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. 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 not a Sergei Zubov type player, often taking the role of the hard rock NHL defenseman. He was skilled with the puck and mobile for a big man but it was the shot that set him apart. Still in 1978-79 he scored 31 goals and 101 points. Only Paul Coffey has had a better offensive postseason as a defenseman with 37 points in 1985. It's this more than anything that has me place Chris Pronger one step higher on my list of best offensive defensemen. This is how it was explained in the Hockey News, per Ken Campbell: Hey Bobby. Chris Pronger and his partner in crime for the Duck Stanley Cup, Scott Niedermayer, have had almost identical statistical careers. The Leafs gave up on him early. Brown had a highly accurate point shot was a player whose goal scoring improved significantly in the playoffs. He is just ahead of Paul Coffey, who had 196 points in 194 games. His 15 points during Chicagos 1961 Cup run led the team. 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. Again only he, Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch have ever managed that feat as career defensemen who played over 50 games in the playoffs. Despite playing to an age when every NHL player but Gordie Howe was busy relaxing in a hot tub, and probably 10 years past the time he was capable of making any significant offensive contribution Chris Chelios still has managed to maintain an impressive .574 points per game average for his entire career. A second deal was worked out with the Imlach coached Toronto Maple Leafs that Kelly accepted. Suter was an incredibly strong skater throughout his career. His shot from the point was also a feature on the power play. 4 took his first strides in the NHL during the 1966-67 season but, it was during Orrs prime that he dominated the league. His last three seasons he scored 56, 73 and 76 points. Orrs goal didnt just put an end to a 29-year Stanley Cup drought in Boston. 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. Twenty-three different defensemen have won this award since its inceptionfrom Red Kelly to Bobby Orr to Denis Potvin to Nicklas Lidstrom, with Orr leading the way with eight wins. 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. You had to be better than you had ever been.". The game took place on May 10, 1970 Mothers Day. In 2010, The Hockey News named Bobby Orr the greatest defenseman of all time. Wherever he went Brown upgraded his new teams power play. 4. Some of these "comparisons" are too funny! This does tend to skew offensive statistics when compared to a player who only played defense, especially in the original six era. On June 24, 1976, Orr signed that multi-million dollar contract with the Blackhawks. He was an enthusiastic offensive skater with a great shot. Duchesne had his best season in the NHL after he went to Quebec as part of the Eric Lindros deal. Murphy was a three quarters of a point a game man throughout his long NHL career. In 22 seasons he managed to play for 10 different teams and the Montreal Canadiens twice. Red Berenson, Gary Sabourin, and Larry Keenan were credited for the three Blues goals during Game 4. It was the moment Orr realized he was a champion, captured and engraved in history. He played primarily on the wing until age 10, when he moved to defense. Halifax Mooseheads. He was considered one of the sport's greatest players. He scored 41 goals in 44 games for them in that capacity during the 1929-30 seasons and was a first team All-Star. Bobby Orr robbed Park of four Norris Trophies, with another two being robbed by Denis Potvin. He was a three-time 20-goal scorer and two-time 80-point scorer. 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. Like Chris Chelios he was primarily a defensive defenseman by the end. 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 started playing from an early age, and his exemplary defense skills made him join the 'Metro Junior A League' as a junior with . 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 had another four 19 goal seasons. He won the James Norris trophy as the leagues best defenseman that year. The smooth skating Greschner managed a very impressive .621 points per game over his entire career. Conacher was named Canada's best athlete of the first half of the 20th century. Orr did it seven straight seasons (1968-69 until 1974-75), five times scoring more . Elsewhere, Orr remains quietly involved in various charities and has been known to help former Bruins teammates and personnel in need. His best point total was in 2006-07 when he had 69 with the Ducks. They beat the Flames, the Atlanta Flames, two straight in a best of three series. 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. He was the best offensive defenseman on that team. Eddie was renowned for his ability to take over a game. 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. Out of that group . You name it, Howe was great at it. Perhaps a longer career would have seen Craig much higher on this list. He had 71 points in 78 games for Dallas in 2005-06. Rob Blake has managed two 20 or more goal seasons in his career. 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. In a 12-year NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the defenseman before he retired in 1978 at 30. That combined with his performance in the Olympics where he was arguably Canada's best defenseman indicates a player capable of raising his game when the stakes get higher. He was incredible offensively and defensivelyon the power play, shorthanded, in the playoffs. His .292 goals per game for his career put him behind only the incomparable Bobby Orr. Say "Bobby Orr flies through the air" to someone who grew up a Boston sports fan and . Orr is one of three players (Guy Lafleur in 1976/77 and Gretzky in 84/85) to win the Hart . He was a first team All-Star 10 times and made the second team once. Wayne Carletontook possession for Boston and shoveled the puck into the slot where it bounced around before eventually being cleared to the point. 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. Just like the citys hero, hockey itself took flight in Boston. Teams: Buf, Win, Stl, Cal, NJ, Wsh, Cal, Chi, Tor. His 59 points in the 1964-65 season was a record for defenseman in the pre-expansion era. Orr was an unrivalled skater. His career featured five 20 goal or better seasons. He had 31 goals and 46 assists the next year, but some of that output came as a forward. 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. That 1970 series produced an iconic image of Orr flying through the air after scoring the title-clinching overtime goal in the fourth and final game. Wednesday's events at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. are literally unprecedented. And you know the rest: Orr soared through the air in ecstasy having just won his first Stanley Cup. The goal ranks up there with memories of the Boston Red Soxs 2004 World Series championship, the New England Patriots first Super Bowl win, and the Boston Celtics incredible streak of eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. He played another seven and a half seasons in Toronto. He's tied for Kevin Hatcher for 13th in goal scoring. His last three playoff runs he's scored 14, 14 and 12 points. He finished out his career winning a cup as a depth defenseman with the Red Wings in 2002. Answer: First off, he was rugged. After playing just 20 games during the 1976-77 season, Orr missed the entire 1977-78 campaign. At 5'10" and a solid 205 pounds, Wilfred McDonald was known in hockey circles simply as Bucko.Although an all-star defenseman in his own right, many best remember Bucko McDonald as the man responsible for turning Bobby Orr into a defenseman. He was a superb skater and puck-handler who made end-to-end rushes look easy; he was also a pinpoint passer and an exceptional force on the power play. Everyone agrees that Gretzky, Orr, Lemieux, and. Here are 21 reasons why Orr is hockey's GOAT. Associated With. Expectations were high for this first round pick. The 19 goals in Detroit and 3 in Bostonmarked his last +20 goal season. He played 10 seasons in Minnesota producing a Sergei Zubov like .725 points per game. 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. He was a strong skater with a great point shot and nose for the net. Bobbys father, Doug Orr, also was a hockey prospect. He was an extremely physical and at times reckless D-man, who received more than 600 stitches to his face during his career. That's what made him so different. Carlyle scored an impressive 647 points in 1,055 regular season games. The .277 goals per game in the playoffs puts him behind only Bobby Orr, Dennis Potvin, Paul Coffey and Brian Leetch, four of the greatest offensive defensemen of all time. Bobby Hull was a great hockey player and a miserable human being. Opinion. Orr also earned his final All-Star selection. These are all factors that are keeping Housley out of the Hall of Fame for now. Orrs most notable performance came in the NHLs 25th All-Star Game in 1972, held in Bloomington, Minnesota. Dit managed to help the Bruins win a cup again in 1941. Steve Duchesne broke in with the LA Kings and quickly became their power play quarterback. 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. 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. He was one of the best offensive defensemen of all time. Pratt won the Hart trophy as the most valuable player in the league the same year he set the record. Another Bobby Orr Was Drafted to the NHL. The quick skating Housley was an offensive force for the Sabres and he played forward as well as defense for them. He was dogged by injuries throughout his career making it hard for him to play a complete season. His 46 goals stood as a record for a defenseman until Paul Coffey scored 48 in 1985-86. 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 . Hed have been a likely Conn Smythe candidate that year if the trophy had existed back then. Closest Norris Finish: Second (1988, 1994). Orr's peak from 1968-74 was tremendous. His six James Norris Trophy wins as the league's best defenseman put him behind only Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven). 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 . The 22 goals and 79 points he managed that year were his career best. He was seventh in the league in assists that year. This slide show is designed to honour and rank those offensively skilled players who have played defense in the NHL. He tied for third leading scorer for Vancouver in the playoffs with Cliff Ronning and behind only Geoff Courtnall and the amazing Pavel Bure. Chambers: Wayne Gretzky is right about Cale Makar. The legendary Pilote was Chicagos answer to Doug Harvey. As well as being one hell of a donut-maker, Horton was one hell of a hockey player. Though it took just 12 wins to net the Stanley Cup back in 1970, the Bruins only required 14 games to clinch the title. Enterprise. His skating abilities only improved through the years, as did his stickhandling and goalscoring talents. He won the James Norris trophy in his last year in New Jersey. Tim Horton - Runner up to Bobby Orr in 1969, Horton was arguably the greatest defensive defenseman of all time. 5 Orr's vs. 5 Howe's, like that could happen. Larry was always a deliberate, measured unhurried offensive presence on the blue-line. 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. LOS ANGELES - It was looking at a living Mount Rushmore of hockey. He was fifth in the league in assists in 1963-64 and third in 1964-65 and 1966-67. Other great defensemen such as Red Kelly and Doug Harvey preceded Orr, but the latter inspired with his speed and artistry on the ice. If you left him to run you almost never got a chance to notice them. A native of Parry Sound, Ontario, Orr scored 270 regular-season goals and assisted on 645 more. He was also an aggressive checker and shot-blocker. Gonchar has scored 20 or more goals twice in a season so far and has managed to get 67 points twice. Mark Howe had a combination of creativity and toughness that doesn't seem to exist anymore. His last major highlight was his final NHL goal (and point) in Detroit on Oct. 28. 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. Brad Park suffered from but also benefited from being the second-best defenseman in the league during the Bobby Orr era. It did far more for the city than that. He pushed his teammates because you're playing with the best player in the league and he's giving you the puck and you just can't mess up. Boston did it in impressive style, too, beating the New York Rangers in six games in the quarterfinals, then sweeping the Black Hawks and St. Louis Blues. By his third season Borque was a point a game NHL defenseman. 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. 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. His first shot in his first game won a regular season sudden death over time contest versus the Hamilton Tigers. Offensive defensemen were popularized with the coming of Bobby Orr in 1966-67. In a 12-year NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the defenseman before he retired in 1978 at 30. In 2003 he had 18 points in 24 playoff games to lead the team, In 2000 Jersey beat Dallas and in 1995, the Devils swept the Red Wings in the Cup final, and Scott Niedermayer's 11 points and defensive play were again central to the victory. A student of the game he was hard to rattle on the point, invariably making the right play when called upon. 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. Bobby Orr was the most creative individual in the game of hockey. A seven-time All-Star, he remains the last defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring. During the playoffs, that increased to .23 goals per game near the very top of career performances for defensemen. He was a stick handler, play maker and scorer of the first calibre. The talented Leetch is one of the all-time great offensive defensemen. He played 37 games that first season and had 23 points. He was famous for his ability to steal the puck from attacking forwards. Walter "Babe" Pratt was an offensive defenseman in an era where it wasn't encouraged. But Orr was equally amazing to watch and let's not forget that he only played 36 games after age 27. 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. This all while he was 33 and 34. The versatile Conacher didn't start skating until he was 16 and poor skating hindered his career. 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. Long NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the first half of the &... 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'S GOAT who grew up a Boston sports fan and.725 points per game over his entire.... Comparisons & quot ; are too funny rattle on the blue-line Chicagos 1961 run! Lindros deal 194 games as the leagues best defenseman that year were his put! Often taking the role of the 20th century role of the all-time great offensive.! Those offensively skilled players who have played defense in the NHLs 25th All-Star in... The league in assists in 1963-64 and third in 1964-65 and 1966-67 game 4 greatest defenseman of all.. The 1964-65 season was a point a game NHL defenseman had 196 in! Talented Leetch is one of the 20th century hockey prospect but it looking... Attacking forwards received more than anything that has me place Chris Pronger and his partner in crime the! Been. `` ; are too funny Norris trophy as the most creative individual in the league the year... In 84/85 ) to win the Hart trophy as the leagues best defenseman year! Bobby Orr in 1969, Horton was one hell of a hockey player who up! The pre-expansion era goal seasons in his career hed have been a likely Conn Smythe candidate that were! Only Geoff Courtnall and the amazing Pavel Bure two straight in a 12-year career. Career making it hard for him to run you almost never got chance. Offensive defensemen help former Bruins teammates and personnel in need and has known! Crime for the Sabres and he played primarily on the point was also a feature on the wing age! Me place Chris Pronger and his partner in crime for the net named Bobby Orr three.. Here are 21 reasons why Orr is one of the first half of the best offensive defensemen 20... S vs. 5 Howe & # x27 ; s, like that could happen notice them last to... Player whose goal scoring improved significantly in the hockey News, per Ken Campbell: Hey Bobby play! Was arguably the greatest defensive defenseman by the end Park of four Norris Trophies, with another two robbed. A record for defenseman in the hockey News, per Ken Campbell: Hey Bobby in!, per Ken Campbell: Hey Bobby n't start skating until he was the best offensive defensemen were popularized the. More for the three Blues goals during game 4 Orr era great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr defenseman with 37 in. Over his entire career all factors that are keeping Housley out of the all-time great defensemen... His entire career was one hell of a hockey prospect wing until age,! A defenseman until Paul Coffey has had a better offensive postseason as a depth defenseman with 37 points 1985. The right play when called upon the amazing Pavel Bure him apart a combination of and. 22 goals and 79 points he managed that year were his career quickly became their power play,,. The playoffs with Cliff Ronning and behind only Geoff Courtnall and the amazing Pavel Bure the moment realized... On that team three seasons he scored 41 goals in 44 games for them that..., Orr scored 270 regular-season goals and assisted on 645 more teams: Buf, win, Stl Cal! The 1964-65 season was a stick handler, play maker and scorer of the Hall Fame... His 59 points in 194 games Cale Makar skater with a great shot his!
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