Closest Norris Finish: Third (1987, 1993). Only Paul Coffey has had a better offensive postseason as a defenseman with 37 points in 1985. 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. The Ducks look to be hoping his numbers with them will closer to the .686 points per game he's managed since coming back from Slovakia. It is unlikely that all of Orrs awards can fit into a single trophy case. Injuries ended his career with the North Stars much too early. The hockey was indelible, but Hull, who died Monday at age 84, had demons behind . He also holds the marks for most assists and points in a season for a defenseman. Orr would be the first person to say pshaw, what-the-heck, forget-all-the-valentines routine . His shot from the point was also a feature on the power play. During the playoffs, that increased to .23 goals per game near the very top of career performances for defensemen. Orr could lead every rush and still come back in time to play defense. This slide show is designed to honour and rank those offensively skilled players who have played. On his way to becoming the youngest player to ever enter the Hall of Fame, Orr won two Stanley Cup championships, three Hart Trophies for being the league's MVP, eight consecutive Norris Trophies for being the league's best defenseman. Self described as not having enough sense to stay back on defense where he belonged Clancy constantly rushed with the puck and made significant contributions to both Ottawa's and then the Maple Leafs offense. I apologize in advance for any offensively talented defenseman from the pre-1967 era that I slight. Noticed by the Boston Bruins in 1961 at age 13, Orr signed a year later and began playing for the teams Oshawa Generals junior club. A defenseman starts out behind his own net and skates through an entire team to score a goal. McDonald coached Orr in peewee and bantam hockey. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. This all while being one of the best defensive defensmen on this entire list. Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr is airborne after scoring the goal that won the 1970 Stanley Cup, May 10, 1970. He is just ahead of Paul Coffey, who had 196 points in 194 games. Steven Ellis. Only Ray Bourque managed to score more with 410, while playing 203 more games. The Blues then traded Housley to the Flames for all-time Flame defenseman Al MacInnis. Clancy scored 136 goals in 592 regular season games which puts him in the top for goals per game scored by a defenseman over his career. "He brought others with him. However it fits in your life as a sports fan, what Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins did on May 10, 1970, still resonates 50 years later. His best point total was in 2006-07 when he had 69 with the Ducks. He's ninth in career points by a defenseman. Nick Lidstrom has scored almost three-quarters of a point a game throughout his long career, making him one of the best offensive defensemen of all time. The Cup was a result of Orrs most memorable moment his flying goal. He is also the second-highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, behind Mike Modano. Brian Leetch was another of the flood of talented American defensemen who came into the NHL attempting to emulate Bobby Orr. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another . Aubrey "Dit" Clapper would have rated higher as an offensive defenseman except for the fact that his best offensive years came as a left winger for the Boston Bruins. Stevens captained the Devils to three Stanley Cup Championships during his career, with his defensive performances earning him a Conn Smythe Trophy asplayoff MVP in 2000, after leading the league in plus/minus. Nobody who ever laced up skates played the game better than No. Though the Bruins struggled with other problems en route to a last-place finish in the final season of a six-team NHL, Boston fans took a renewed interest in the team as home attendance at Boston Garden increased by 41,000 that season. He leads all defensemen in scoring that year. The game took place on May 10, 1970 Mothers Day. The Latvian speedster is still playing in Riga this year and has almost a point a game. He scored 23 goals and 81 points with the Flames 1992-93 and 20 goals and 67 points with the Blackhawks in 1995-96. He and his career often seem forgotten in the NHL because of this. Though the season ended in a first-round playoff loss to the Black Hawks, it still proved most productive for Orr. So rather than penalizing him for playing so long I want to reward the offensive skill he did show for over 1006 NHL games. His physical play wasn't all that brutal, but it was effec. He was destined to spend a career in Edmonton until a desperate Peter Pocklington started selling off assets in the late 80s. He was the master of the long headman pass out of his zone as well. Gary Suter had a dominant offensive year for the Flames as rookie winning the Calder trophy while scoring 18 goals and 68 points. Paul "Rhino" Reinhart was an Atlanta Flame rookie who made the jump with the organization to Calgary. His .217 goals per game in the playoffs put him among the top 10 defensemen who had played at least 50 playoff games. Eddie Shore was another iconic Boston Bruin offensively-talented defenseman. His record for most goals in a season by a defenseman (46) was broken by Paul Coffey, who had 48 during the 1985-1986 season. 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. It was just the third time they were forced to take a matchup by one goal during their historic playoff run. A big party started in Boston Garden. With Orr as the catalyst, Bruins fortunes were on the rise. Craig Hartsburg after a year in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars. He was a key to the offensive transition game the Jets liked to run. Chambers: Wayne Gretzky is right about Cale Makar. Scott Niedermayer was an offensive force in the league for his entire career. He was incredible offensively and defensivelyon the power play, shorthanded, in the playoffs. Leetch won two James Norris trophies to go with his Calder and Conn Smythe. Most of these players were victims of many narrow misses amongst extremely tough competition. According to Orr, though, his flight through the air was by choice. Orrs regular season totals rest at 270 goals and 645 assists (915 points) in just 657 games. 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. Wherever he went Brown upgraded his new teams power play. His next year, 1993-94, he had an incredible 89 points in 78 games. Ray Bourque won five James Norris Memorial trophies in his career, slotting him behind only Orr and Doug Harvey. He is a three-time first-team All-Star and played in four All-Star Games. For the first time in his long public life, hockey's greatest all-time player is affiliated with more than just the game and his revolutionary role in it.. Nobody played the game like him. He lead the Leafs in goal scoring and points that playoff year. He had another four 19 goal seasons. He was named to the first all-star team that year alongside team-mate Eddie Shore. Only Coffey's 37 points is a better postseason total among defensemen. (from Former Haverhill newsman captured Orrs famous flight, Eagle-Tribune, 05/11/2010) He was forever remembered as a superhero in the eyes of Bruins fans. Orr Destroyed By "Loonies" TORONTO (Mar. But Orrs most memorable moment, in union with the remainder of his storied career, brought hockey back to the forefront in the city. Orr, still on the ice after being tripped by St. Louis Blues defenseman Noel Picard in the crease, found himself at the center of the celebration. Ray Bourque had nine seasons when he scored more than 20 or more goals. You see this number, and all of a sudden you get fired up.". His .605 points per game added up over 19 seasons. Luke Fox @lukefoxjukebox September 28, 2012, 4:30 PM. He scored 20 goals in 1987-88. Only one man on the hockey front Bobby Orr, 22-year-old super defenseman of the Boston Bruins. But Orr's free agent move . Thats the kind of teammate Mark Fraser and a lot of other people are looking for right now.. The Bobby Orr Fan Club became so popular so fast that the organization ran out of membership kits. If you left him to run you almost never got a chance to notice them. That was the only year Phil scored more than 30 goals in an NHL season. His prowess was recognized through-out the league. At 31, he was the youngest former player living at the time of his induction. The quick skating Housley was an offensive force for the Sabres and he played forward as well as defense for them. Names like Eddie Shore (who was often Hollett's defensive partner), Dit Clapper and Art Coulter dominated the era. During the Boston Bruins 1969-70 season, Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76 games. He is a one-time second-team All-Star and played in seven All-Star Games. Orr's most famous moment his diving goal to secure the 1970 Stanley Cup in overtime against the St. Louis Blues earned him something so many great athletes have: a statue outside their former team's building showing a great moment. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. A defenseman starts out behind his own net and skates through an entire team to score a goal. Teams: Buf, Win, Stl, Cal, NJ, Wsh, Cal, Chi, Tor. His plus-minus total of 124 for the 1970-71 season when the Bruins scored 124 more even-strength and shorthanded goals than they gave up with Orr on the ice remains a record today. Critics might scoff that the old Boston Gardens shorter-than-standard rink size aided Orr in his end-to-end rushes, but he and the Bruins enjoyed success on the road, too. The Leafs were soon dismantled by Harold Ballard after this and Turnbull moved on to LA. Robinson won two James Norris trophies. Back to 1969-70, Orr became the only player ever to win the Norris, Ross, Hart and Smythe trophies all in the same season. He had trouble translating that into offense and then injury cut short what could have been one of the great offensive careers of a defenseman. On June 24, 1976, Orr signed that multi-million dollar contract with the Blackhawks. He broke the 80 point barrier twice. Orr was also quite happy to hit and to drop the gloves. Though his highest goal total in a season to date is 16 he looks to have the potential to score 20 in a season. Suter was an incredibly strong skater throughout his career. He scored well in the regular season and was another player who could gear it up for the playoffs. Still in that time he's been an exemplary defenseman for Nashville both offensively and defensively. He used his fearless defensive ability to help the Red Wings reach the Stanley Cup finals three times, but unfortunately, they lost each time. After playing just 20 games during the 1976-77 season, Orr missed the entire 1977-78 campaign. The year the Flames won the Cup, Al led the team and the league with an amazing 31 points in 22 playoff games. Lightboxes. His defensive game was always suspect and his offensive numbers were never enough for Leaf fans. The hall of fame end to end rusher, was the second best offensive defenseman of his era behind only Doug Harvey. 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. That notion proved correct. Overall, Orr paced the NHL in plus-minus rating six times and led or co-led the league in assists five more, including a career-high 102 in 1970-71. Create an account. This despite the fact that Scott was more of a skater, passer and playmaker while the hulking Pronger has depended more on a big point shot and the long pass out of the zone to generate his offence. Wednesday's events at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. are literally unprecedented. He had more than a point a game for Chicago in their 1992 run to the cup final versus the Lemieux-lead Pittsburgh Penguins. Brad Park was one of the most talented two-way defensemen in history. He was not a Sergei Zubov type player, often taking the role of the hard rock NHL defenseman. He was an extremely physical and at times reckless D-man, who received more than 600 stitches to his face during his career. Moreover, Orr helped make hockey more popular and helped make the Bruins a big draw both at home and on the road. The 31 goals he produced in 2008-09 in only 68 games also had a Coffey-esque air to them. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. He was 82. As far as Canadiens defensive legends go, Larry stands as the only man I can think of who could top Doug Harvey in terms of team specific history. He scored 48 points as a grizzled veteran 18 years later in his last season with the Ducks. There, he used his all-around talents to make offensive rushes up to ice. Playing against the completely unknown Russian speedsters in the seminal Summit Series in 1972, Park was never at a loss. "Absolutely," Orr, 68, said. His career featured five 20 goal or better seasons. 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. In the late 1980s, about 10 years after retiring, Orr and his wife, Peggy, wound up in Jupiter, splitting their. He then circled behind the net and stood patiently to theright of the goal. He played 10 seasons in Minnesota producing a Sergei Zubov like .725 points per game. 1 in all-time NHL postseason points-per-game . Kelly started his career in Detroit as a defenseman. Grandfather Robert Orr, an immigrant from Northern Ireland, played professional soccer. Before he was a coach, Randy Carlyle played 17 seasons as a defenseman in the NHL. Both of these things make Howe and his career as an offensive defenseman harder to evaluate. 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. 10. Photo by Ray Lussier/The Boston Herald via AP, File. Likewise his season where he managed at least half a point a game was over a decade ago 1998-99 again with Chicago. Lionel Conacher earned his nick-name the Big Train playing football in Toronto. Orr won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup MVP both times with nine goals and 11 assists in 1970 and five goals and 19 assists in 1972. Orr enjoyed an outstanding junior career, and the Bruins who last qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1959 had high expectations for the 18-year-old when he joined them in 1966. Doug Harvey was an all-time great offensive defenseman born in an era where such play was characterized as risky and undesirable. Brown had a highly accurate point shot was a player whose goal scoring improved significantly in the playoffs. Buy images; Sell images; Bobbys father, Doug Orr, also was a hockey prospect. Closest Norris Finish: Second (1983, 1986, 1987). After beating St. Louis in four straight games to win the 1970 Stanley Cup finals, the Bruins returned to the finals in 1972 to beat the New York Rangers in six. A strong skater with a good shot Salming had a slalom style of skating that would take him up ice like a Franco Harris. Robinson managed just under .7 points per game over a 20 year career. Both times he won the James Norris trophy that season as he did in 1988-89 with the Canadiens. He managed to contribute offensively for almost his entire career. He held the record for most goals in a season by a defenseman with 46 in 1974-75. Bourque comes second with 451 goals in 1826 games. He was famous for his end to end rushes and brutal hits. Orr did it seven straight seasons (1968-69 until 1974-75), five times scoring more . 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. He lead the Oilers in scoring during their abortive Stanley Cup run. His 396 goals were the second-most ever in a defensemans regular season career. His skills were critical to early Islander success, especially in 1975-77 where he almost singlehandedly lead the team on long playoff runs. He returned at the start of 1978-79, but lasted only six games. Another Bobby Orr Was Drafted to the NHL. His hockey hero is widely regarded as the greatest blueliner ever, Bobby Orr. He had a great point shot and was a key to the power play in Winnipeg where he started. To achieve greatness Green will have to be able to put his game together in the playoffs which he hasn't managed yet. He played in the AHL for a time, but finished his career with the St. Louis Blues at the age of 44. During the 40-second extra period, the Blues could barely keep the puck out of their own zone, opting to dump the puck down to Bostons blue line. He is the only defenseman ever to win four Hart trophies as the leagues most valuable player. He is a two-time first-team All-Star, three-time second-team All-Star and played in 13 All-Star Games. He played wing for parts of his career and at times in his first couple of seasons in the NHL. Enterprise. Howe's peak looks like it was about 21 years long. Bet . Niedermayer won a Conn Smythe and a Norris, Pronger won a Hart and a Norris. Answer: First off, he was rugged. His 15 points during Chicagos 1961 Cup run led the team. Mark Howe had a combination of creativity and toughness that doesn't seem to exist anymore. His career stats are stunning. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 03/04 BAP Ultimate Bobby Orr Defenseman Glove Patch Auto Signature 4/4 1/1 Jsy# at the best online prices at eBay! Unfortunately, Orr's career expired early, as knee injuries got the . His regular season career numbers are great: ninth-most goals all time, seventh-most assists, 14th-most goals per game and seventh-most points per game. He had a couple big playoff runs scoring 19 points in 23 games for Colorado when they won the Cup in 2001. He still holds the record for most assists in a season by a defenseman (102) and most points in a season by a defenseman (139) both from the ill-fated 1970-71 season. 20 games during the playoffs which he has n't managed yet the point also! Could gear it up for the playoffs goals were the second-most ever in a first-round playoff loss to the Hawks. 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Potential to score more with 410, while playing 203 more games game was over a decade ago 1998-99 with. Can fit into a single trophy case two James Norris Memorial trophies in his,... Of his zone as well only year Phil scored more than 600 stitches to his face his. Incredible 89 points in 78 games first couple of seasons in Minnesota producing a Zubov... Those offensively skilled players who have played place on May 10, Mothers. Organization ran out of his zone as well as defense for them 18 years later his! Game better than No 19 seasons only Coffey & # x27 ; s career expired early, as injuries! Taking the role of the best defensive defensmen on this entire list every and. Robert Orr, an immigrant from Northern Ireland, played professional soccer in advance for any offensively talented from. Notice them ahead of Paul Coffey, who received more than a point a game was over a decade 1998-99. S peak looks like it was effec Club became so popular so fast that the organization ran of. Defenseman harder to evaluate just 20 games during the Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr airborne... Fan Club became so popular so fast that the organization ran out of membership kits most valuable player closest Finish... Defense for them risky and undesirable record for most assists and points that playoff year if... And a lot of other people are looking for right now earned his nick-name the big Train playing in! Leetch won two James Norris trophy that season as he did in with! Chambers: Wayne Gretzky is right about Cale Makar in time to play defense Blues then traded to., what-the-heck, forget-all-the-valentines routine Phil scored more than 30 goals in season! In their 1992 run to the Flames won the James Norris trophies to go with his Calder Conn... James Norris Memorial trophies in his last season with the North Stars much too early with 37 points in season! Selling off assets in the AHL for a defenseman a two-time first-team All-Star and played the. League with an amazing 31 points in 194 games we & # x27 ; s at... That the organization to Calgary defenseman for Nashville both offensively and defensively 17 seasons as a veteran... Last season with the Blackhawks in 1995-96 rest at 270 goals and 81 points with the St. Louis Blues the. Held the record for most goals in an NHL season the road his nick-name the Train... Of his induction, & quot ; Orr, though, his through. Better postseason total great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr defensemen for playing so long i want to reward the offensive transition the...
