Coach Dick Irvin feared Harvey would end up coughing up the puck in front of his own net, but it almost never happened. The scrappy Chelios sometimes gets forgotten when lists of great offensive defensemen are put together. During the Boston Bruins 1969-70 seasonif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',823,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3-0');,Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76 games. He kept that up throughout a 23 season career. 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. Park was also named the best defenseman in the ground breaking series. He's only scored 20 goals once in a season so far in his career, but he's only 25 years old. 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. Published on January 8, 2021 at 4:43 a.m. Unveiled on May 10, 2010, this statue commemorates Boston Bruins Hall-of-Fame defenseman Bobby Orr (1948-) and one of the most iconic moments in NHL history. Closest Norris Finish: Third (1987, 1993). In addition to the plus-minus record of 1970-71, Orr became the first player to give out at least 100 assists that same season. The Lester B. Pearson Trophy (now the Ted Lindsay) was created the next season. If it had gone by me, its a two-on-one, said Orr. Though the season ended in a first-round playoff loss to the Black Hawks, it still proved most productive for 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. A moment later, Gostisbehere shared that he prefers playing like a defenseman who was even better than Coffey and Iafrate. 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,. His best season came in Washington with the Capitals where he had 25 goals and 66 points in 81 games. He was the master of the long headman pass out of his zone as well. Forget about the flashiest defenseman, Bobby Orr was the flashiest player in league history. He is a one-time second-team All-Star and played in seven All-Star Games. To achieve greatness Green will have to be able to put his game together in the playoffs which he hasn't managed yet. The 31 goals he produced in 2008-09 in only 68 games also had a Coffey-esque air to them. Enterprise. He won three James Norris trophies in a row from 1963 to 1965. I apologize in advance for any offensively talented defenseman from the pre-1967 era that I slight. Hatcher managed 24 goals with Washington during the 1990-91 season and an amazing 34 goals for the Capitals during 1993-94. On December 4, 1966, Toronto Maple Leafs' defenceman Marcel Pronovost checked him into the boards, injuring Orr's knees for the first time in the NHL. Both times he won the James Norris trophy that season as he did in 1988-89 with the Canadiens. His considerable goal scoring ability improved in the post season where he managed to score almost a quarter of a goal a game. Ozolinsh was one of the most talented offensive players you are ever likely to see. Defensively, Orrs penalty-killing abilities set a standard that remains to this day. Celebrating Alan Eagleson's plea deal in Boston, from left to right, are Bruins legend Bobby Orr, ex-Bruins defenseman Rick Smith, Russ Conway and Tom Lockwood at The Fours on Canal St. in. That combined with the Second Six expansion that doubled the number of NHL teams from six to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season lead to an era of unrivaled offensive production, especially from defensemen. In 1920 Conacher also became Canada's light heavyweight boxing champion. 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. He had enough offensive skills though to see him picked for both the 1981 and 1987 Canada Cup Canadian teams. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Canada's most dangerous hockey player was there in Russia watching Game 8 of the Summit . Phil Esposito led the team with 13 goals and 14 assists, followed by none other than Orr who tallied nine goals and 11 helpers. An absolute defensive force for Toronto, he led the team to four Stanley Cup wins during the 1960s. Clancy scored 136 goals in 592 regular season games which puts him in the top for goals per game scored by a defenseman over his career. His hockey hero is widely regarded as the greatest blueliner ever, Bobby Orr. Howe's longevity has to be a factor for me. The biggest debate seems to be in figuring out where he ranks in the pantheon of all time. His stoicism was supplemented with a fitness level that allowed him to play 40 minutes a game late into his career. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Defensive short-comings kept him from being chosen for Canada's Olympic team and may start to effect his game and ice time in Washington. Al Iafrate was a huge train of a defenseman. "With Orr's exit, Boston fans felt as if a loved one had disappeared," Conway wrote. It did far more for the city than that. 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. He only got better. In 2010, The Hockey News named Bobby Orr the greatest defenseman of all time. Larson followed this season up with 18 goals the next year five seasons in a row where he scored more than 20 goals as a defenseman. Steven Ellis. He played wing for parts of his career and at times in his first couple of seasons in the NHL. He counter attacked the Russians with a skill and speed that often left them wondering what had just happened. Cart. Despite all that Howe played in the NHL, mostly as a defenseman for 15 seasons. The list of defenders in NHL history with two Norris Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy includes only Bobby Orr, Larry Robinson, Brian Leetch, Nicklas Lidstrom and Duncan Keith. 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. 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. But Orr's free agent move . Brad Park suffered from but also benefited from being the second-best defenseman in the league during the Bobby Orr era. Fraser hopes, like many fans, that Orr will change his position and be part of the solution. Leetch won two James Norris trophies to go with his Calder and Conn Smythe. 4 jersey retired by the Bruins and was invested as an officer in the Order of Canada. He was considered one of the sport's greatest players. Whether shooting or passing off the point of the power play, he's always a threat to create a goal. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. Orr earned MVP honors in that game as the East Division All-Stars rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 win over the West Division All-Stars. 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. Only Ray Bourque managed to score more with 410, while playing 203 more games. In this list, I will recognize the 10 greatest players who were never able to take home the defenseman holy grail. Closest Norris Finish: Second (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978). All the career scoring records for NHL defensemen belong to Ray Bourque. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Both of these things make Howe and his career as an offensive defenseman harder to evaluate. Helping lead Canada to the title with seven assists in two goals in seven games earned Orr tournament MVP honors. Potvin was an incredible offensive defenseman who brought a physical game that Scott Stevens would have been happy to own. 2023 Attraction Web S.E.C. He showed all the toughness and spring steel durability that would be expected from Gordie Howe's son. Likewise his season where he managed at least half a point a game was over a decade ago 1998-99 again with Chicago. 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. Orrs 102 assists is the 12th-best assist total in NHL history for any player. Chris Chelios was always a good skater who could distribute the puck and had a reasonable shot. During those first thirteen seasons he was part of four Stanley Cup winning teams. His impressive offensive totals increase in the playoffs and he's almost twice the goal scorer in the playoffs that he is in the regular season. His offensive credentials were notarized the next year when he scored five goals versus the Red Wings in a 9-1 rout. "Absolutely," Orr, 68, said. "Bobby Orr was better on one leg than anybody else was on two," Canada teammate Darryl Sittler said. At 31, he was the youngest former player living at the time of his induction. Sergei Zubov - Underrated. He had six goals and 16 points in 13 playoff games that year. The most exciting play in hockey is the end to end rush. Ray Bourque would be next with five wins. Far from a one-season wonder, Orr was the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season (1969-70), then the first to notch 40 (1974-75). Last Name Orr #1. Bobby Orr is a former Canadian ice hockey player, counted among the best players of the game. He is still the only defenseman ever to score five goals in a game. The addition of Steve Yzerman in 1983 was the beginning of the climb back to competence. 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. He scored 20 or more goals nine times in a season, 30 or more three times. The Bobby Orr Fan Club became so popular so fast that the organization ran out of membership kits. 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. Bobby Orr was the most creative individual in the game of hockey. His last three seasons he scored 56, 73 and 76 points. Nicklas Lidstrom is the best defenseman of his generation and one of the best of all time. He's a player who could easily slip off this list with a couple of bad seasons. 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So I got a little lucky there.Blues defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot also took a one-handed swipe at the puck as Orr skated it to the corner, proceeding to dish it to Sanderson who was still waiting below the goal line. He got the 14 during the Stanley Cup winning run despite having to come back from a knee injury to play in the final. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another . SEATTLE The Seattle Kraken acquired defenseman Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. Chelios's second season in Montreal he had 64 points in 74 games. The most productive years of his career were overshadowed by . It was the shot that made Al great. This does tend to skew offensive statistics when compared to a player who only played defense, especially in the original six era. 1 in all-time NHL postseason points-per-game . 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. He has 202 goals in what has been a 1002 game career. He's one of those players who is better when the games are important. 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. He was beaten out by the 24-year-old Petr Stasny, who had 109 points with the Nordiques that year for the Calder Memorial trophy as rookie of the year. He scored over .7 points per game for his entire career and almost a fifth of a goal per game. Salming was an elite two-way defenseman, capable of attaining high offensive numbers as well as shutting down the most talented opposing players. He was a second round pick for the Sharks (30th overall) in 1991 and he joined the team for 1992-93 season. 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. Bobby Orr was the greatest offensive defenseman of all time and arguably the greatest player of all time. Eighty games were the most he ever managed in a single year. An extra 20 years has got to mean a lot! It is claimed by some that Horton was the first player in the NHL to use the slap shot as a reliable offensive weapon. Lapointe was named to the NHLs first All-Star team once and the second All-Star team three times. In NHL history, franchises have built dynasties around elite defensemen over and over again. A revolutionary player who forever changed the role of defensemen, Orr is widely considered one of hockey's greatest players. Like Chris Chelios he was primarily a defensive defenseman by the end. He had 31 goals and 46 assists the next year, but some of that output came as a forward. Still a quick skater Kelly won cups with the Leafs in 1963, 64, and the last one in 1967. You name it, Howe was great at it. 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