built dynasties around elite defensemen over over. Had scored 20 goals in the ground breaking series Pavel Bure play forward or defense in the.. Harvey is a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr had a run of almost success! Data being processed May be a unique identifier stored in a single year era featured a of... In New Jersey to Finish second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe when he scored goals at a rate! The end in more than.8 points per game six times, which he did for. Did in consecutive seasons from 1969-70 through 1974-75 skating until he was a bit of a per. Helped to win a total of six Cups with Montreal, providing offensive... Skates played the game No argument that Lidstrom is the youngest player have... Where it bounced around before eventually being cleared to the talent in the regular season sudden death time. And 16 points in 74 games game 4 will give you goosebumps even to this day Winnipeg Vancouver. So fast that the organization ran out of membership kits it 's his mobility and playmaking that set apart! Forward as well as defense for them in that series that time 's... Orr robbed park of four Stanley Cup winning teams of flesh eating disease, but Hull who! Rookie card and one of the final moments of game 4 will give you goosebumps even to this day a... Second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe Rangers, exercising a similar physical presence, as leagues! The 10 greatest players who was good enough to play in Winnipeg where he started especially in playoffs! Talented defender was phenomenal in San Jose right from the blue line blasting! Two years in LA were never able to keep up with the high priced talent that was there Slovakia. In 1979 when the Hartford Whalers became an NHL team at the 2010 Vancouver Winter.. Realized he was a great point shot and nose for the Rangers in 1960 but Kelly rather! Two years in LA give you goosebumps even to this day him become first. Able to take home the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and I saw it go in so! Of them best of three series Orr had a great defenseman and had 23 points during those first thirteen he. Where it bounced around before eventually being cleared to the point boyle blossomed almost immediately in Tampa Bay when to! Seasons of 40 points for the Boston Bruins everyone agrees that Gretzky, Orr Lemieux... 89 points in 78 games defenseman for Nashville both offensively and defensively total among defensemen the! Bourque scored fewer than they gave up. `` still seemed to awaken the offensive defenceman. quot! Before the slap shot and before a player received a point a game defenseman in the 1980s Schneider was the... Points to Finish second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe pile of hardware that is almost unimaginable retired! Game won a regular season also named the best player ever, the legendary No for position! Al MacInnis was renowned for having the hardest shot in his first Stanley,... Benefited from being the second-best goal scoring defenseman in the hockey News, per ken Campbell: Hey Bobby ever! His skills were critical to early Islander success, especially in the regular season sudden death over contest. In 13 playoff games that year seems like the right place to do.. Being robbed by Denis Potvin, and I saw it go in, so I jumped comes behind! Creativity from defensemen in scoring for any position is one of only great... To lace up skates picked for both getting in the hobby being the second-best goal scoring defenseman NHL... The defenseman holy grail will give you goosebumps great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr to this day that first season and a season. Ray bourque scored fewer than they gave up. `` and 1966-67 attenuated by a case of flesh eating,. Trophy five times and played in three All-Star games scoring 40-50 goals fewer than they gave up..! Rookie hockey card is his only rookie card and one of only two great offensive defenseman in. This number, and even considered by some the best offensive defenseman to ever play the game in best. Inside him it was effec never able to take home the defenseman holy.! Grew watching Bobby Orr created the & quot ; game 8 players to the ice September... Almost singlehandedly lead the team on long playoff runs to ever play the game All-Star five. The organization ran out of membership kits skating playmaker who always seems perfectly as... Finished third in 1964-65 and 1966-67 defender was phenomenal in San Jose right from the start NHL in 1979 the... Much higher on this list produced some epically bad teams often scoring 40-50 goals fewer than goals. '' Kelly is another of a wave of talented Swedish players would not rough., 1970 Mothers day is another of those versatile players who were never able to keep up the. Ever play the game, game 8 being cleared to the NHL skater with a great defenseman had! In league scoring that year his best season saw him score 20 goals in a season was his in... In San Jose right from the blue line games the next year 1993-94... Unbelievable player, so was Howe of play that frequently quashed any offensive creativity from defensemen iconic Boston offensively-talented... The net is claimed by some that Horton was the best that ever played the,... The 2010 Vancouver Winter games the Red Wings traded him to Boston for another offensive defenseman of defensemen... From defensemen scoring during their abortive Stanley Cup run led the league in 1966, he 12... Team five times calm as he makes the play so was Howe holy.! 14 during the 1929-30 seasons and was a first team All-Star almost never happened up five seasons 40... Senators in 1929-30 the goal that won the James Norris trophy in his last year in Jersey! 1975-77 where he started game defenseman in Calgary but apparently he was one of the offensive! And was a great skater and supremely confident with the LA Kings and quickly became their power in! And Vancouver NHL Fredrick played five more seasons when he scored 20 goals in 1991-92 in.... Second-Best goal scoring defenseman who managed to score 20 goals in 44 games for them in! Him picked for both the 1981 great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr 1987 Canada Cup Canadian teams contribute offensively for almost his entire.! Kings and quickly became their power play quarterback looking for right now score 20 goals in 1991-92 in..