I really believe the only reason there’s any question as to whether or not Bobby Orr was the greatest is because there was no cable or satellite TV at the time. If you didn’t live in New England you didn’t get to watch Bobby Orr play very often. I lived in New Jersey and we only got to see him when he played the Rangers on New York television. Even so, with just that limited viewing it was obvious how great he was! The fact that he won the scoring title and the Norris trophy for best defenseman in the same year twice is absolutely amazing! With all due respect to Gretzky, Lemieux and Howe, Bobby Orr is the G. O. A. T.
Precisely. Btw, Habs fan here (56 yrs). Really, there should be no argument, but the loyalties to the 3 you mentioned are understandable. Off the ice, with his demeanor, humility and his rapport with fans and the media...class all the way. I really think only Beliveau joins him in this regard on that lofty perch. I may be wrong about this and there is no real way to prove it, but my sense is that of all the unbelievably great players for Boston (NE, in football) teams in every major sport all time, Orr is the most beloved by fans...even to this day. That is a true measure of one's legacy.
Peter, whenever Bobby and the Bruins came to L.A., it felt like they would come to break records, win games and maybe visit Disneyland before going home for some real work! As one of the few Kings fans back then, just watching the Bruins play was frustrating. Our owner liked big names, but basically stocked our team with geriatrics-some of whom made the Hall of Fame-soon after they retired. But Orr would/could blow right by nearly everyone on our team. And whether it was Rutledge or Desjardins or Dejordy or Edwards, and finally with Rogie, Orr was pretty much unstoppable. And if he somehow missed, there was always Espo or Cashman or Hodge or Bucyk to pop the puck in to the net. All these years later, I can only say I feel honored to have gotten to see so many of those legends play...p.s. a ticket by the flagpole cost around $3 dollars and the Forum was usually half empty, so we could sneak down in to great seats. Those were great days...p.s. rest in peace Garnet "Ace" Bailey!
Orr was extremely dominant and changed the game forever. However, he wasn't as dominant and as far ahead of his peers as Gretzky was. The only player in Gretzky's era to actually challenge his greatness was Lemieux, who some will say is the biggest talent to ever play the game. Even he didn't come very close and Lemieux is without a doubt a Top 4 player all time, and the distance between Gretzky and the #3 at the time was like the difference between a first line center and a third line center. Double the points was a possibility.
@@incumbentvinyl9291 I actually think Lemieux is a bit underrated when people say Gretzky had more points. Mario played his whole career with the rule changes made to slow down Gretzky scoring. Plus look at Gretzky's teammates compared to Lemieux's. (Early in his career anyway) Plus the injuries that Lemieux kept coming back from somehow. Also I'm a Flyers fan and it pains me to say anything nice about any Penguin. It's all just opinion really. Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, is the best. Soon it'll be McDavid or the new kid Bedard. I wish I saw Orr play live. My father said he was just better than Howe & the only player to compare to Gretzky. Then Lemieux came along & he adjusted his opinion that those 3 were above everyone else.
As a kid in the 60s I was the only hockey player in school until 7th grade.Suddenly every body in New England wanted to play and rinks were built everywhere.Bobby Orr did that.
There were many outstanding players in hockey, few great ones, but the greatest for me are those who could work miracles on the ice and made you look at them with your mouth open - how can this be?! Bobby Orr is undoubtedly one of the greatest, if not the greatest.
Bobby Orr is and always will be the Greatest All Around hockey player EVER!!!!!. He did it all and fought his own battle's. Class and unbelievable talent.
@@scottodonnell7121 Orr was at the height of his career when he was intimidated out of two easy win cups by the Flyers. The numbers don’t lie. Orr skated fast away from fights with Clarke and the Flyers. All players sustained injuries. Orr fans need to make excuses for Orr when he doesn’t come through. So you’re saying Orr hung around to pick up a paycheck and hold his team down? Orr doesn’t make Top 10 All Time Great Defensemen. Dynasty Denny at #1🫳🏻🎤
@@toddmurphy3245 I'm not saying he "hung around". Before his knee injuries (which were the results of blatant penalties) he was two steps ahead of the league. After, he was one. Those are the words of Brad Park, a fair defenseman in his own right. The Bruins ran into 2 hot goalies in their cup losses, Dryden and Parent. The Boston goalie, Gerry Cheevers was vastly overrated and didn't help them at all. And Bobby was too smart to fight and spend wasteful minutes in the box. Ray Borque and Larry Robinson were better than Denny.
@@scottodonnell7121 Potvin is the greatest D man ever. Robinson and Ray were great. Both top 10 but not top 5. There’s no excuse for losing to the Flyers. Orr and the Big Bad Bruins as they were known as got intimidated by the Flyers. That didn’t happen to Potvin. The Isles walked over the Bruins, Flyers and Habs during their Dynasty👊🏻🏆🏆🏆🏆
Yeah - I belonged to the Bobby Orr fan club back in 1971! picked 40 Dixie cups of blueberries to sell them for 10 cents each to come up with that four bucks! Worth every blueberry.. he sent us to meet up with his friends for autographs at Kmart - Bill Lee the pitcher from Red Sox ... Both very nice men...Took time for us kids. Bobby Orr's in New Hampshire now, he took out a full page out of the local paper... A Canadien trying to convince Americans they really want to be free!
I met him once and I saw him hobble on his bad knee. I shook his hand and told him I was a die hard Habs fan but I let him know that I thought he was the greatest player I ever saw....bar none.
In the photo of Bobby Orr scoring the OT goal in the May 1970 Stanley Cup finals against St. Louis, you will see that Blues defenseman Noel Picard tripped him. Years later Noel Picard's daughter started college in Boston and Bobby Orr helped her find accommodation and get settled something Noel Picard said his family never forgot
I was addicted to listening to the radio and watching Bruins hockey on WSBK TV in the Bobby Orr years....unforgettable....it is interesting to hear other professional players speak of his talents....there were many times he would make other skaters look like they were standing still
For someone my age we have to go back and watch replays of some full games Orr played in to fully understand just how dominant he was. He was winning scoring titles on crappy knees. Imagine this guy with healthy knees. Imagine Orr playing in that summit series.
"Bobby Orr Was The First Hockey Player To Win The Rookie of The Year Award, The Con Smythe Trophy & The Most Valuable Player Award in The Same Season!"
I was in a hospital with a major operation 2 years ago a cousin of mine brought me Bobby Orr's book signed by him to perk me up i grew up in the Orr era thanks Tom F and thank you Mr. Orr i finally got your autograph after all these years
Grew up watching Bobby Orr. Played 12 seasons 5 of those in and out of knee Surgerys look at the numbers he put up, no one better on Defense. Ty Bobby for the memory's. # 4
Bobby Orr was so great. As a Habs fan I always believed that with Bobby in, the Bruins would have take away 1 or 2 cups from the '76-'79 Habs dynasty. Orr was at another level
... sorry buddy but we had better in Mtl. With Serge Savard ( 9 cups), who needs Orr ?? + Lapointe, Robinson, JC Tremblay .... For short the CH always had at least 5 or 6 Orrs in it's line up.
First of all, as a player Savard won 8 cups not 9. The Habs had the big 3⃣ but no one come even close to the great Bobby Orr. Orr was at another level, way up there
@@toddmurphy3245 what’s amazing is idiots like you who don’t probably don’t know a single thing about hockey who decide to come out of their parents basement and show your stupidity.
@@odiecalodie I know a whole lot about hockey so you can drop that head in the sand excuse for not being able to back your bs up. Ask me before assuming. I know that the 76 Canada Cup was an overhyped joke of a tournament designed to get back at the Russians for humiliating team Canada in the Summit Series. I know that the Russians saw this from a mile away and sent their lower level team to play in this incredibly weak competition tournament. Czech was the only other decent team in the tournament. Orr got the MVPity award for this crap but a young Russian player named Viktor Zhluktov had 5 goals to Orrs 2 and tied in points (9) while playing in two less games💁🏻♂️ If you think Orr (being helped by 16 Hall of Famers) deserved the MVP over Zhluktov then you’re flat out bias. Just look up the scores and enjoy the truth. You got brainwashed by the NHL. They sell the game and suckers eat it up. Orr was fast. He skated fast from the Flyers and took two cheap cups right out of his and the not so big and bad Bruins hands. Or got bullied out of two cups at the height of his career. The stats don’t lie. Look them up💁🏻♂️
@@odiecalodie they show 1 hour Orr highlite vids on RUclips. If you made a highlite video of Orrs fights it would last a minute because he couldn’t fight. He was frail and only completed two full seasons while playing in a half career. Not sure why they blow his injuries out of proportion when injuries are very common in hockey. Most players don’t use their injuries as an excuse because it’s part of the game.
@@toddmurphy3245 MVP awards, Norris Trophies ( 8 in a row? ) 2 Cups 2 Smythe Trophies, 100 point seasons ( when few Dmen got 50 ) First All Star picks 8 or 9 years running; ; yeah, you've got an idea what you're talking about.
Orr was unique and fabulous. Since, we have seen a few players come close to his awesome abilities, but not exceed. He is the greatest for his feats and for changing the game: nobody else has, and doubtful nobody ever will. Current and future generations can learn from him, and be thankful we had the tech to capture moments of his brilliance. Truly, a legend.
I'm a Habs fan. I HATED the Bruins. We're natural enemies. That's why the 71 cup was our sweetest ever. I gotta say though, Bobby is the greatest player in the history of this great game. The. Best. Ever. And he's genuinely a wonderful person, too. The pride of Parry Sound, Ontario.
I'm a Bruins fan. Used to be a diehard, now I'm a casual fan. Born 1970. I hated (past tense) the Habs in the '80s. The Bruins lost to the Habs in the playoffs in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987. They were the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th consecutive playoff series defeats to Montreal. When the Bruins finally prevailed in 1988 for the first time since 1943, it was more satisfying to me than winning the Cup in 2011. In 1991 or 1992 I saw both teams play at the Forum. I wore a Bruins sweatshirt and not one person bothered me; I always remember that. Now I sincerely hope that Toronto or Montreal or any team in Canada wins the Cup soon.
I remember that series well when Montreal beat the heavily favoured Bruins. Frank Mahovlich played the best of his life and of course "The rookie goalie" Ken Dryden was unbelievable.
I still recall,hazily,that famous Cup winning goal on the first color tv we owned,bought by my Grandmother. I was only eight. I became a Leafs fan,but I ALWAYS knew that Orr was the best. They used to boo him at MLG because they knew he was the best. My opinion has not changed. He changed the game like no other,a true revolutionary. He could play today and still dominate. Still number one.
Only great when playing against the AHL quality teams that filled up that joke of a league. This video is solid proof that Orr played against the worst teams ever assembled in NHL history. Try naming some of the opponents🤣
The true GOAT of hockey. No argument. He won the damn scoring title as a defenseman. Show me a forward that redefines defense while still excelling offensively and maybe then we have a discussion.
@@paulbaglio6295 Damn "copy/paste" ! ... you know as a beggar and toothless French Canadian I only did the third year in school but of course I'm not Bobby Orr.
I'm 64 from Buffalo and now only after watching this can I appreciate how good he was. As a kid I always hated the other team to the point of distortion.😉
"This Was True & Buffalo Sabres Were Always A God Rivalry Team In Which I Used Like Too Being local To New England!" "I Used To Like To Watch The games In The Evening After Practicing On The Pond Hockey Games to BackOur First Northeast Rinks From Burris illegal Levy Rink to Mount Saint Charles Rink to The Smithfield Rinks & Providence, Rhode Island Rink & Providence Civic Center to The Pomfret Hockey Rink & Leagues!"
Bobby Orr was the best hands down all time rushing defenceman. He was a masterful skater and their won't be another player in my life time better. Watched him play in my home town of Oshawa. Even though my dad made me a Habs fan in my younger days., Bobby Orr #4 , It will always be my wish to meet him before I pass on. Thanks for all the great hockey memories. Rick from Ottawa.
loved his penalty killing way....in 72 vs the Rangers he was killing penalty by going in circles while the rabid ny Ranger crowd in NYC howled! they called it ' ragging the puck' it was epic!
Thanks for adding this video to RUclips! I didn't have the pleasure of watching Bobby Orr play when I was young (grew up in the 80's), but what an amazing defenceman!
I remember seeing the Bobby Orr statue in Boston some 8 years ago and it really made an impression on me. I vaguely knew who he was, but I've never seen a tape of him play until now. Looking back at these videos and hockey today you get the sense that Bobby was the only one on the field who could play and probably still do well in a hockey team of today.
Man I wish we could have seen him wheel with modern equipment. Skating in a paid of new Bauer Supremes or Vapors, shooting with a carbon composite 85 flex stick. He'd be great to watch skating even faster with new skates.
Say what you want about Joe Dimaggio and his 56 game hitting streak and all the other records that people say will never be broken. What no one talks about is Bobby Orr winning the best defenceman award 8 years in a row and winning the scoring title twice during those 8 years. Unfathomable really...Never happened before and will never happen again. Also, at 22 years old he won all four major NHL awards for that season (70/71)...again, never happened before or since. He stands alone as the greatest athlete to ever live. Show me another player in any sport that was identified and recruited at 12 years old? And as great as he was...he is even a greater human being. For me, the comparison to anyone is not even close.
Have you ever heard of a guy named Gretzky? Why don't you mention his 50 plus NHL records. Gretzky was far ahead of his peers, during his era. Alot more than Orr. That's just facts. And I'm an Orr fan too.
I have a Memory about a game. There was a Fight and it ended up "Standing Room Only" in the Penalty Box for the Bruins. As I Remember they even had someone from the bench in the Box, A Stand-in for the Goalie who was called. I think that they had 5 Players in the Box. Bobby went out and put on a Penalty Killing Clinic. Would Love to See that Video Clip Over & Over Again!!!
After they won Cup #2, they. lost Eddie Westfall to expansion, Gerry Cheevers, Derek Sanderson, Johnny McKenzie and Ted Green to the WHA, How many teams could afford to lose 5 key veterans at once. That doesn't even take into account the power of the Habs and Flyers. Bernie Parent's goaltending in 1974 may have only been surpassed by Roy in'86 and '93. If Orr had stayed healthy, they probably win more than 2, but so what? Can't believe Scotty Bowman considers the Hawks of Kane and Toews greater than the Bruins of Bobby and Phil; senility?
Never noticed he used his upper arm/shoulder while flat on the ice to move the puck to his stick to make the pass to Chief (21:53) for the goal ... beauty !
Indeed. And modern day fans think the Ovechkin goal was "the greatest ever". Clearly they have never seen Orr play. At the time we used to marvel at and try to imitate how Orr and Co. would 'rag the puck'.
@@gregland9464 What's really funny was that Savard, Lapointe and Robinson stole something from the Orr playbook when killing a penalty. Orr would steal the puck from the offence and wouldn't give it back to the team who had the powerplay. The big 3 of Montreal copied that trick later on.
To win the Art Ross as a defenseman should not be possible. But it's not just his offense, he could do everything. What makes him even more special is that he played most of his career through injuries.
The best way to assess a player is to put 6 of the same guy on the ice at the same time....against 6 of another player. You then see how great Orr really was.....He was sniper, he was a defenseman and he was Cheevers second goaltender. He could do it all.
As a young boy I hated Bobby Orr. His skill was terrifying and I knew he could demolish my beloved Maple Leafs almost single handed, which he did on more than 1 occasion. Today I freely admit that Orr was the greatest hockey player ever, without exception. He was *phenomenal* . We won't see the likes of him again
Milt Smidt signed Bobby Orr and I saw him once say something to the effect....if there is another player like Bobby Orr I hope I live long enough to see him because that will be some kind of hockey player.....Milt played on the Kraut line for the Bruins
Best hockey player ever. His last healthy season in 1974/75 he scored 46 goals and 135 points. Imagine Orr in the wideopen 1980's. He would have scored 200 points as a defenseman.
... lol ... are you sure he was a " defenseman" ?????!! Let's just say that when he was on the ici the Bruins were 4 offensive players and one lonely defenseman. No wonder why montreal won so many cups.
@@treygray2817 He played all 80 games. Did he have pain of course but to suggest he wasn't able to play is ridiculous! Playing all 80 games is having a healthy season especially when you produced as he did! My late cousin worked for the Rangers from 65 to 78 and is in John Ferguson's book Thunder and Lightning on 5 pages and Fergie called him his Best NY Pal and in 1973 he got me a brand new Bobby Orr hockey stick from the allstar game in NY. I still have that stick that was never used! It's not even taped! Just a beautiful Bobby Orr stick with his name stenciled on it and the black and yellow little Bruins tape on the shaft of the stick!
@@jacksmith5692 My point is he was healthy enough to play but nowhere near 100%. Had he been fully healthy he would have produced at an even higher level.
@@treygray2817 How the hell do you know how he was? He played EVERY game and had 135 points and 46 goals. They say in the NFL after a few weeks almost everybody is hurting and never 100% perfect it's the nature of the game. If a guy plays every game and produces like he did he was healthy period! As Gordie Howe was scoring 96 points at age 50 was he as healthy as when he was 25? No but he played a full season and scored almost 100 points! That is a healthy season! In 1984 Brad Park was 35 and played all 80 games with Detroit. Was he as healthy as when he was 20 as a Ranger rookie? Of course not but he played every game so it was a healthy season and he had 53 assists with a bad Detroit team. Did he have the speed he had as a rookie? Not even close but he played every game. That is a healthy season! Every player has a peak performance and then they level off. It's called being a human and aging but if you play all 80 games and have 135 points and 46 goals in a tight checking NHL you had a healthy season with peak performance!
There is a story that is told of St. Peter showing some new arrivals around heaven. On the tour they come to a majestic hockey arena where the sound of ice skates and slap shots are evident. When they see the ice there is someone on the ice all dressed in white skating.....St. Peter is asked who that might be and he responds with a grin and a soft chuckle and says....that is God pretending he is Bobby Orr again.
"Mr.Thomas Kelley When We All Played Hockey We Always Played Trying To Mimic The Hockey Style of Pleasant Like Bobby Orr & Those Whom Played Hockey Like Derek Sanderson Whom I Often Mimicked & Followed Throughout The Bobby Orr!" "My TX Brothers & I Played Hockey For Many Years & Played With & Against A Lot Of PLAYERS All In Which Helped Improve The Game Of Hockey, And When Bobby Orr Came Into Game Of Hockey He Changed Hockey In The & Format & Manner in Which We All Played Hockey!" "Bobby Orr Was One Player Whom Improved & Changed The Style, Speed, & Standard of Hockey In Which Everyone & Our Kids Play Today & Set Standard For Years To Come!"
u know what..... i met the man once. i know tons of nhlers. love them all humble hard working guys, when i came before this guy, i started crying, actually bawling my eyes out. i am a mediocre chrstian at the best of times, but i swear, this guy was, not of this world, he was divine, angelic. never been like that since.
"Still Have The Tapes, Orr to Espisito, Bobby Orr & The Big, Bad, Bruins, Derek Sandersons, Sanderson to Orr Stanley Cup Win in Which My Whole Family & Neighborhood Friends Because We Had The Only or One Of The First Color Televisions in The Neighborhood!"
Gretzky didn't change the game. He didn't change anything about the position he played. Orr changed the entire game of hockey. He made the whole league better in trying just to stop him, to develop strategies, he made players better, he made players develop skills they would never have thought of. He forced the coaches in the NHL to change how their team would play. The game being played today in the NHL is because of one single player and his name is Bobby Orr. He created the Coffey's etc that came after him. Orr more than any other player I ever saw in over 60 years changed how hockey is played around the world. He wasn't only great at his position he changed how the game was played. I have never seen anyone else do that who I can think of. The NHL should be ashamed of itself for not naming an award after Bobby Orr.
He controlled the game. He was a quarterback the play maker. At the same time his speed allowed him to play defence and safety.. Yes those are football terms but... Watch him Its very true just amazing. I am ashamed he got purposly reinjured. :( 💔
He was a Defensemen; and he played like a Forward, and scored more points than every forward with the exception of only Phil Esposito, whom he kept feeding with assists. Best player ever ... he was a work of art on skates.
The first NHL game I ever saw was on Dec. 3, 1966 at the Boston Garden in a 2-2 tie with the Rangers. Orr, in his first season got an assist on the games first goal by Bucyk. That game was a big treat for a 14 year old Canadian kid.
Orr's biggest loss was using 1960's medical procedures to repair, destroy his knees and limiting his career by 10 years. It's always unfair to compare players from era's. Orr was simply the greatest. Only McDavid approaches Orr's skating. It's a pleasure to watch Howe, Gretky, etc. in their era's.
I remember the year Dryden and Montreal stole the cup from Orr and the Bruins, I went to see a regular season game at the Forum. Every moment Orr came on the ice everybody rose from their seats to watch his magic. The Bruins dominated that game winning 8-0. Orr was the difference. The funny thing, the crowd cheered Orr after the game was out of reach, not in a mocked way, but out of respect for the greatest player to ever play the game. He was that great.
@@appletile2887 What? Boston beat the Habs in the Montreal Forum, 8-0? What was the date of that game? Montreal never got shut out that badly against any team in the Forum in the 1970's, as I recall.
@@jamesanthony5681 I guess my age is catching up to me. It wasn't in 1971 it was 1974.....January 19, 1974. When I write these comments I strictly use my memory.....sometimes it hits an error message....lol
@@appletile2887 OK, thanks. I forgot about that game, and it was a huge drubbing in the Forum. Scotty must have been raging mad after the game, especially since Montreal was the defending Cup champs.
Montreal Canadiens fan but love Bobby Orr why hasn t Gary Bettman who is the commissioner of the NHL created a trophy for the best offensive defensemen in the league. Bobby deserve a trophy named after him .
As a lifelong Bruins fan, i wish i were alive during this era...ive seen some good Bruins teams...Neely, Moog, Bourque, Ruziscka, Sweeney, ...the 2011 Stanley Cup team...PJ Stock Crew..and the team we have now Bergeron, Marchand etc..we are lucky to have such great clubs..i wish i was around for this 1970 team tho..love watching the footage
there are people in Parry Sound that have said that Bobby Orr's father may have been more talented than he was--however, WW2 and a leg injury ended any chance he had for a professional career
ON ONE BAD KNEE! My Brother was a Bruins fan for life after watching him. 64 and STILL LOVES the Bruins. He was Bobby Orr and I was the greatest player of all time Keith Magnuson No.3.
It's important to remember that Orr's career was, effectively, over at just age 27 when the 75 season ended, he would lace up his skated just 36 more times over the following 3 seasons. Hockey players peak around age 28 or 29; but Bobby's best season was 1970-71 at just age 22. It's amazing - but we never saw Orr at the best he was capable of playing if not for those knee injuries.
When you are noticed by a professional sports team at age 12....12! then you have talent given to you by God. Yes Bobby Orr worked on his game like all professional athletes but he was given gifts by the hockey gods and you had to see him live in a game to see and believe how good he was because you couldn't explain it. He was so fast on the ice that he revolutionized the defenseman position because he could take the puck from behind his own net and weave through every opposing player and score or if he didn't score he was fast enough to get back on defense break up the opposing teams rush...unbelievable! #4 is the GOAT and even Gretzky says that.
Blackhawks got Orr in the twilite of his GREAT career ,but even then after all the injuries he was magic to see . Fastest skater I ever seen ! His one man rushes up the ice were incredible.
What I really admire about this video is how humble all these superstars and Hall of Famers are. They always give the credit to their teammates and never take the spotlight for themselves.
The sun rose and set on Bobby while I grew up in Massachusetts. He was the reason for expansion and you can say Gretzky. Howe were greatest but you test the greatest in most sports considering both offense and defense. There is only one "Greatest "hockey player ever.No 4
I'm so sorry for my previous comment😔 you got to admit, that those hockey days were rough, anything goes hockey and Bobby knew how to evade checks with ease from his talented skating 👍
When Pat Quinn laid out Bobby Orr out cold in the Boston Gardens where the Bruins won 10-0 I believe Quinn needed a police escort to get out of the building because the fans were going to rip him apart. I remember someone saying that someone had a revolver to shoot him. Back then Hockey was a very violent sport not like the game today.
Here's Bobby Orr's enduring legacy: At one point during the '60s there was only one American in the NHL, Tommy Williams, from Duluth, Minnesota, where lakes stay frozen in the winter. In the southern, most populous areas of New England, it doesn't always stay cold long enough for lakes to freeze. Despite this, before Bobby Orr, there were few indoor arenas. Now there are several hundred, and there have been several hundred New England-born NHL players. When I'm at a rink I often see Bobby Orr jerseys on kids whose fathers are too young to have seen Orr play.
James Madden Sadly, the lakes don't stay frozen all winter anymore in northern Minnesota. I've lived in Minnesota for over 50 years, the vast majority in the Twin Cities metro area. Grew up watching the North Stars and going to games at the old Met. Even though I loved the North Stars, I also loved the Bruins. I worshipped Bobby Orr. If the Bruins were coming to town, I begged, pleaded, and did everything short of holding my parents and brother hostage until my demands were met. Thankfully, I was able to see him play in person twice. Those 2 times will remain etched in my memory. We had a park with a regular rink and a hockey rink about a block from our house. Spent our winters up there along with my friends and the rest of the neighborhood. If the ice got slushy, boot hockey it was. We even had a net in our basement. That was our indoor rink year round. Was blessed to have played in high school, where the hockey players were Gods as opposed to the football players. Regardless, great memories for sure. And even though I'm a Minnesotan, I have a lot of respect for New England hockey. Makes for great rivalries. All the best!!!
@@JPMadden You have NO idea!!! People are a bit cautious, however. There are reasons fans are skeptical and don't want to get too anxious. One reason is the North Stars. Twice in the Stanley Cup finals, only to come up empty both times...........and then the "coup de grace:" The move to Dallas. So seven.....seven long years with no pro hockey. Then we got the Wild and just as you mentioned, years of mediocrity. Things are looking up. But I'll believe it when I see the captain of the Wild hoisting the Cup above his head. If that happens, bedlam will ensue for days on end. I just hope it happens before I hang up my skates for good.
One day, a few years ago, a young man ( way too young to have watched him play ) commented on my Orr jersey in Charlottetown: " I don't know you, but you're an awesome guy."
As much as I like a lot of the superstars of the last 30 years...none had the class and humility that Bobby had when he scored a goal. These days they jump around and celebrate like children. Bobby had class. Easily the greatest defenceman of all time and arguably the greatest overall player of all time.
I agree, McDavid is the only player I’ve ever seen who’s skating and skill set may match Orr’s. The sun rose and set for me on Bobby Orr when I was growing up. I never thought I would live to see a player with skills to match Orr but McDavid might be the one.
Thank GOD we have color footage of Orr at his peak from 1970-75. If we didn't we would have to guess at his greatness like a Sugar Ray Robinson whose 1940s Welterweight dominance was sadly never filmed or was lost to time. Like Ali's 1967-1969 lost years when we never got to see the best Ali. Without the footage the Orr myth created by the players who played with and against him and the fans who were lucky to have witnessed him would be so huge it would be like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. People would say we inflated him. No player has highlights like Orr. Mario comes the closest in terms of pure talent on the ice. All they lacked was a healthy 20 year career which Gretzky had. Give him credit for having it, but in terms of the ultimate hockey player in one era there was NO ONE that comes close to the excellence and overall balance of Orr as a hockey player. Best defender, center, goalie, fighter. ever. His plus/minus stats are crazy!!! He was an alien. A gift from GOD. Mozart on skates. And the fact he did it on one leg the whole time makes it even more amazing.
With Gretzky, Howe, Orr is a legend definitely best ever Dman, but why couldn’t my Leafs get him he would of even been a bigger legend playing for his home province, I’ve seen the love he gets when in Ontario playing golf or at Leafs games!
Best player to ever play the game. If he didn't have bad knees that made him retire early he would've won 12+ Norris and 5+ Hart trophies. Probably would've finished his career with 1800+ points.
This may be silly to people...but I was 12 years old in 72...and I no access to consistent ice in a rural Mass area so i plated street hockey under the streetlights until my parents dragged me inside....he was our God.....
Bobby Orr could probably play all five player positions and excel. He didn't skate, he glided over the ice smooth as silk and with tremendous acceleration. The most dominant player ever.
"From The Greastest Hockey Player That Ever Played & Changed The Speed Of The Game Of Hockey, Bobby Orr To The Many Others Like The Great One, Phil Espisito, Tony Espisito, Gerry Cheevers, Ed Johnson, Tim Thomas, Mooge Ed Westfall, Brad Park, Don Auwrey, Teddy Green, Dalllas Smith, Rick Smith, Bobby Smartz, Great One, Wayne Gretzky, to Claude Lemiux, Willie O'Ree, Derek Sanderson, Mario Lemiux, Paul Coffee & Many Others Whom Played The Game of Hockey & Many More To Come!" "They Are Still Inspiring All of Us & Many Generations to Come!" "A Lot Of Us Grew Up Playing With Them & Against Them Growing Up in New England to Canada, & The Rest of The United States of America!"
"And Not To Forget Mario Lemiux, Ken Dryden, Brad Park, Gordie Howe, The Little Ball of Hate-Brad Marchand, Joe Thorton, & One Of My Favorite, Stan Jonathon!" "There Are Many More Of Course Who Had A Had A Positive Impact On The Game Of Hockey!"
Gotta say every time I hear this narrator say bobby could play defence like a DEMON it really bothers me.one of the nicest most humble people God ever put on yhis earth
There are some early games on you tube, and the Leaf announcers are in shock watching the young Orr...He could be a Twenty Goal Scorer if Sinden moved him to Wing!
@@tom7471 the Leaf announcers said he could be a 20 goal scorer...that was a mark of excellence back in 1966...they underestimated how good he would become, i think it was his 4th nhl game!
Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Geordie Howe, Bobby Hull and just for fun, Connor McDavid… How’s that for a team, imagine Ken Dryden in net as well. We have seen some amazing hockey talent over the years….
Imagine how many years he could have played if not for the Cheap shots on his knees and barbaric surgeons of the day. Definitely in the Top 3 Greatest players ever.
He literally put hockey on the map in the greater Boston area. Everyone was playing street hockey and pond hockey as a result. Massachusetts is a Hockey Mecca asa result of Orr. All the major colleges and prep schools in Massachusetts draw elite players form all over the world. Orr is indirectly responsible.
Notice when he scores a goal, he is almost embarrassed for his opponent. One of the humblest superstars ever.
yup, said what the kids are taught today, Crap I sound like my dad.
Yup - great athlete, greater Human Being!
Talent wise he was well ahead of everybody else.....
I really believe the only reason there’s any question as to whether or not Bobby Orr was the greatest is because there was no cable or satellite TV at the time. If you didn’t live in New England you didn’t get to watch Bobby Orr play very often. I lived in New Jersey and we only got to see him when he played the Rangers on New York television. Even so, with just that limited viewing it was obvious how great he was! The fact that he won the scoring title and the Norris trophy for best defenseman in the same year twice is absolutely amazing! With all due respect to Gretzky, Lemieux and Howe, Bobby Orr is the G. O. A. T.
Precisely. Btw, Habs fan here (56 yrs). Really, there should be no argument, but the loyalties to the 3 you mentioned are understandable. Off the ice, with his demeanor, humility and his rapport with fans and the media...class all the way. I really think only Beliveau joins him in this regard on that lofty perch. I may be wrong about this and there is no real way to prove it, but my sense is that of all the unbelievably great players for Boston (NE, in football) teams in every major sport all time, Orr is the most beloved by fans...even to this day. That is a true measure of one's legacy.
Peter, whenever Bobby and the Bruins came to L.A., it felt like they would come to break records, win games and maybe visit Disneyland before going home for some real work! As one of the few Kings fans back then, just watching the Bruins play was frustrating. Our owner liked big names, but basically stocked our team with geriatrics-some of whom made the Hall of Fame-soon after they retired. But Orr would/could blow right by nearly everyone on our team. And whether it was Rutledge or Desjardins or Dejordy or Edwards, and finally with Rogie, Orr was pretty much unstoppable. And if he somehow missed, there was always Espo or Cashman or Hodge or Bucyk to pop the puck in to the net. All these years later, I can only say I feel honored to have gotten to see so many of those legends play...p.s. a ticket by the flagpole cost around $3 dollars and the Forum was usually half empty, so we could sneak down in to great seats. Those were great days...p.s. rest in peace Garnet "Ace" Bailey!
there's now questioning it, he is the best
Orr was extremely dominant and changed the game forever.
However, he wasn't as dominant and as far ahead of his peers as Gretzky was. The only player in Gretzky's era to actually challenge his greatness was Lemieux, who some will say is the biggest talent to ever play the game. Even he didn't come very close and Lemieux is without a doubt a Top 4 player all time, and the distance between Gretzky and the #3 at the time was like the difference between a first line center and a third line center. Double the points was a possibility.
@@incumbentvinyl9291 I actually think Lemieux is a bit underrated when people say Gretzky had more points. Mario played his whole career with the rule changes made to slow down Gretzky scoring. Plus look at Gretzky's teammates compared to Lemieux's. (Early in his career anyway) Plus the injuries that Lemieux kept coming back from somehow. Also I'm a Flyers fan and it pains me to say anything nice about any Penguin. It's all just opinion really. Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, is the best. Soon it'll be McDavid or the new kid Bedard.
I wish I saw Orr play live. My father said he was just better than Howe & the only player to compare to Gretzky. Then Lemieux came along & he adjusted his opinion that those 3 were above everyone else.
As a kid in the 60s I was the only hockey player in school until 7th grade.Suddenly every body in New England wanted to play and rinks were built everywhere.Bobby Orr did that.
)
@@josephkennedy7365 He's the reason I started playing...sadly I wasn't much of a skater, coach said we need goalies too.
Nobody in History - Has Ever Been as Good!! As BOBBY ORR!!
Potvin created a Dynasty🏆🏆🏆🏆>🏆🏆
Habs life’s up 8 cups during Orrs half career in the league. 🤣😂😅🥲🤣😂😅🥲
blah blah
@@cameronpickard7456 Orr couldn’t fight
There were many outstanding players in hockey, few great ones, but the greatest for me are those who could work miracles on the ice and made you look at them with your mouth open - how can this be?! Bobby Orr is undoubtedly one of the greatest, if not the greatest.
Bobby Orr is and always will be the Greatest All Around hockey player EVER!!!!!. He did it all and fought his own battle's. Class and unbelievable talent.
Potvin had more Norris trophies when in the league with Orr💁🏻♂️
@@toddmurphy3245 which is after several knee operations He had lost a step by then
@@scottodonnell7121 Orr was at the height of his career when he was intimidated out of two easy win cups by the Flyers. The numbers don’t lie. Orr skated fast away from fights with Clarke and the Flyers. All players sustained injuries. Orr fans need to make excuses for Orr when he doesn’t come through. So you’re saying Orr hung around to pick up a paycheck and hold his team down? Orr doesn’t make Top 10 All Time Great Defensemen. Dynasty Denny at #1🫳🏻🎤
@@toddmurphy3245 I'm not saying he "hung around". Before his knee injuries (which were the results of blatant penalties) he was two steps ahead of the league. After, he was one. Those are the words of Brad Park, a fair defenseman in his own right. The Bruins ran into 2 hot goalies in their cup losses, Dryden and Parent. The Boston goalie, Gerry Cheevers was vastly overrated and didn't help them at all. And Bobby was too smart to fight and spend wasteful minutes in the box.
Ray Borque and Larry Robinson were better than Denny.
@@scottodonnell7121 Potvin is the greatest D man ever. Robinson and Ray were great. Both top 10 but not top 5. There’s no excuse for losing to the Flyers. Orr and the Big Bad Bruins as they were known as got intimidated by the Flyers. That didn’t happen to Potvin. The Isles walked over the Bruins, Flyers and Habs during their Dynasty👊🏻🏆🏆🏆🏆
I’ve met Mr.Orr twice. Nicest man in the world. Had time for everyone.
Yeah - I belonged to the Bobby Orr fan club back in 1971!
picked 40 Dixie cups of blueberries to sell them for 10 cents each to come up with that four bucks! Worth every blueberry.. he sent us to meet up with his friends for autographs at Kmart - Bill Lee the pitcher from Red Sox ... Both very nice men...Took time for us kids.
Bobby Orr's in New Hampshire now, he took out a full page out of the local paper... A Canadien trying to convince Americans they really want to be free!
I met him once and I saw him hobble on his bad knee. I shook his hand and told him I was a die hard Habs fan but I let him know that I thought he was the greatest player I ever saw....bar none.
In the photo of Bobby Orr scoring the OT goal in the May 1970 Stanley Cup finals against St. Louis, you will see that Blues defenseman Noel Picard tripped him. Years later Noel Picard's daughter started college in Boston and Bobby Orr helped her find accommodation and get settled something Noel Picard said his family never forgot
I was addicted to listening to the radio and watching Bruins hockey on WSBK TV in the Bobby Orr years....unforgettable....it is interesting to hear other professional players speak of his talents....there were many times he would make other skaters look like they were standing still
For someone my age we have to go back and watch replays of some full games Orr played in to fully understand just how dominant he was. He was winning scoring titles on crappy knees. Imagine this guy with healthy knees. Imagine Orr playing in that summit series.
Well said! I can’t imagine!! Thanks for watching
@Anita Rosenberg "Definitely!"
"Bobby Orr Was The First Hockey Player To Win The Rookie of The Year Award, The Con Smythe Trophy & The Most Valuable Player Award in The Same Season!"
He won the Calder in 67. He won the Norris, Ross, Hart and Smythe in 70 along with the Cup.
I was in a hospital with a major operation 2 years ago a cousin of mine brought me Bobby Orr's book signed by him to perk me up i grew up in the Orr era thanks Tom F and thank you Mr. Orr i finally got your autograph after all these years
Grew up watching Bobby Orr. Played 12 seasons 5 of those in and out of knee Surgerys look at the numbers he put up, no one better on Defense. Ty Bobby for the memory's. # 4
Bobby Orr was so great. As a Habs fan I always believed that with Bobby in, the Bruins would have take away 1 or 2 cups from the '76-'79 Habs dynasty. Orr was at another level
... sorry buddy but we had better in Mtl. With Serge Savard ( 9 cups), who needs Orr ?? + Lapointe, Robinson, JC Tremblay .... For short the CH always had at least 5 or 6 Orrs in it's line up.
You never saw him play did you? I did and 78 and 79 would be Bruins cups with a healthy Orr.
First of all, as a player Savard won 8 cups not 9. The Habs had the big 3⃣ but no one come even close to the great Bobby Orr. Orr was at another level, way up there
Yes its true Ken Dryden won the cup for the Canadiens in so many ways.
@@lornekofman2163 Bobby Orr won the cup for the Canadiens by defensive weakness.
Saw Bobby Orr play in person in his prime at the Old St Louis Arena. It was the most amazing thing I ever saw in all my years of following hockey.
That’s hilarious. What was so amazing? Beating a new expansion era team 8-0🤣 Orr is highly overrated.
@@toddmurphy3245 what’s amazing is idiots like you who don’t probably don’t know a single thing about hockey who decide to come out of their parents basement and show your stupidity.
@@odiecalodie I know a whole lot about hockey so you can drop that head in the sand excuse for not being able to back your bs up. Ask me before assuming. I know that the 76 Canada Cup was an overhyped joke of a tournament designed to get back at the Russians for humiliating team Canada in the Summit Series. I know that the Russians saw this from a mile away and sent their lower level team to play in this incredibly weak competition tournament. Czech was the only other decent team in the tournament. Orr got the MVPity award for this crap but a young Russian player named Viktor Zhluktov had 5 goals to Orrs 2 and tied in points (9) while playing in two less games💁🏻♂️ If you think Orr (being helped by 16 Hall of Famers) deserved the MVP over Zhluktov then you’re flat out bias. Just look up the scores and enjoy the truth. You got brainwashed by the NHL. They sell the game and suckers eat it up. Orr was fast. He skated fast from the Flyers and took two cheap cups right out of his and the not so big and bad Bruins hands. Or got bullied out of two cups at the height of his career. The stats don’t lie. Look them up💁🏻♂️
@@odiecalodie they show 1 hour Orr highlite vids on RUclips. If you made a highlite video of Orrs fights it would last a minute because he couldn’t fight. He was frail and only completed two full seasons while playing in a half career. Not sure why they blow his injuries out of proportion when injuries are very common in hockey. Most players don’t use their injuries as an excuse because it’s part of the game.
@@toddmurphy3245 MVP awards, Norris Trophies ( 8 in a row? ) 2 Cups 2 Smythe Trophies, 100 point seasons ( when few Dmen got 50 ) First All Star picks 8 or 9 years running; ; yeah, you've got an idea what you're talking about.
Orr was unique and fabulous. Since, we have seen a few players come close to his awesome abilities, but not exceed. He is the greatest for his feats and for changing the game: nobody else has, and doubtful nobody ever will. Current and future generations can learn from him, and be thankful we had the tech to capture moments of his brilliance. Truly, a legend.
the Real G.O.A.T.
ya wayne
I'm a Habs fan. I HATED the Bruins. We're natural enemies. That's why the 71 cup was our sweetest ever. I gotta say though, Bobby is the greatest player in the history of this great game. The. Best. Ever. And he's genuinely a wonderful person, too. The pride of Parry Sound, Ontario.
I'm a Bruins fan. Used to be a diehard, now I'm a casual fan. Born 1970. I hated (past tense) the Habs in the '80s. The Bruins lost to the Habs in the playoffs in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987. They were the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th consecutive playoff series defeats to Montreal. When the Bruins finally prevailed in 1988 for the first time since 1943, it was more satisfying to me than winning the Cup in 2011. In 1991 or 1992 I saw both teams play at the Forum. I wore a Bruins sweatshirt and not one person bothered me; I always remember that. Now I sincerely hope that Toronto or Montreal or any team in Canada wins the Cup soon.
I remember that series well when Montreal beat the heavily favoured Bruins. Frank Mahovlich played the best of his life and of course "The rookie goalie" Ken Dryden was unbelievable.
@@dennisdwyer6500 Dryden won the Conn Smythe the season before winning the Calder!
Great story by Don Cherry both teams getting a standing ovation on a goal by Orr
read his first book for some reason, maybe a gripe somewhere, its never been promoted, its out of this world great. called GRAPES.
I still recall,hazily,that famous Cup winning goal on the first color tv we owned,bought by my Grandmother. I was only eight. I became a Leafs fan,but I ALWAYS knew that Orr was the best. They used to boo him at MLG because they knew he was the best. My opinion has not changed. He changed the game like no other,a true revolutionary. He could play today and still dominate. Still number one.
Best Hockey Player ever 👏 Career was way to short unfortunately.
I agree and I lived for 22 years in Brantford ! ! !
I agree ass well !
@@rbrb3625 He could of played 20 years and own the Bruins right now if they had acl surgery back then bummer....
That sums it up perfectly.
Habs life’s up 8 cups during Orrs half career in the league. 🤣😂😅🥲🤣Potvin🏆🏆🏆🏆vs Orr🏆🏆😅🤣
The greatest hockey picture ever taken
An amazing hockey player and a fantastic defenseman.
... defense of what ???
Only great when playing against the AHL quality teams that filled up that joke of a league. This video is solid proof that Orr played against the worst teams ever assembled in NHL history. Try naming some of the opponents🤣
@@toddmurphy3245 Bobby and Dennis Hull
Brad Park Jean Ratelle, Savard, The Big M, Beliveau, Bobby Clarke, Dryden, Plante, Howe, Mikita,Eddie G,
@@scottodonnell7121 half the guys you mentioned were washed up 😂🫳🏻🎤
The true GOAT of hockey. No argument. He won the damn scoring title as a defenseman. Show me a forward that redefines defense while still excelling offensively and maybe then we have a discussion.
a running scare zebra on the ice.
@Catholic Cowboy English please?
@@paulbaglio6295 ... sorry but I think a running scare zebra on the ice describes Orr better than "goat".
@@catholiccowboy8545 you actually wrote "running scare zebra" twice lmfao
That explains everything
@@paulbaglio6295 Damn "copy/paste" ! ... you know as a beggar and toothless French Canadian I only did the third year in school but of course I'm not Bobby Orr.
I'm 64 from Buffalo and now only after watching this can I appreciate how good he was. As a kid I always hated the other team to the point of distortion.😉
"This Was True & Buffalo Sabres Were Always A God Rivalry Team In Which I Used Like Too Being local To New England!" "I Used To Like To Watch The games In The Evening After Practicing On The Pond Hockey Games to BackOur First Northeast Rinks From Burris illegal Levy Rink to Mount Saint Charles Rink to The Smithfield Rinks & Providence, Rhode Island Rink & Providence Civic Center to The Pomfret Hockey Rink & Leagues!"
Bobby Orr was the best hands down all time rushing defenceman. He was a masterful skater and their won't be another player in my life time better. Watched him play in my home town of Oshawa. Even though my dad made me a Habs fan in my younger days., Bobby Orr #4 , It will always be my wish to meet him before I pass on. Thanks for all the great hockey memories. Rick from Ottawa.
You saw him play at the Civic Auditorium. Did you go to the same high school, R.S. McLaughlin?
wow dude, you really had it special
go to the bobby orr museum on the web
loved his penalty killing way....in 72 vs the Rangers he was killing penalty by going in circles while the rabid ny Ranger crowd in NYC howled! they called it ' ragging the puck' it was epic!
Thanks for adding this video to RUclips! I didn't have the pleasure of watching Bobby Orr play when I was young (grew up in the 80's), but what an amazing defenceman!
I remember seeing the Bobby Orr statue in Boston some 8 years ago and it really made an impression on me. I vaguely knew who he was, but I've never seen a tape of him play until now. Looking back at these videos and hockey today you get the sense that Bobby was the only one on the field who could play and probably still do well in a hockey team of today.
Best ever
God bless Robert Gordon Orr!!
Man I wish we could have seen him wheel with modern equipment. Skating in a paid of new Bauer Supremes or Vapors, shooting with a carbon composite 85 flex stick. He'd be great to watch skating even faster with new skates.
Every time I saw him play what struck me was 10 skaters out there yet you could hear Orr's blades cutting ice above all the other noise.
@@johnkidd1226 Maybe he was using a deeper hallow like 3/8's? Or maybe he's still a beast.
Most amazingly thing I ever seen in in all my 55 years of following hockey was watching Bobby Orr play in person.
HIM COURNOYER, KEON, WOULD NOT, HAVE TOUCHED THE ICE.
With that new equipment they would have to put a spoiler (like race cars) on him so he would leave the ice and fly....lol
I sat beside my radio on Sunday nights to hear the CBC broadcasts from Boston. Always amazing.
Say what you want about Joe Dimaggio and his 56 game hitting streak and all the other records that people say will never be broken. What no one talks about is Bobby Orr winning the best defenceman award 8 years in a row and winning the scoring title twice during those 8 years. Unfathomable really...Never happened before and will never happen again. Also, at 22 years old he won all four major NHL awards for that season (70/71)...again, never happened before or since. He stands alone as the greatest athlete to ever live. Show me another player in any sport that was identified and recruited at 12 years old? And as great as he was...he is even a greater human being. For me, the comparison to anyone is not even close.
Have you ever heard of a guy named Gretzky? Why don't you mention his 50 plus NHL records. Gretzky was far ahead of his peers, during his era. Alot more than Orr. That's just facts. And I'm an Orr fan too.
@@davescholten1229 He never achieved anything offensively as a defenceman in his career as Orr did. He's #2 in my opinion.
I have a Memory about a game. There was a Fight and it ended up "Standing Room Only" in the Penalty Box for the Bruins. As I Remember they even had someone from the bench in the Box, A Stand-in for the Goalie who was called. I think that they had 5 Players in the Box. Bobby went out and put on a Penalty Killing Clinic. Would Love to See that Video Clip Over & Over Again!!!
The big three from Montreal stole that from Bobby Orr the way he would steal the puck and wouldn't give it back to the team who had the power play.
They should have won more than 2 Stanley Cups with that team
Especially considering how bad most of the other teams were.
True...They ran into great goalies in Dryden in '71 and Parent in '74 that cost them 2 Cups...and I am saying that as a Flyer fan...
I dont think Sinden was a very good coach.
After they won Cup #2, they. lost Eddie Westfall to expansion, Gerry Cheevers, Derek Sanderson, Johnny McKenzie and Ted Green to the WHA, How many teams could afford to lose 5 key veterans at once. That doesn't even take into account the power of the Habs and Flyers. Bernie Parent's goaltending in 1974 may have only been surpassed by Roy in'86 and '93. If Orr had stayed healthy, they probably win more than 2, but so what? Can't believe Scotty Bowman considers the Hawks of Kane and Toews greater than the Bruins of Bobby and Phil; senility?
I agree. I'm a Leafs fan but thoroughly expected that team to win a lot of Cups.
Never noticed he used his upper arm/shoulder while flat on the ice to move the puck to his stick to make the pass to Chief (21:53) for the goal ... beauty !
I just noticed this on another video just before watching this one, even though I've seen that play like 50 times. Unreal.
Indeed. And modern day fans think the Ovechkin goal was "the greatest ever". Clearly they have never seen Orr play. At the time we used to marvel at and try to imitate how Orr and Co. would 'rag the puck'.
@@gregland9464 What's really funny was that Savard, Lapointe and Robinson stole something from the Orr playbook when killing a penalty. Orr would steal the puck from the offence and wouldn't give it back to the team who had the powerplay. The big 3 of Montreal copied that trick later on.
To win the Art Ross as a defenseman should not be possible. But it's not just his offense, he could do everything. What makes him even more special is that he played most of his career through injuries.
The best way to assess a player is to put 6 of the same guy on the ice at the same time....against 6 of another player. You then see how great Orr really was.....He was sniper, he was a defenseman and he was Cheevers second goaltender. He could do it all.
As a young boy I hated Bobby Orr. His skill was terrifying and I knew he could demolish my beloved Maple Leafs almost single handed, which he did on more than 1 occasion. Today I freely admit that Orr was the greatest hockey player ever, without exception. He was *phenomenal* . We won't see the likes of him again
No Doubt..... and we stole him right out from under you......Ontario boy!!!
Toronto folks know their hockey.....So does Boston. Gretsky, Lemieux, Howe, blah blah blah no one even close to Orr!
Milt Smidt signed Bobby Orr and I saw him once say something to the effect....if there is another player like Bobby Orr I hope I live long enough to see him because that will be some kind of hockey player.....Milt played on the Kraut line for the Bruins
You express it perfectly. I felt the same way but I was a Habs kid. I can accept it now as a senior but I hated him as a kid. Orr is the GOAT.
Gifted player & gentleman.
Thanks for posting this. The first NHL game I ever saw in person was Bobby Orr and The Bruins vs. Toronto on March 16, 1974. He was simply amazing.
Best hockey player ever. His last healthy season in 1974/75 he scored 46 goals and 135 points. Imagine Orr in the wideopen 1980's. He would have scored 200 points as a defenseman.
... lol ... are you sure he was a " defenseman" ?????!! Let's just say that when he was on the ici the Bruins were 4 offensive players and one lonely defenseman. No wonder why montreal won so many cups.
It wasn't a healthy season. Orr was essentially never healthy and still produced on the level he did. The greatest talent in NHL history.
@@treygray2817 He played all 80 games. Did he have pain of course but to suggest he wasn't able to play is ridiculous! Playing all 80 games is having a healthy season especially when you produced as he did!
My late cousin worked for the Rangers from 65 to 78 and is in John Ferguson's book Thunder and Lightning on 5 pages and Fergie called him his Best NY Pal and in 1973 he got me a brand new Bobby Orr hockey stick from the allstar game in NY.
I still have that stick that was never used! It's not even taped! Just a beautiful Bobby Orr stick with his name stenciled on it and the black and yellow little Bruins tape on the shaft of the stick!
@@jacksmith5692 My point is he was healthy enough to play but nowhere near 100%. Had he been fully healthy he would have produced at an even higher level.
@@treygray2817 How the hell do you know how he was? He played EVERY game and had 135 points and 46 goals. They say in the NFL after a few weeks almost everybody is hurting and never 100% perfect it's the nature of the game.
If a guy plays every game and produces like he did he was healthy period!
As Gordie Howe was scoring 96 points at age 50 was he as healthy as when he was 25? No but he played a full season and scored almost 100 points!
That is a healthy season!
In 1984 Brad Park was 35 and played all 80 games with Detroit. Was he as healthy as when he was 20 as a Ranger rookie?
Of course not but he played every game so it was a healthy season and he had 53 assists with a bad Detroit team. Did he have the speed he had as a rookie? Not even close but he played every game. That is a healthy season!
Every player has a peak performance and then they level off. It's called being a human and aging but if you play all 80 games and have 135 points and 46 goals in a tight checking NHL you had a healthy season with peak performance!
Orr was the best defenceman who ever played.....he was the best goalie who ever played without goalie pads!
.. lol ... true. Do you know he used to sell peanuts too , but just between the periods.
He was the best everything dude.....
@@catholiccowboy8545 He was the best everything dude.....
There is a story that is told of St. Peter showing some new arrivals around heaven. On the tour they come to a majestic hockey arena where the sound of ice skates and slap shots are evident. When they see the ice there is someone on the ice all dressed in white skating.....St. Peter is asked who that might be and he responds with a grin and a soft chuckle and says....that is God pretending he is Bobby Orr again.
"Mr.Thomas Kelley When We All Played Hockey We Always Played Trying To Mimic The Hockey Style of Pleasant Like Bobby Orr & Those Whom Played Hockey Like Derek Sanderson Whom I Often Mimicked & Followed Throughout The Bobby Orr!" "My TX Brothers & I Played Hockey For Many Years & Played With & Against A Lot Of PLAYERS All In Which Helped Improve The Game Of Hockey, And When Bobby Orr Came Into Game Of Hockey He Changed Hockey In The & Format & Manner in Which We All Played Hockey!" "Bobby Orr Was One Player Whom Improved & Changed The Style, Speed, & Standard of Hockey In Which Everyone & Our Kids Play Today & Set Standard For Years To Come!"
u know what..... i met the man once. i know tons of nhlers. love them all humble hard working guys, when i came before this guy, i started crying, actually bawling my eyes out. i am a mediocre chrstian at the best of times, but i swear, this guy was, not of this world, he was divine, angelic. never been like that since.
Imagine what he would have done if he had played 21 or 22 years!!!
More than 3000 points I am sure of that.
"Still Have The Tapes, Orr to Espisito, Bobby Orr & The Big, Bad, Bruins, Derek Sandersons, Sanderson to Orr Stanley Cup Win in Which My Whole Family & Neighborhood Friends Because We Had The Only or One Of The First Color Televisions in The Neighborhood!"
Orr was amazing. No question he changed hockey so did Gretzky. But Orr is no doubt the greatest D man of all time.
Gretzky didn't change the game. He didn't change anything about the position he played. Orr changed the entire game of hockey. He made the whole league better in trying just to stop him, to develop strategies, he made players better, he made players develop skills they would never have thought of. He forced the coaches in the NHL to change how their team would play. The game being played today in the NHL is because of one single player and his name is Bobby Orr. He created the Coffey's etc that came after him.
Orr more than any other player I ever saw in over 60 years changed how hockey is played around the world. He wasn't only great at his position he changed how the game was played. I have never seen anyone else do that who I can think of.
The NHL should be ashamed of itself for not naming an award after Bobby Orr.
He controlled the game.
He was a quarterback the play maker.
At the same time his speed allowed him to play defence and safety..
Yes those are football terms but... Watch him
Its very true just amazing.
I am ashamed he got purposly reinjured. :( 💔
He was a Defensemen; and he played like a Forward, and scored more points than every forward with the exception of only Phil Esposito, whom he kept feeding with assists. Best player ever ... he was a work of art on skates.
The first NHL game I ever saw was on Dec. 3, 1966 at the Boston Garden in a 2-2 tie with the Rangers. Orr, in his first season got an assist on the games first goal by Bucyk. That game was a big treat for a 14 year old Canadian kid.
Orr's biggest loss was using 1960's medical procedures to repair, destroy his knees and limiting his career by 10 years. It's always unfair to compare players from era's. Orr was simply the greatest. Only McDavid approaches Orr's skating. It's a pleasure to watch Howe, Gretky, etc. in their era's.
McDavid does skate similar I agree. Orr was pure magic on ice.
I remember the year Dryden and Montreal stole the cup from Orr and the Bruins, I went to see a regular season game at the Forum. Every moment Orr came on the ice everybody rose from their seats to watch his magic. The Bruins dominated that game winning 8-0. Orr was the difference. The funny thing, the crowd cheered Orr after the game was out of reach, not in a mocked way, but out of respect for the greatest player to ever play the game. He was that great.
@@appletile2887 What? Boston beat the Habs in the Montreal Forum, 8-0? What was the date of that game? Montreal never got shut out that badly against any team in the Forum in the 1970's, as I recall.
@@jamesanthony5681 I guess my age is catching up to me. It wasn't in 1971 it was 1974.....January 19, 1974. When I write these comments I strictly use my memory.....sometimes it hits an error message....lol
@@appletile2887 OK, thanks. I forgot about that game, and it was a huge drubbing in the Forum. Scotty must have been raging mad after the game, especially since Montreal was the defending Cup champs.
SIMPLY SPECTACULAR THANKS, Mr.Orr4
I have this on VHS cassette, got it in 1995 as Christmas present, great video
"It Was A Great Time For Hockey Players & Fans Whom All Played A Roll in The History of Hockey & Continously For Further Generations To Come!"
Montreal Canadiens fan but love Bobby Orr why hasn t Gary Bettman who is the commissioner of the NHL created a trophy for the best offensive defensemen in the league. Bobby deserve a trophy named after him .
Fuck the Norris torphy....Its gotta be the Orr trophy right now Bettman
As a lifelong Bruins fan, i wish i were alive during this era...ive seen some good Bruins teams...Neely, Moog, Bourque, Ruziscka, Sweeney, ...the 2011 Stanley Cup team...PJ Stock Crew..and the team we have now Bergeron, Marchand etc..we are lucky to have such great clubs..i wish i was around for this 1970 team tho..love watching the footage
there are people in Parry Sound that have said that Bobby Orr's father may have been more talented than he was--however, WW2 and a leg injury ended any chance he had for a professional career
ON ONE BAD KNEE! My Brother was a Bruins fan for life after watching him. 64 and STILL LOVES the Bruins. He was Bobby Orr and I was the greatest player of all time Keith Magnuson No.3.
It's important to remember that Orr's career was, effectively, over at just age 27 when the 75 season ended, he would lace up his skated just 36 more times over the following 3 seasons. Hockey players peak around age 28 or 29; but Bobby's best season was 1970-71 at just age 22.
It's amazing - but we never saw Orr at the best he was capable of playing if not for those knee injuries.
Brilliant
When you are noticed by a professional sports team at age 12....12! then you have talent given to you by God. Yes Bobby Orr worked on his game like all professional athletes but he was given gifts by the hockey gods and you had to see him live in a game to see and believe how good he was because you couldn't explain it. He was so fast on the ice that he revolutionized the defenseman position because he could take the puck from behind his own net and weave through every opposing player and score or if he didn't score he was fast enough to get back on defense break up the opposing teams rush...unbelievable! #4 is the GOAT and even Gretzky says that.
Blackhawks got Orr in the twilite of his GREAT career ,but even then after all the injuries he was magic to see .
Fastest skater I ever seen ! His one man rushes up the ice were incredible.
Very humble man and a great hockey player very admirable guy
What I really admire about this video is how humble all these superstars and Hall of Famers are. They always give the credit to their teammates and never take the spotlight for themselves.
The sun rose and set on Bobby while I grew up in Massachusetts. He was the reason for expansion and you can say Gretzky. Howe were greatest but you test the greatest in most sports considering both offense and defense. There is only one "Greatest "hockey player ever.No 4
I'm so sorry for my previous comment😔 you got to admit, that those hockey days were rough, anything goes hockey and Bobby knew how to evade checks with ease from his talented skating 👍
When Pat Quinn laid out Bobby Orr out cold in the Boston Gardens where the Bruins won 10-0 I believe Quinn needed a police escort to get out of the building because the fans were going to rip him apart. I remember someone saying that someone had a revolver to shoot him. Back then Hockey was a very violent sport not like the game today.
Here's Bobby Orr's enduring legacy: At one point during the '60s there was only one American in the NHL, Tommy Williams, from Duluth, Minnesota, where lakes stay frozen in the winter. In the southern, most populous areas of New England, it doesn't always stay cold long enough for lakes to freeze. Despite this, before Bobby Orr, there were few indoor arenas. Now there are several hundred, and there have been several hundred New England-born NHL players. When I'm at a rink I often see Bobby Orr jerseys on kids whose fathers are too young to have seen Orr play.
James Madden Sadly, the lakes don't stay frozen all winter anymore in northern Minnesota. I've lived in Minnesota for over 50 years, the vast majority in the Twin Cities metro area. Grew up watching the North Stars and going to games at the old Met. Even though I loved the North Stars, I also loved the Bruins. I worshipped Bobby Orr. If the Bruins were coming to town, I begged, pleaded, and did everything short of holding my parents and brother hostage until my demands were met. Thankfully, I was able to see him play in person twice. Those 2 times will remain etched in my memory. We had a park with a regular rink and a hockey rink about a block from our house. Spent our winters up there along with my friends and the rest of the neighborhood. If the ice got slushy, boot hockey it was. We even had a net in our basement. That was our indoor rink year round. Was blessed to have played in high school, where the hockey players were Gods as opposed to the football players. Regardless, great memories for sure. And even though I'm a Minnesotan, I have a lot of respect for New England hockey. Makes for great rivalries. All the best!!!
@@shrewd1245 I hope Minnesotans are excited about The Wild. Seems like they had been mediocre for forever.
@@JPMadden You have NO idea!!! People are a bit cautious, however. There are reasons fans are skeptical and don't want to get too anxious. One reason is the North Stars. Twice in the Stanley Cup finals, only to come up empty both times...........and then the "coup de grace:" The move to Dallas. So seven.....seven long years with no pro hockey. Then we got the Wild and just as you mentioned, years of mediocrity. Things are looking up. But I'll believe it when I see the captain of the Wild hoisting the Cup above his head. If that happens, bedlam will ensue for days on end. I just hope it happens before I hang up my skates for good.
One day, a few years ago, a young man ( way too young to have watched him play ) commented on my Orr jersey in Charlottetown: " I don't know you, but you're an awesome guy."
As much as I like a lot of the superstars of the last 30 years...none had the class and humility that Bobby had when he scored a goal. These days they jump around and celebrate like children. Bobby had class. Easily the greatest defenceman of all time and arguably the greatest overall player of all time.
Maybe weird to say, but the player who looks the more like Bobby Orr stylewise is Connor McDavid.
Orr is Mcdavid's agent. and yes, u are totally right
I agree, McDavid is the only player I’ve ever seen who’s skating and skill set may match Orr’s. The sun rose and set for me on Bobby Orr when I was growing up. I never thought I would live to see a player with skills to match Orr but McDavid might be the one.
Thank GOD we have color footage of Orr at his peak from 1970-75. If we didn't we would have to guess at his greatness like a Sugar Ray Robinson whose 1940s Welterweight dominance was sadly never filmed or was lost to time. Like Ali's 1967-1969 lost years when we never got to see the best Ali. Without the footage the Orr myth created by the players who played with and against him and the fans who were lucky to have witnessed him would be so huge it would be like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. People would say we inflated him. No player has highlights like Orr. Mario comes the closest in terms of pure talent on the ice. All they lacked was a healthy 20 year career which Gretzky had. Give him credit for having it, but in terms of the ultimate hockey player in one era there was NO ONE that comes close to the excellence and overall balance of Orr as a hockey player. Best defender, center, goalie, fighter. ever. His plus/minus stats are crazy!!! He was an alien. A gift from GOD. Mozart on skates. And the fact he did it on one leg the whole time makes it even more amazing.
With Gretzky, Howe, Orr is a legend definitely best ever Dman, but why couldn’t my Leafs get him he would of even been a bigger legend playing for his home province, I’ve seen the love he gets when in Ontario playing golf or at Leafs games!
❤❤ORR❤❤
Larry Robinson comment on Bobby is what it is trhe best ever
That's Mr. Goalie, Glenn Hall, from Humboldt, Saskwatchewan in the net.
greatist ever
From over in the next county from Parry Sound I can say that he is the greatest just like Don Cherry says
He should be on tv more often...
Have endorsements
Sell Tylenol anything
He has so much charm
Charisma and humbleness.!!
Orr, was a, "Smooth, Smoothie," on the ice 🏒🏒🏅
I love the 40 yr old interviews
If the two Bobby's played for team Canada in 72 , it might have been a different outcome a little sooner . Need I mention who the two Bobby's were ?
Great job on this project!!!!!
Best player to ever play the game. If he didn't have bad knees that made him retire early he would've won 12+ Norris and 5+ Hart trophies. Probably would've finished his career with 1800+ points.
He fell 85 points short of 1,000 career points at 915
He lived at Marblehead.
He's unbelievably good!!!
This may be silly to people...but I was 12 years old in 72...and I no access to consistent ice in a rural Mass area so i plated street hockey under the streetlights until my parents dragged me inside....he was our God.....
I was 7 in 1967 from Boston, I became a hockey player mostly because of Bobby, if I wasn't skating we were playing street hockey.
Gordie Howe said Orr was the best player he ever saw. And that is why your opinion doesn't matter.
Bobby Orr could probably play all five player positions and excel. He didn't skate, he glided over the ice smooth as silk and with tremendous acceleration. The most dominant player ever.
"From The Greastest Hockey Player That Ever Played & Changed The Speed Of The Game Of Hockey, Bobby Orr To The Many Others Like The Great One, Phil Espisito, Tony Espisito, Gerry Cheevers, Ed Johnson, Tim Thomas, Mooge Ed Westfall, Brad Park, Don Auwrey, Teddy Green, Dalllas Smith, Rick Smith, Bobby Smartz, Great One, Wayne Gretzky, to Claude Lemiux, Willie O'Ree, Derek Sanderson, Mario Lemiux, Paul Coffee & Many Others Whom Played The Game of Hockey & Many More To Come!" "They Are Still Inspiring All of Us & Many Generations to Come!" "A Lot Of Us Grew Up Playing With Them & Against Them Growing Up in New England to Canada, & The Rest of The United States of America!"
You forgot another Lemieux, Super Mario
"And Not To Forget Mario Lemiux, Ken Dryden, Brad Park, Gordie Howe, The Little Ball of Hate-Brad Marchand, Joe Thorton, & One Of My Favorite, Stan Jonathon!" "There Are Many More Of Course Who Had A Had A Positive Impact On The Game Of Hockey!"
He's just like McDavid on the attack, but could defend...... and kick your ass too....
The age old question.... Orr or Gretzky... who was better?
As always answered, 5 Orrs Vs 5 Gretzkys, who wins?
@@1shotlegend 5 Orrs every time no contest.
@@1shotlegend thanks for watching
its a top five. bobby hull was the most entertaining nhler of all time, he doesnt get a whiff cause he slapped his wife
Orr could fight. Gretzky could whine. No contest.
Gotta say every time I hear this narrator say bobby could play defence like a DEMON it really bothers me.one of the nicest most humble people God ever put on yhis earth
i will never forget the Toronto fans booing him. He was from there and there is a reason he never played there
Number 4 Orr was not bad at all,nice fellow on top of that...Thanks
Sorry to mention, where’s the lady Byng trophies? Clean playing is worth mentioning.
There are some early games on you tube, and the Leaf announcers are in shock watching the young Orr...He could be a Twenty Goal Scorer if Sinden moved him to Wing!
You mean a 60 goal scorer.
@@tom7471 the Leaf announcers said he could be a 20 goal scorer...that was a mark of excellence back in 1966...they underestimated how good he would become, i think it was his 4th nhl game!
Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Geordie Howe, Bobby Hull and just for fun, Connor McDavid… How’s that for a team, imagine Ken Dryden in net as well. We have seen some amazing hockey talent over the years….
That Blues defenceman just watched him
Imagine how many years he could have played if not for the Cheap shots on his knees and barbaric surgeons of the day. Definitely in the Top 3 Greatest players ever.
Buffalo should take whatever they can get for Hall and the rest of the players there. No matter how good they are.
He literally put hockey on the map in the greater Boston area. Everyone was playing street hockey and pond hockey as a result. Massachusetts is a Hockey Mecca asa result of Orr. All the major colleges and prep schools in Massachusetts draw elite players form all over the world. Orr is indirectly responsible.
5 thumbs down??? Must be Canadiens fans.
No. Canadiens know better. We already know at least one was a Phliars fan - the other four are equally as ignorant.
@@4orrcountry The great Jean Beliveau had nothing but respect for him
Player on 1 leg for half of his career. Imagine if he had 2.
He’s the greatest he changed the game
He was just playing pond hockey ...ask him
45:13 - ''Connie''
Yep Connie Smythe
The best there ever was,the best there ever will be.The only way they could stop him was to take out his knees.