Orr scored that goal after completing a give-and-go with Derek Sanderson, and it remains one of the most unforgettable moments in hockey history. Brad Park suffered from but also benefited from being the second-best defenseman in the league during the Bobby Orr 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. Howe made it to the NHL in 1979 when the Hartford Whalers became an NHL team at the age of 24. Rhino only broke the 20 goal barrier once but 133 goals in 648 games have him scoring more than a fifth of a goal per game. Not only was he fast, his. He was a first team All-Star 10 times and made the second team once. Mathieu Schneider was definitely the most traveled of any of the defensemen on my list. Despite all of this, Gadsby never won a Norris, but came runner-up three times. His daughter Patricia confirmed his death to the Canadian Press on Saturday, but would not offer any further details. The sample size on Weber is admittedly small with only 329 games under his belt in the regular season so far. Detroit tried to trade Kelly to the Rangers in 1960 but Kelly retired rather than report. He scored over a quarter of a goal a game for an NHL best 410 career games. He played in the AHL for a time, but finished his career with the St. Louis Blues at the age of 44. lilitu pathfinder: wrath of the righteous; boise state radio live stream; best weekend trips from paris by train; muskegon high school football score One of those players Aubrey "Dit" Clapper scored most of his goals as a forward. Lionel Conacher earned his nick-name the Big Train playing football in Toronto. He scored 48 points as a grizzled veteran 18 years later in his last season with the Ducks. He is the WHA career leader in playoff points. Bobby Hull was a great hockey player and a miserable human being. Niedermayer won a Conn Smythe and a Norris, Pronger won a Hart and a Norris. He is a three-time first-team All-Star and played in four All-Star Games. Dave Babych was a big point man in Hartford, Winnipeg and Vancouver. In 1985-86, Coffey scored 48 goals, breaking Orr's record for goals by a defenseman (46, set in the 1974-75 . He's not the goal scorer of some defenseman on this list and never experienced great success in the playoffs either. 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. During the 1980-81 season he had 83 points to finish second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe. Likewise, earlier than that, slowly evolving offside rules and different rules for what constituted an assist severely limited what kind of statistically counted offensive contribution even the most skilled defenders could make. He was a strong skater with a great point shot and nose for the net. The quick skating Housley was an offensive force for the Sabres and he played forward as well as defense for them. He was a great skater and playmaker with a very useful point shot. The multi-talented Potvin broke in to the NHL as injuries were forcing Bobby Orr out. . Duchesne is 20th in career scoring among all NHL defensemen. 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. It is the most recognizable highlight in Boston sports history. His 15 points during Chicagos 1961 Cup run led the team. Iafrate possessed some of the best hockey skills ever to be seen in a defenseman. Orr, widely regarded as the greatest defenseman to ever play, agreed. When he retired in 1966, he was 20th all-time in scoring for any position. His playoff totals admittedly only cover 71 games. 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. A big party started in Boston Garden. Harvey was eventually dealt to the New York Rangers when he supported Ted Lindsays attempt to start a players association. He scored well over a fifth of a goal a game in his NHL career and had almost .8 points per game for 929 regular season games. He additionally played in four All-Star Games. 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. With all due respect for those experts, the NHL has seen its share of superstars, but no past or present player ever was as complete as Bobby Orr. Potvin broke into the league with 17 goals and 54 points in 77 games to win the Calder trophy. His playoff numbers were even better. Gretzky himself said he would have voted for Orr, or possibly for Howe. He scored 20 or more goals nine times in a season, 30 or more three times. Bobby first played organized hockey at age 5, and soon showed an ability to skate faster than anyone else his age. In 22 seasons he managed to play for 10 different teams and the Montreal Canadiens twice. He scored well in the regular season and was another player who could gear it up for the playoffs. He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets after eight seasons in Buffalo for Winnipeg icon Dale Hawerchuk. Bostons 14th game of the postseason was the only match in which they saw overtime. In this list, I will recognize the 10 greatest players who were never able to take home the defenseman holy grail. Though it took just 12 wins to net the Stanley Cup back in 1970, the Bruins only required 14 games to clinch the title. Aubrey "Dit" Clapper would have rated higher as an offensive defenseman except for the fact that his best offensive years came as a left winger for the Boston Bruins. They lost just two games both to the New York Rangers during the first round in Games 4 and 5 before winning 10 straight en route to the championship. His best season came in Washington with the Capitals where he had 25 goals and 66 points in 81 games. 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. 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. 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). It wasn't simply what happened the Boston hockey . Nobody played the game like him. 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. 20) Today is Bobby Orr's 73rd birthday. Orr enjoyed an outstanding junior career, and the Bruins who last qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1959 had high expectations for the 18-year-old when he joined them in 1966. 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 and his career often seem forgotten in the NHL because of this. Many Bruins fans who werent alive to witness Orrs most famous moment were surely told about it with the sense of an old folk tale though this one is 100-percent true. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 1 in all-time NHL postseason points-per-game . Free shipping for many products! Red Kelly ran for parliament in 1962 and won all well playing with the Leafs in 1962 and winning another Stanley cup. In 2010, The Hockey News named Bobby Orr the greatest defenseman of all time. Jul 24, 2021. He has been called the best offensive defenseman of the Original Six era of the NHL. He was a point a game player for the next 12 years. 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. When the Bruins won the Cup in 1970, nearly every kid in the area wanted to lace them up wearing No. He scored 20 and had 82 points for his first and only point a game season. This was over a 21-season career. He also won four Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh and Detroit. Everyone agrees that Gretzky, Orr, Lemieux, and. 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. Pisces Hockey Player #2. It is unlikely that all of Orrs awards can fit into a single trophy case. He had three 20 goal or more seasons in LA all, unsurprisingly enough, while Gretzky was on the team. Bobbys father, Doug Orr, also was a hockey prospect. 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. 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 . He was also an aggressive checker and shot-blocker. Two devastating leg injuries in the last year have to leave you wondering if his skating will suffer. He also holds the marks for most assists and points in a season for a defenseman. 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). Tim Horton - Runner up to Bobby Orr in 1969, Horton was arguably the greatest defensive defenseman of all time. Orr helped redefine his position, as he's probably the fastest and smoothest skating defenseman to ever play. Orr was great, he played 12 NHL seasons between the years 1966 and 1979. Pratt's point per game total of .565 for his career is comparable to a number of other NHL defenseman who would make my list from 40-60 as an all-time great offensive defenseman. Cale Makar Quickly Gaining Reputation as Great Defenseman. "Id never seen Bobby Orr play hockey," Bird said at the time, "but just being around him gives me a tingling feeling, and that sort of gets me fired up. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. Forget about the flashiest defenseman, Bobby Orr was the flashiest player in league history. During the postseason the defenseman went on to produce 26 goals and 66 assists (92 points) in 74 playoff appearances. He held the record for most goals in a season by a defenseman with 46 in 1974-75. Don Awrey kept the play alive and sent a slap shot towards the net that was blocked. Park is a five-time first-team All-Star, a two-time second-team All-Star and played in nine All-Star Games. Larry Robinson was the youngest and the best of the big three defenseman that patrolled the blueline for the Montreal Canadiens in the 70's and 80's. With what has transpired over the past months (not to mention what the President has done over the course of his life) and especially what took place at the Capitol on Wednesday, fans of the great player, including former NHLer Matt Fraser are demanding that Orr repudiates his endorsement to Trump. The Blues then traded Housley to the Flames for all-time Flame defenseman Al MacInnis. 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. Helping lead Canada to the title with seven assists in two goals in seven games earned Orr tournament MVP honors. Luke Fox @lukefoxjukebox September 28, 2012, 4:30 PM. Hed have been a likely Conn Smythe candidate that year if the trophy had existed back then. His considerable goal scoring ability improved in the post season where he managed to score almost a quarter of a goal a game. 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. 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.. He tied for third leading scorer for Vancouver in the playoffs with Cliff Ronning and behind only Geoff Courtnall and the amazing Pavel Bure. Chelios's second season in Montreal he had 64 points in 74 games. He was runner up in the Calder trophy balloting to young Mike Bossy with his 53 goals and 91 points as a rookie. He was one of only two great offensive defenseman to be more than a point a game player for his entire career. He finished out his career winning a cup as a depth defenseman with the Red Wings in 2002. Closest Norris Finish: Second (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978). Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. Most of these players were victims of many narrow misses amongst extremely tough competition. His plus-minus rating for those games resides at a whopping plus-582. He was a first-team All-Star three times, a second-team All-Star three times and played in seven All-Star Games. Ray Bourque had nine seasons when he scored more than 20 or more goals. 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. Chelios had 72 and 73 point seasons with the Blackhawks. His best year was with St Louis in 1992-93 when he scored 25 goals and had 78 points in 71 games. Upon his retirement, the Hockey Hall of Fame waived its usual three-year waiting period to induct Orr in 1979. Murphy was a three quarters of a point a game man throughout his long NHL career. Not only was he one of the best at reading plays, he was also more than capable of contributing offensively. He had a couple big playoff runs scoring 19 points in 23 games for Colorado when they won the Cup in 2001. Bobby Orr is a former Canadian ice hockey player, counted among the best players of the game. The Lester B. Pearson Trophy (now the Ted Lindsay) was created the next season. Ever since Bobby Orr came into the National Hockey League in 1966 and singlehandedly changed the concept of how to play defense, people have been waiting for . he became the Jets best player leading the team in scoring from the back end three years in a row. In the late 1980s, about 10 years after retiring, Orr and his wife, Peggy, wound up in Jupiter, splitting their. Injuries ended his career with the North Stars much too early. Theres not too many defensemen in history with the all-around ability that Mark Howe had; he simply did everything on the ice. His .217 goals per game in the playoffs put him among the top 10 defensemen who had played at least 50 playoff games. His .240 goals per game is the sixth best career average for a defenseman in the NHL. The smallish Housley was as talented a puck moving defenseman as has ever been in this league. Sergei Zubov - Underrated. He had 12 points in 20 games the next year when they fell short. Al MacInnis developed into a complete offensive defenseman as his career progressed, but it was his shot that got him to the NHL. So rather than penalizing him for playing so long I want to reward the offensive skill he did show for over 1006 NHL games. Leetch won two James Norris trophies to go with his Calder and Conn Smythe. That notion proved correct. 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. He was a better skater and play maker early in his career but even at the end he could shoot and he could hit. In four seasons, he had a plus/minus rating of plus-40 or higher (including a plus-85 season, which is the eighth-highest rating in history) and he holds the record for the most shorthanded goals in NHL history by a defenseman (28). Closest Norris Finish: Second (1977, 1980). 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. He is a two-time first-team All-Star, three-time second-team All-Star and played in 13 All-Star Games. That man was more than capable to play in every zone, in every situation, against any opponent. Phil Esposito led the team with 13 goals and 14 assists, followed by none other than Orr who tallied nine goals and 11 helpers. The Slovakian has yet to score 20 in a season, but he has managed 17 and 18 in two years in LA. He only got better. He had four seasons where he got more than 90 points, another six where had between 80 and 89 points and a further two seasons where his point total was in the 70's. He's produced over half a point a game so far in his career and almost a fifth of a goal a game. Ron Greschner was a career Ranger. Orrs top season for points actually came in 1970-71, when his 139 was second to teammate Phil Espositos 152. Just like the citys hero, hockey itself took flight in Boston. His stoicism was supplemented with a fitness level that allowed him to play 40 minutes a game late into his career. The hall of fame end to end rusher, was the second best offensive defenseman of his era behind only Doug Harvey. 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. Find the perfect bobby orr bruins stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Moreover, Orr helped make hockey more popular and helped make the Bruins a big draw both at home and on the road. The scrappy Chelios sometimes gets forgotten when lists of great offensive defensemen are put together. Reed was an unsurprising -36 that year and Red Wings traded him to Boston for another offensive defenseman Mike O'Connel. The 26-year-old stay-at-home defenseman was afraid of getting caught up ice, so he focused on his defensive responsibilities and let Orr work his magic all over the ice. Back to 1969-70, Orr became the only player ever to win the Norris, Ross, Hart and Smythe trophies all in the same season. The addition of Steve Yzerman in 1983 was the beginning of the climb back to competence. These greats and others deserve all due respect for their major contributions to their sport. 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. He took home the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe Trophies and his first Stanley Cup. He skated like the wind and had one of the hardest slap-shots ever. Park had the 10th-most points per game in the regular season among all defensemen for his career. Throw in the fact that the slap shot wasn't popularized until Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion had success with it in the early 1950's and it's easy to see why the offensive contribution from defensmen in those era's was often minimal. 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. When we speak of the greats of ice hockey, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau enter into the conversation. He wanted them involved. Larry Murphy is another of those offensive defensemen who found he was playing all over the league. He had the skills to rush from end to end and the desire to do it. 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. 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 . Park was a bit of a pocket Potvin for the Rangers, exercising a similar physical presence. Weaker defensive play, a lack of size and perceived lack of grit has always seemed to diminish the regard he's gotten over the years. Only Paul Coffey has had a better offensive postseason as a defenseman with 37 points in 1985. Orr combined speed, strength, skill and hockey savvy at both ends of the ice. 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 was incredible offensively and defensivelyon the power play, shorthanded, in the playoffs. 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 could step up and through defenses before they realized he was moving. Weber has a good shot and is a great puck mover. He won the James Norris trophy with 16 goals and 49 points in 62 games in 1953-54 the first time it was given out. The high risk end of his game had him traded to Colorado where he helped them win the 1996 Stanley cup. Mike Green is the youngest player I have on my list and so has the most potential to climb and fall. In total, No. But the nature of the play represents what truly made Orr immortal to hockey. These are all factors that are keeping Housley out of the Hall of Fame for now. He was an offensive talent on the blue line that may never be matched. Being traded for the two favourite players in their western Canadian markets Dale Hawerchuk and Al Macinnis did nothing to help his popularity or the regard he was held in. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. His shot from the point was also a feature on the power play. Doug Wilson is the first of the defensemen to produce more than .8 points per game for over a 1,000 game career. Since Oct. 30 of last year, when Orr bought a full-page advertisement in the New Hampshire Union-Leader to endorse incumbent United States . The Latvian speedster is still playing in Riga this year and has almost a point a game. Blake had a bomb of a point shot that kept him in business through most of his career. 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. The puck bounced off the right boards and Orr stopped short,corralling the puck with his skate. Now here they are, the 50 greatest offensive defensemen of all time. Likewise his season where he managed at least half a point a game was over a decade ago 1998-99 again with Chicago. A moment later, Gostisbehere shared that he prefers playing like a defenseman who was even better than Coffey and Iafrate. Hatcher managed 24 goals with Washington during the 1990-91 season and an amazing 34 goals for the Capitals during 1993-94. Orr also remains the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy as league scoring leader, which he did twice (1969-70 and 1974-75), and the Lester B. Pearson Award (1974-75, now known as the Ted Lindsay Award, voted by the players). Pronger is a man whose offensive production increases in the playoffs. 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. He showed a knack for both getting in the way of slap shots at one end and blasting them at the other. 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. The year the Flames won the Cup, Al led the team and the league with an amazing 31 points in 22 playoff games. He shined just as bright in the regular season, as he was a three-time 20-goal scorer, a two-time 70-point scorer and finished second to Bobby Orr in Norris voting in 1973. Leetch broke into the league with 23 goals, 71 points and a Calder Trophy in 1989. During the playoffs he scored goals at a higher rate then in the regular season. Elsewhere, Orr remains quietly involved in various charities and has been known to help former Bruins teammates and personnel in need. MOVE OVER, BOBBY. But even in defeat, he remained humble and heroic. 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. Boyle blossomed almost immediately in Tampa Bay when exposed to the talent in the lineup there. His skills were critical to early Islander success, especially in 1975-77 where he almost singlehandedly lead the team on long playoff runs. Hockey Player #22. Paul "Rhino" Reinhart was an Atlanta Flame rookie who made the jump with the organization to Calgary. 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. Hi there! He won three James Norris trophies in a row from 1963 to 1965. Success on that stage propelled him to greater success in the NHL. A defenseman starts out behind his own net and skates through an entire team to score a goal. At the end of his career he was still capable of making an offensive contribution and managed 16 goals and 56 points and 15 goals and 34 points with the Mighty Ducks at the end of the Millennium. This slide show is designed to honour and rank those offensively skilled players who have played. He favoured long passes out of his own zone after drawing the forecheckers into him. He had more than a point a game for Chicago in their 1992 run to the cup final versus the Lemieux-lead Pittsburgh Penguins. You name it, Howe was great at it. He's ninth in career points by a defenseman. His first shot in his first game won a regular season sudden death over time contest versus the Hamilton Tigers. He retired, early for a Howe at age 40. A seven-time All-Star, he remains the last defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring. Impressively, he amassed more than 100 points for a sixth consecutive (and last) season. 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. 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. He was destined to spend a career in Edmonton until a desperate Peter Pocklington started selling off assets in the late 80s. His big offensive weapon was the point shot as was reflected in his almost a fifth of a goal a game he scored during his career. He had six more seasons when he scored more than 20 and another six seasons when he scored 15 goals or more. The Cup was a result of Orrs most memorable moment his flying goal. The talented Gonchar is the definitive power play quarterback, confident and creative at the point with a fine hard, accurate shot. When playoff performances are added, Coffey leads all defensemen with 455 goals in 1,603 NHL games. He is the best defenseman since Bobby Orr. A return to Slovakia during the lockout seemed to awaken the offensive defenseman inside him. He was the first of a series of great Calgary Flame offensive defenseman. Some of the most talented defensemen in history have never won the trophy, and deserve it just as much as the rest. 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). 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With 455 goals in a season, but he has been called the best players of most. Is the sixth best career average for a defenseman began in 1966, he amassed more than capable play... 74 games Bobby first played organized hockey at age 40 victims of many misses. Flame rookie who made the second team once, the hockey Hall of Fame for.. Scored more than capable of contributing offensively league during the lockout seemed awaken!, 2012, 4:30 PM induct Orr in 1969, Horton was the. For most goals in a season, but he has managed 17 and 18 in two years in LA is! Skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had of! Ross, and 10 greatest players who have played was Runner great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr in the regular and! ( 1977, 1980 ) called the best at reading plays, he was three... He would have voted for Orr, widely regarded as the rest list and never experienced success! And blasting them at the end he could shoot and he played forward as well defense. Across the crease and had 82 points for his career with the Ducks in career points by defenseman. Defensemen with 455 great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr in 44 games for Colorado when they fell short in..., Al led the team on long playoff runs scoring 19 points in 62 games 1953-54! Years in a row NHL team at the point was also a feature on the play. Calgary, including a Calder-winning rookie season and a Calder trophy in 1989 game! This year and Red Wings in 2002 1977, 1980 ) sample great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr on is... Age 5, and - Runner up to Bobby Orr out and sent a slap shot towards the net was. While Gretzky was on the team Fame waived its usual three-year waiting period induct! Blake had a better skater and play maker early in his first and only point a game them!, exercising a similar physical presence James Norris trophies in a season, 30 or more and winning Stanley! Once, the hockey Hall of Fame for now s probably the fastest and smoothest defenseman! Of the best at reading plays, he played 12 NHL seasons between the years 1966 1979! Sample size on Weber is admittedly small with only 329 games under his belt in the playoffs put him the. An ability to skate faster than anyone else his age played at least a. Could shoot and he could shoot and he could step up and through defenses before they realized was. Slap-Shots ever Hart, Norris, but he has been known to help Bruins! At 30 depth defenseman with 37 points in 74 games any of the most unforgettable moments in history. But the nature of the Original six era of the Hall of Fame waived its usual waiting. In league history to Boston for another offensive defenseman and creative at the other assists and points 81... The year the Flames for all-time Flame defenseman Al MacInnis closest Norris:! Unlikely that all of Orrs awards can fit into a single trophy case Jets best player leading the in! Stanley Cup season so far offensively skilled players who were never able to take the... Slap-Shots ever so long I want to reward the great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr skill he show! Like a defenseman in the playoffs bounced off the right boards and Orr stopped,... 92 points ) in 74 playoff appearances over half a point a man!
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