#bobbyOrr #nhl #hockey
This is Bobby Orr. He’s a three time MVP and an eight time all-star. He had six straight seasons scoring over 100 points and is the only player to win four major NHL awards in one season. He revolutionized the game of hockey and did it all before hanging up his blades at the tender age of 30 years old.
So just how good was prime Bobby Orr actually?
Bobby grew up in Parry Sound, Ontario. He was severely undersized as a youngster, but began playing hockey at the age of 5. He was small, but a gifted skater. By the time he was 14, a scout for the Boston Bruins made arrangements for him to play puck for the Oshawa Generals, a team in the Metro Junior A League. The Generals were funded by the Bruins at the time. The move allowed the teen to continue to live with his parents, but also develop his skills as a member of the Bruin’s organization.
Grew up watching Bobby Orr, he was 50 years ahead of his time. With today’s equipment, training and medical advances he’d be unstoppable!
Sixty-six years old, die hard Leafs fan born and raised so I hate the Bruins. I never saw Howe in his prime but have seen them all since Orr and he is by far the greatest to ever don skates. The most dominant player I have ever seen. Revolutionized the game making the dman position an offensive weapon. All that and played on one leg for the last several seasons of his career.
@RS, I have to AGREE with you about Orr, if we are talking about TALENT alone! Howe was TOUGHER, Hull was STRONGER, harder shot, and arguably more EXCITING and DYNAMIC, (charismatic) but ORR was THE BEST! If I was picking players for my team from a lineup like we did in school, I would pick Orr first! BTW, I'm just 4 years older than you...
Bobby was everything to us in Mass. A shame his career was cut short. But I did get to see him play and it was magic.
Everyone needs to understand this. Bobby Orr was the best that ever was or ever will be. Truly.
Hear hear! (Slaps the table!)
You mean after Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, for starters.
Give me Robinson,Potvin or Nicklas Lidström anyday in big games such as the playoffs
Understand this > Gretzky has more assists than any other player in NHL history has points Does that remotely even resonate in that pea brain of yours? And you can toss in 900 goals to go along with those assists. Care for more Chump? How's that for understanding? 🤡
@@reallifelebowski4732 Hahahahahahahaha... Orr was the best, PERIOD!!! No defenseman before or since could begin to accomplish what he did. His offensive numbers were league records that were finally broken by Gretzky!! No other defenseman held scoring records!! His skating was comparable to any forward or center now or before... You have your opinion, I have mine:))
5th all-time in points per game is absolutely insane for a defenseman. The next D-man on that list is Paul Coffey at 35th. And he really did revolutionize his position. He's in the conversation for greatest of all time.
WRONG! Bobby Orr is the greatest Hockey player ever!
@@seveglider8406Nobody will ever convince me otherwise.
@@rmelin13231 Someday, it's possible someone will exceed Orr's greatness. If that day ever arrives, I hope to see him play!
PPG as a stat has its uses, but context is everything. His career ended in his prime, meaning the declining years of every athlete's career isn't included in Orr's numbers.
For my money, and for what it is worth: He was the best.
Orr? Simply THE GREATEST - E V E R !
2 things 9 9
I AGREE! ORR was SIMPLE, to allow Eagleson to take advantage of him! Bobby Hull apparently WARNED Orr about that too. Who in their right mind trusts ANY 'lawyer'/LIAR??? NOW, I suspect Eagleson was probably responsible for BANNING Hull, and a few other great players from The SUMMIT SERIES in 1972?
I'm 68 and a lifelong Habs fan. Who is the best I ever witnessed? Bobby Orr.
I'm 67 and a lifelong Bruins fan. Who is the best I ever witnessed? Larry Robinson
@reallifelebowski4732 there is absolutely no doubt L R was great. There are too many memories. Dornhoffer( likely wrong spelling). I thought the Flyers mailed it in after that. Classy, gentle giant.
As a Hawks/Hull fan since the early 1960s, and only 2 years older than you, I AGREE with you about Orr, but Hull was my hockey HERO growing up! I only had to WAIT 49 YEARS to see Hawks raise the Cup! L0L BTW, Habs were always FAVOURED by the refs/NHL. I SAW that for decades myself! In the O-6 NHL, where PARITY was supreme, and almost all the games were close, it was easy to DECIDE winners by 'MISSING' a LOT of HOOKING, SLASHING, HOLDING calls on Bobby Hull and other NHL stars! Meanwhile the Habs won almost TWICE as many Cups as the next contender, and WHO was the LAST Canadian team to win it in 1993!?! Now, 'the worm has turned' and it looks like NO Canadian team will EVER win it! Just ask any Calgary, or Edmonton fan whose teams reached the SCFs but legit goals were CALLED BACK by the CORRUPT officials! The USA has BOUGHT our Canadian game and PAY big $hekel$ to get their names on Lord Stanley's mug! I rarely watch any games for about 3 years now! I am ASHAMED of my used to be beloved Hawks, since what they did to Kyle Beach in that sexual ASSault fiASSco! I have something that most IDIOT fans, and Mama's Boyz are missing these DAZE, and can't even spell! It's called a CONSCIENCE...
@@mr.blackhawk142 Bobby Hull gave his wives more black eyes than Bob Probert did his entire career to his opponents. His history of domestic abuse is unparalleled .
Bobby Orr is one of the greatest men to ever play the game. He changed the game
@dan, too bad the Game is CRAP now compared to O-6 NHL, and even the 12 team NHL in 1968, until the beginning of WHA! I don't even bother with it now, but I NEVER missed a Hawks' game from 2010-2016. They say it's 'faster' now? Of course it's faster bcuz there is WAY LESS hitting! Plus the game has QUICKLY gone to pot!
although i am a hardcore montreal fan in my 70s and have seen many great players Bobby Orr in my opinion was the best
That means a lot coming from a Hardcore Habs fan in his 70s seen so many greats but concedes Bobby was the best
@@DannyK-pj8sr Take a time out and maybe LEARN Grade 5 grammar!?!
I wish I grew up and was able to watch Orr play live. Glad there are videos like this to showcase some of the older players who aren't brought up amongst new generations.
Today every NHL game is on tape. That was not the case in the 1960's. That was especially true for USA cities that did not have a hockey tradition such as Oakland or Los Angeles. Sadly some of Orr's greatest plays are forever lost to us.
I was fortunate to grow up in Cambridge, Ma during the Orr years and man he was special to watch.
He was and remains the best.
I’m an old fogie and remember vividly watching Mr Orr. I really thought the James Norris trophy was going to renamed!
Last year at the cafe next to my house 2 elder men were talking about Bobby when he was playin at Oshawa! Like it was yesterday
Bobby Clarke made this comment : “Put 5 Gretzkys against 5 Orrs, no contest. I played against them both.” Bobby’s skating and physical play superiority were obvious.
Believe it.
Clarke was a terrific talent himself. Loved #16.
@@danielosterman9676 I still remember the 1st time the NHL experimented with microphones near the player benches and the first thing I heard was Bobby Clarke yell the words : "You f*****g qu**r !!!" complete with all his missing teeth. That was soooo funny... then no more microphones. And yes he was a heck a talent himself.
@@danielosterman9676 Most of these young people don't know that Bobby Clarke was a diabetic who had to inject insulin. Back then the hockey players were made of steel.
@@appletile2887 I remember that. Clarke was/is both a special player as well as an example of HOW to overcome an obstacle that the world 🌎 throws your way.
Bobby Orr, simply the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Class and humble are 2 words that come to mind. Blocked shots, did everything and did it on ONE knee !
maybe at defence only
@@cameronpickard7456 He won the scoring championship twice, once scoring 46 goals in a season in the only season he played a full season of 80 games. You are speaking from never having seen him play.
Bobby was on the Mike Francesa show when he released his auto-bio. After the interview, a bunch of older New York Rangers fans, a team which Gretzky played on at one time, said they remember watching Bobby beat the're team and that Bobby was the greatest they ever saw.
Honestly I always put him at second behind 99, the fact that Bobby Orr having his career cut short from injury didn't change the league is telling, while gretzky did change how the game was played, ushering in the era we see now.
@@petermccannell7565 ??????? How old are you?????? Did you ever see Orr play???? Did you ever see a NHL hockey game before Bobby Orr played????? Gretzky changed NOTHING except the fact that he had a bodyguard with him through his whole career and the NHL didn't allow anyone to touch him while he was on the ice because he couldn't fight. He wasn't even the best center ice man in the NHL, Lemieux was. He wasn't even the best leader of a team, Messier, Lemieux & Beliveau were. Gretzky was fortunate to be on a team (Edmonton) loaded with so much talent that the team scored 400+ goals 5 seasons in a row ( no team has ever scored 400 goals before or since in a season) and won 5 Stanley Cups in the first 10 ten years they transitioned to the NHL from the WHA. Gretzky never won another Stanley Cup after leaving Edmonton but Messier won a Stanley Cup with Edmonton after Gretzky left and he won one with the Rangers. Bobby Orr entirely changed the way NHL hockey is played. From the 'stay at home defenseman' (Dough Harvey who won the Norris trophy 7 times & is in the HOF, was named 1 of the 100 greatest NHL players of all time and was a 1st team All Star 10 times) Bobby Orr obliterated the record for goals, assists and points for a defenseman and won the league's scoring championship not NOT ONE but TWO times. No other defenseman has ever accomplished that. Bobby Orr's +/- was +582 while Gretzky was +520 or +62 more than Gretzky To show you how dominant Orr was when he took to the ice Orr's total points during his 657 game career was 915. When you divide Orr's +/- of +582 by his total points 915 you arrive at 63.6% which shows you how dangerous he was any time he stepped on the ice. His team scored 63.6% of the time and was scored against only 36.4% of the time. Gretzky played 1487 games amassing 2,857 points but only managed a +/- rating of +520. Performing the same calculation 520/2857 = 18.2% or his team scored only 18.2% of the time Gretzky took the ice and was scored on 81.8% of the time. Bobby Orr.............+582...............63.6% Wayne Gretzky.....+520...............18.2% Bobby Orr fought all of his own fights and played on teams with many less talented hockey players than Gretzky. Bobby Orr would have dominated the NHL in the same era Gretzky played but Gretzky could never play in Orr's era, he would not have lasted one season after being hit once. When I perform the same calculations for the following offensively minded players I get results that show how much more dangerous these players were than Gretzky when they got on the ice Larry Robinson.............+722.............75.3% Guy Lapointe.................+329............52.9% Dennis Potvin................+456.............43.3% Bobby Clarke................ +507.............41.9% Lindstrom......................+450.............39.4% Steve Shutt....................+394..............38.4% Mike Bossy....................+380..............33.8% Ray Bourque..................+527..............33.4% Guy LaFleur....................+446..............33.0% Byran Troitter..................+449..............31.5%
He was the best I've ever seen, and I watched him play DURING his career (same with 99, 66, and everyone since). If Orr had been healthy enough to play the same number of games as Gretzky, there wouldn't even be a debate.
yes but being durable is also part of the game
@@8799crosby Orr suffered terrible knee injuries before modern surgical techniques which many of today's athletes benefit from! Bobby Orr suffered terrible knee injuries before he ever played a game in the NHL. The truth be told; Bobby Orr is the greatest player in the history of team sports! The second greatest is Pele!
If my aunt had balls, she would have been my uncle too …..
Easy now. I watched him too. Bobby Orr is stupid great and a really nice man. He and his brother once refereed an atom game of mine in Parry Sound and spent an hour with us afterward. Nobody really comes close to what Gretzky did, however. Stay real. Bobby Orr is the second greatest (tied with Mario) hockey player of all time. Wayne Gretzky is the greatest participant in his particular pastime of all time (nobody comes close except Secretariat, Donald Bradman, The Beatles, and Warren Buffett).
Bobby was a defensive man , he played on power plays and penalty killing lines I saw games were he killed a penalty by himself having player chasing him all over the ice NON BETTER BAR NON
Boston born and bred, I was 10 in 1970 and hockey and the bruins were everything, if I wasn't on the ice at peewee hockey we were playing street hockey everyday, (car), terry orielly said when Bobby started to wind up he'd hear his strides, Orr was a great skater and puck handler, you gotta remember, vs k in those days you wouldn't shoot high on the goalies like today, he really changed the game, turning defensemen into offensive opportunities, Paul Coffey was a great Orr type guy. I played in different Canadian cities every year with all-star player exchange with Canada out of my hometown Boston, best memories of my life. 🇺🇸🏒🇨🇦
Incredible. If Orr played now and Makar scored 95-105 Orr would be at 150-160 no disrespect to anyone. But Orr using high tech great would be insane. The best quote, in my opinion EVER about Orr was Clarke saying “that bugger needed a higher league” to play in 😂 I was 13 in 1980 and had been playing for a few years. Only 25 miles from Nassau Coliseum and played hockey at Mitchell Filed (we could walk across the parking lot to the Coliseum) and we did and snuck in the Zamboni entrance!
That's great man! I'm 38 miles from Parry sound where Bobby Orr will always be the Greatest of all time
@@KIIDKYAAS wow! Great hockey up there!!!!
Not like it once was, your expense was skates and a wooden stick. Now the cost of equipment is astronomical and many parents just can't afford that. @@edward9
@@edward9 - My beloved and respected fellow American Brother...I just have to remind you of one thing.... POTVIN SUCKS!!!
As a Bruins fan back in the 1970s I'll never forget Bobby Orr killing penalties. He would take possession of the puck and skate rings around the team on the power play, killing off the clock. He also had a wicked slap shot. He was amazing!
Ya because most players back in that era couldn’t skate! He would not stand out much now…
@@RB-oc7tiDream on….how old are you ? Did you ever watch him play ? Obviously NOT !!
@@RB-oc7ti REALLY! You must be one of those Mama's Boys I speak of! You OBVIOUSLY know NOTHING about hockey and LESS about REALITY!
His 1976 Canada Cup performance was heroic. Only one leg basically and still won tourny MVP.
Back in the day, having three on three overtime with Orr on the ice would have been a sin.
Because hockey was played by like 300 people in the world lol
@@jake-qn3tl Because it takes talent. Now, go outside and throw a ball 😂😂😂😂
@@travzimmerman1340 All praise goes to Apollo
@@jake-qn3tl I suggest You do some research! Hockey has been played in Europe for over 100 years. if it wasn't for European players, the NHL would never have expanded to more than a 12 team league.
@@seveglider8406 It doesn't change the fact that hockey is played by millions more people today. The training and nutrition and strategy is light years ahead of Bobbie's time. Let's not be silly.
I grew up near Vancouver BC, but when I was 4 years old, Bobby Orr entered the league and I've been a Bruins fan ever since. If I'm not mistaken, Orr was the only defenseman to ever win the league scoring title, and he did it twice. Wayne Gretzky is the greatest goal scorer of all time, but would I rather have a team of Gretzkys or Orrs? I'll take the Orrs every time. :)
@ronald, I'm also from Vancouver, but a Hawk fan all of my life bcuz my dad who was a great skater himself, was a HUGE fan of Bobby Hull! I followed suit! My dad's HVAC business in 1950s Windsor, Ont sponsored the Detroit Red Wings Cup teams of that era! I met Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, etc, but I was still a baby back then! L0L I saw b&w photos of my dad's Cup parade float with Red Wings players on it! It was a different era where players were humble guys who still kept their other off-season jobs! I feel sorry for newer fans who have only players like "The Gay One" to look up to! Anyone over 60 years old now, will know what I mean!
I watched him in his prime. His acceleration was outstanding. The only one in his class was bobby hull
Some Montreal fans might disagree with you there if Hull is the only other choice.
Hull was special. Straight line speed, G J. Orr had the change of direction. Nobody was or is as shifty. A marvel to witness.
EXACTLY MMM! Read my other comments, bcuz I am one of the very FEW who seem to know hockey like you do! I'm an old-timer too! I appreciate something that is RAPIDLY evaporating! CHARACTER! The NHL imitates our society, only bcuz all the players are FROM that society! Our society/NHL is SORELY lacking in CHARACTER, DISCIPLINE, and RESPECT! That has been replaced with players who cannot even take a CLEAN bodycheck nowaDAZE! Almost before that player hits the ice a GOON has gone after the 'offending' player! Imagine the NERVE!!! A player throwing a CLEAN open-ice body-check!?! (sarcasm alert!). THAT is a main reason I STOPPED watching the new and 'faster' NHL! It's faster bcuz there is little to NO bodychecking in the game! My QUESTION is.....WHY doesn't hardly anyone GET that??? (brainwashed is the answer) BTW, I'm 71 and still skate bcuz I'm 38 years VEGAN. The STRONGEST animals in nature are ALL herbivores! (vegetarian) Only ONE player that I know of was veggie? Chara. If Bobby Orr, Hull, Howe, etc ate a mostly RAW/VEGAN diet 2 of them would still be alive, and Howe would NOT have gotten dementia before passing away.
Hull had that straight ahead speed. Lafleur was at full speed in a stride or two. Orr changed direction and pace before checkers could react. Grace personified. Oh, and tuff when he had a point to make. The only thing better would have been to witness it live.
For those who didn't see Orr play, you're too oblivious to understand. For those of us who did and know and many wonder... if Orr(and many others from that era) had the equipment today's players have plus the no 2 line off side... Imagine the 76- 79 Canadiens with that speed and no 2 line off side. Plus today's players could not handle the rough play. Orr is, was, and always will be the Greatest all around player ever.
I agree with your LAST sentence 100%, except the word 'ever', only bcuz I cannot predict the future but I KNOW what I've seen in the past, and Orr was more talented than even Bobby Hull, but Hull played a LOT longer and for that is the GOAT player in REAL MENS' ice hockey, NOT the NO HIT Ringette Gretzky played!
The skates the players use today.. "could you imagine Bobby having them back in his day when he played.
same goes with Marathon runners and shoes
NO, I can't imagine, bcuz I don't know what the 'skates of today' is supposed to mean?!? I still have a pair of Tacks from the late 1970s.
@@ImAGoldenGod-yx6by I can see that newer running shoes have MUCH more insulation from the road to keep the IMPACT to a minimum! I used to be a jogger as well as a skater, but my left knee gets sore from running! Biking and skating does NOT affect it however!
Bobby Clarke made a comment along the lines of Orr playing in a league above the NHL, dont remember it verbatim, but that's quite a comment coming from one hell of a player.
Bobby Clarke was ruthless and dirty as hell.
@@MrKansaitim..Yes..and in the H.H.O.F.
@chiz, Clarke was probably the DIRTIEST SOB who ever laced em up! I NEVER liked him or that FILTH of a team from that FILTHY city of FILTHadelphia! The 1970s Flyers almost DESTROYED a GREAT game singlehandedly! The ONLY time I supported the Flyers was vs the Habs, bcuz Montreal OWNED the NHL and the referees! Even Bobby Hull protested the GOONERY of the mid-late 1970s while he was with Winterpeg!
@@larryfalk192 So is Willie O'Ree, (just bcuz he was Black!?!) and Gary BUTTman in the HHOF. So much for any CREDIBILITY there!
Check your pronunciation of Bernie Parent's last name. My father watched Orr and Gretzky in their prime and still considers Orr the greater player as do many of his generation.
Ya that made me almost vomit to hear that pronunciation
Elliotte Friedman, one of the ultimate hockey insiders, still mispronounces the name of former coach Gerard Gallant, rhyming it with Parent's name, rather than plant, which is the way everyone on Prince Edward Island has said it since time immemorial.
As long as we're on pronunciation, I have a note for all hockey broadcasters....there is no N in Parayko. @@lincolnmaceachern2410
@@lincolnmaceachern2410 You should have heard the broadcaster Foster Hewitt of Toronto when he tried to say Yvan Cournoyer's name (he was called the Road Runner)
@2770,I'm 71 now. I met Bernie at the 1977 NHL All Star Game practice in Vancouver! He said to me " I'm an American Frog now!" L0L Fred Shero too! He let me try on his Cup ring! I immediately bolted for the door as a joke! He got a LAUGH outta that! I miss the camaraderie of playing hockey! It was fun, in a very BOORISH way of course! I can still play bcuz of my VEGAN diet, but the BOORs do not APPEAL to me nowadaze! There aren't many old-timers who actually think #99 was the best! Read my other comments to know why. I don't repeat myself, repeat myself, repeat myself... :P
The only reason the 72' Summit series was close because Orr and Hull weren't even playing for team Canada. The Two best players in the game at the time.
IMHO, the 2 best players I have ever seen (to this day) and I have had the privilege of seeing many
They should have stuck with a set lineup for the entire series instead of showcasing too many players. Most players were not used to playing together, and it showed.
I think Bobby Clarke smashing Kharlamov's Foot played a huge part in that win as well. People never seem to mention that.
Don't forget Davey Keon wasn't there either.
@@peterwisniowski4863 Neither Tony-O nor Dryden were mentally or physically ready. There should have been a tryout camp for goalies. Who knows? Maybe Ed Giacomin and Gilles Meloche would have stoned the commies.
Had Orr not suffered so many knee injuries, there would be no argument about the greatest of all time. Its not only his point tally that puts him amongst the best. Its that watching him play was mesmerizing. I grew up a Habs fan in the 70s and Lafleur also had that mesmerizing quality. When Orr and Lafleur jumped on the ice, all eyes shifted to them. But of the two, Orr was still the better overall skater.
Today his knees would have been fixed in 5 months
@dan, I grade it this way ... SUPER STARS: BOBBY HULL, GORDIE HOWE, BOBBY ORR. STARS: ROCKET RICHARD, BELIVEAU, MARIO LEMIEUX, MESSIER, GRETZKY, JAGR, ETAL. NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER... BTW, Bobby Hull missed ONE game with a broken jaw, while Connor Bedard missed 13 games with the SAME injury! To be fair Connor wanted to get back in much earlier, but a 'star' player = $hekel$ and the Hawks cannot risk losing $hekel$! We've already SEEN that fringe players=NOTHING! Just ask Kyle Beach, whom I've met in Kelowna, while he was still in the WHL. He took the $hekel$ and ran to Europe IIRC? I supported him online, but he never had the common courtesy to even acknowledge me and reply! My POINT....the more I learn about NHL hockey and its personnel, the more I do NOT like it! There are NHL playoff games on right now, but I just DON'T CARE! I VOTE with my DOLLARS. The dollars I do NOT spend on NHL hockey! This is coming from a guy whose whole life revolved around hockey since 5 years old! I'm 71 now! "BE the CHANGE you want to see in the world!"
@@mr.blackhawk142 a couple more stars: Lafleur, Dionne, Perrault. There are more but those three frogs were amazing hockey players.
LAFLEUR is a step DOWN from Bobby Orr! The ONLY comparable player to Orr is Bobby Hull. Even Gordie Howe would have admitted that Orr had ONE more gear than most the rest of the NHL stars!
From what I saw back then, he was absolutely incredible. He could control the pace of the game and was the most skilled rushing defenseman I have ever seen. No defenseman since has come close. It's too bad his career was cut short.
northstar, Paul Coffey came close bcuz he was an EFFORTless skater somewhat like Orr! No, I'm NOT an Oiler fan, but a FAN of SKILLED hockey, with that CONtrolled violence thrown in! I'm a Black Hawk fan since about 1960! Nobody cares about being #2, and Hawks were that # for many decades! In the 1960s they were 2nd to Montreal, 1970s 2nd to Boston, 1980s 2nd to Oilers, 1990s 2nd to Mario's Pens! FINALLY, Hawks were # 1 in 2010, 2013, and 2015! Those teams were the only FAVOURED to win teams since the late 1960s-early 1970s! Beating Boston in 2013 for that Cup was just SO SWEET after almost 50 YEARS of being an also-ran! They wrote a book about it "17 Seconds" or something? Anyhow, it was great to get 'revenge' vs Boston almost 60 years later! L0L
@mr.blackhawk142 I am a Blackhawks fan too!!!!! You will remember Pierre Pilote who was a rushing defenseman before Bobby Orr. Pilote was fast but not controlling the game pace like Orr. Also, my worst memory is the Blackhawks losing to the Canadiens in 1971 in game 7. Hawks were in control of that game until Jacques Lemaire scored mid way through period 2 on Tony Esposito on a shot from center ice. Ouch! The 3 cups in 2010-3-5 made up for that although they should of won in 2014 too.
He’s the Goat! His style totally changed Hockey.
Gretzky is THE GOAT. Now finish your juice and go outside and play. 😏
@@TAYLORFAN50 NOT even CLOSE Mama's Boy! "The GAY One" was 70% HYPE, AND 30% HOCKEY! When I say Mama's Boy, it's not just derogatory, but a FACT that most children of the 'modern era' were raised by their MOTHERS...only. NO father in the home...
I have Lemieux, Gretz and Orr. And every other day I pick one of them as the greatest. If Orr played five more seasons, I may just go ahead and lock him in as #1, but if Lemieux had 5 more healthy seasons, I may do the same for him. Gotta give the final edge to Gretz for total accomplishments. But, I hate that Orr doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
Put 5 Gretzky's on the ice with 5 Orr's and 99 would never get to touch the puck.
Gretzky had the best career, maybe. At their best, Orr was the better player.
you are omitting one big fact. nobody was allowed to even breath on GRETZY or they would be called for a penalty. that plus his enforcer teammates protecting him. ORR fought, took hard hits, and was tough as nails. ORR revolutionized the position as a defensemen who was a serious offensive threat. GRETZY was great, no doubt, but when you didn't have to worry about anyone giving you hard hits, then you end up playing as long as he did.
@@MrMferg240 am I required to write everything in a short KZhead comment? Next time, I will publish a 300 page book so I can cover all the arguments for you.
there is nothing to argue about.ORR was the best. period.@@stooch66
There has only been one defenseman to win the scoring title (Art Ross Trophy). AND he did it twice. Bobby Orr- Simply the best ever.
There are great players, there are stars and superstars, and then, well then, there’s Bobby Orr. That’s it!!!
And then there's The Great One saying "Bobby, hold my beer". 😂
@@TAYLORFAN50 Gretzky......you must be kidding....I did an statistical analysis showing Mario Lemieux would have scored 227 more goals than Gretzky and 46 less assists than him during the regular season. Gretzky never won the Calder trophy but Lemieux did. If these two players were exchanged by their teams from the beginning of their careers Gretzky's numbers would be halved and Lemieux's doubled. That is how powerful that Edmonton Oiler team was winning 5 Stanley Cups in their first 10 years in the NHL and scoring 400+ goals a year for 5 straight seasons.
@@TAYLORFAN50 It’s not all about points and stats, it’s about how he played the game, Bobby had strong stats for sure even with a short career. He had style and a grace about him that doesn’t show up on paper. His ability to read the game and make plays for himself and his teammates was unmatched.
@@TAYLORFAN50 In a little over 600 games, Orr was +582. In more than twice as many games, Gretzky is +520. I'm pretty sure that Wayne is carrying the Labatts.
I prefer there were 'stars', and then there were SUPERstars, like Orr, Hull, Howe. In THAT order...
Wayne was great, Mario was magnificent but Bobby was Bobby the best player to ever play in NHL! The only downside to Bobby is that he was a Bruins
OK , how MANY Bruins was he?!? LMBO
Everyone has an opinion, I only saw Bobby Orr at the Canada cup in 1976, and you had the likes of Bobby Hull, Guy Lafleur, Phil Esposito and all the greatest stars of the Soviet and Czech teams, there was no one on ice who who controlled the game like Bobby Orr. He was far above everyone else. Let’s just say players who are in a different league. Bobby, Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Connor McDavid . I live in Edmonton and was fortunate to see many great players
You forgot Matthews Bud.
@@bruce8321 I wouldn't put Matthews in this club yet but he's on his way as he adds more weapons to his scoring and play making abilities. Matthews wrist shot is a throw-back to the wrist shots of how goals were scored in the 1950's. He gets off his wrist shot so fast I sometimes think I'm watching Gordie Howe shooting when he was fighting for the scoring championship of the NHL. Gordie Howe scored most of his 802 goals on the deadly accurate lighting fast wrist shot he had.
I was up in EdmonCHUCK lol in 1976 to work at SINcrude in Ft. Mac. I spent 3 weeks in Edmonton sleeping in that BIG park in a tent by the river, waiting to be dispatched to my camp job by my union! I saw a Ukrainian drive in restaurant for the FIRST time in my young life! Cabbage rolls, pyrogies, etc! I enjoyed that food but I'm now 38 years VEGAN, and why I'm still in grrreat shape at 71 years young!
McDavid is NOT in Orr's class, or even Hull's class. Now we have Bedard who is also HYPED as a 'generational' player! WHATEVER that means, I go by what I SEE ON THE ICE, not what I see in the media. BTW, I skated with Glen Anderson at Burnaby 4 Rinks before he became a big star with the Oilers! He was a BEAST too!
@@bruce8321 Bahahahahahhahaha!!! You mean that JUNK FOOD JUNKIE Austin Matthews!?! L0L Dream on...........................I CURSED the Leafs in 1967, after they UPSET my Black Hawks in the semis, and won the Cup! So far so good! Actually, I now cheer for Canadian teams bcuz we are SO outnumbered by USA teams! I wanted Leafs to beat the Bruins in 2024, but my FAV Leafs teams were the Sittler-led teams that were exciting to watch, with Salming, Turnbull, Lanny, and his MUSTACHE , The Tiger, ETAL!(Even that Milkman from the Maritimes! Claire Alexander)
It doesn’t matter how Orr compares to players today. He was a pioneer who totally changed how defensemen played.
@425, In reality watching sports is just a DISTRACTION for us SLAVES, and the TRUTH always matters to me, but I'm NOT from this DUMBension!!! :P
A friend of mine from Canada was in a hockey camp as a teen. He told me the best kid in the camp was Bobby Orr, who was 12 at the time.
Apparently Wren Blair, who was with the Bruins in the 1960s, scouted Bobby Orr, and the Bruins claimed him. That was just before they started the amateur draft IIRC?
Sorry if you never saw him play. There has never been a better player to lace up the skates then Bobby. It isn't even close.
Yup! Bobby Hull was THE GREATEST but Orr was close!!! Then...THAN, pick Juan. L0L
Great video and thanks for making it. I watched him as a wee lad and remember he could rag the puck and kill a penalty for 20 to 70 seconds all by himself. He was too agile and the the five skaters on the opposing team just couldn't get the puck away from him. I don't ever remember anyone doing it like he could. He also scored 2 empty net goals with slap shots from deep in his own end, I believe a first in the league. The 2nd was from behind the Bruins' goal line. There's little footage of him because WSBK, a UHF channel that televised the Bruins' games re-used the tape and recorded over it on subsequent games. Johnny Pierson, the color commentator, used to say to Fred Cusick (play by play) that you "can't stop what you can't see," being a tribute to how fast Bobby's slap shot could be, blistering by the goalie.
Thanx for that jaz! It's a shame all that EXCITING hockey history of LEGENDS like Orr, and Hull was ERASED, bcuz of STUPIDITY, and GREED! They couldn't afford new video tape is a VERY lame excuse!
@@mr.blackhawk142 It is a shame but I don't think it was that. UHF is a higher frequency band that VHF and as such is subject to more interference and natural atmospheric attenuation, so the UHF channels weren't as clear as VHF. I believe the UHF bands were put out for use by FCC as a cheaper alternative to VHF, hoping to spawn a big broadcast industry. Remember it was the late 60's early 70's and color TV was a relatively new thing and no one (pretty much) had cable. The UHF channels didn't have affiliations with ABC, NBC, CBS, so they had to earn their money without the latest run shows. They were small operations that showed re-runs and older movies. They were low budget, unable to attract 1st rate advertisers. Their original content was very limited (they didn't even have their own news) and I'm sure their budgets were small. WSBK had a show called "Ask the Manager" where people submitted questions and a "Manager" as someone knowledgeable would answer them. Someone asked why they didn't show the old Bruins' hockey (since they owned the rights) and he lamented that they recorded over them because they didn't have the budget, etc, to keep all the games. Remember it was physical tape, so quite bulky and somewhat sensitive to light/temperature, etc., so there's a cost for storage. They also reached out to NY and other NHL cities but it was the same everywhere. Hockey wasn't a big sport and most of it was covered by secondary broadcasters. I think they would have loved to keep the games but it wasn't practical if they wanted to stay in business. It's sad that it's gone, but at least there's some footage and people around like Esposito, Sanderson, Cashman, etc to record their memories for the future. Cheers man.
I was a kid and watched him play, he was amazing defense player, who could explode to offense instantly when he was a young healthy man
He was always young when he played with the Bruins. Heck, he won the NHL scoring Championship his last year with the Boston Bruins.
Bobby Orr was the only reason I watched the NHL on TV.
SAME for me, but it was the 'other' Bobby who INSPIRED me when I was a young lad in the early 1960s!
Turning down the Blackhawks offer set an example of the kind of man Orr was. Always humble and a class act in interviews only to be betrayed by Eagleson. Can you imagine the Canada Russia Super series with a healthy Bobby Orr? The debate about who was the best all time will never be settled because of the different eras of hockey, but for myself his humility is enough to settle it for me. Saw him play in Oshawa as a 15 year old and the fans rose to their feet every time he carried the puck. Pure brilliance and tough as nails, "to Sanderson to Orr, Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup" still gives me the shivers!!
Too bad Orr was dumb as dirt to let that POS Eagleson STEAL from him tho! AA went from HERO to POS, and RIGHTfully so! He's an embarASSment to any decent Canadian!
Nice, Super job, continue to make that kind of videos for the NHL legends. Next Maurice the Rocket Richard, Guy Lafleur,Mike Bossy, Gordie Howe, Marcel Dionne , Gilbert Perreault ?
Seems like the audience is liking these more, so will defintely continue to do so. The only problem is trying to source footage and content I can put behind the audio.
The video was awful when it came to facts, there were 32 major factual mistakes in this video.
In the '76 Canada Cup Bobby Clarke said he was the best player on both teams even with one bad leg. Nuff Said.
Could barely walk, but gutted it out on skates. Was hoping it would get mentioned in the video.
@@chizorama ever seen his leg? Looks like a road map.
Actually, Orr had 2 bad legs.
@@seveglider8406 you're right 👍
@@christrudell7966 Thank You!
Bobby was probably at least ten times better than anyone his was up against. Bobby Clark said of him, He should be in a league above this, or something to that effect.
I heard that praise for ORR a lot too on HNIC, Sat. nights! WHO cares what that POS HACKER Clarke thiMks anyhow! He SNOT a good example to use here!
Bobby ORR Is the best hockey player I have ever seen He changed the game of Hockey. Just imagine if he played forward.
Actually Harry Sinden tried but figured as a forward he'd only get 20 minutes of ice time while as a defenseman he would get 40.
Maybe that change wasn't so great, bcuz the NHL SUX big time now! Hockey started as a game of KEEP AWAY on outdoor rinks. Players honed their puck-handling skills that way, but that MAGIC is EXTINCT now! I was lucky to see players like Hull, Orr, and Denis Savard entertain me for so many years! It just so happens bcuz of THE TRADE I was NEVER Br00ns fan, and the only time I rooted for them was when they played vs Habs! How many Cups did Tommy Ivan trade away in 1967???
@@appletile2887 Great point 2887! I never thought of that, and in the 1960s forwards played shifts that lasted minutes, NOT just seconds! Bobby Hull could play almost a WHOLE game bcuz he had EXCEPTIONAL strength and STAMINA! IN THE 1971 SCFINALS vs Montreal, Coach Billy Reay CURTAILED Bobby's ice time in the third period when the Hawks NEEDED him the most! Here is the KICKER... Montreal, who WON the Cup FIRED their coach, (Al McNeil) but the LOSING coach Billy Reay went on to NEVER win a Cup with a VERY talented Hawks team! Reay was an EX-HAB player, but that's probably just a coincidence that he NEVER beat Montreal in a playoff round.
@@mr.blackhawk142 I remember that. In an interview Bobby Hull talked about that third period stating that Reay threw players on the ice that had no business on the ice under those circumstances they were facing. I really got the impression from the way he made that statement wasn't just anger or resentment but almost as if he was trying to tell us that some 'funny business' was going on to get the final result of the series. We will never know for sure.
I'll be 78 this summer, and saw Bobby Orr when he was 13 years old play in a Midget tournament in Milton ON. He absolutely kicked butt in that tournament and was giving away 3-5 years difference in age. Skating was his real forte, quick acceleration and his stick handling skills for that age absolutely unbelievable. Saw Baldy Cotton and other top Bruins Brass at that tournament. Best player ever in my estimation!
I was just reading Orr's book, but I found it BORING, so I DIN finish it. Kinda like Orr's boring personality. Just sayin' my opinion which may not be popular, but it's MY OPINION/truth. I read a bunch about Espo too, and he got SCREWED outta the Lightning team by RICH fellers! It was VERY DOG EAT DOGGISH! I SYMPATHIZED a bit with Espo, but he got WEALTHY playing a kid's game so there is that! He was VERY fortunate! Meanwhile, I'm living in poverty at Scream n Holler Trailer Park! L0L There's the DISTRACTION called pro sports, then there's the REALITY of PAYING for THREE houses to buy...one! ESPO can sit on it too!!!
Sorry 5593, but Midget hockey NEVER has a 5 year AGE DISPARITY! IIRC MINOR hockey for midget category was 15-17 yr olds. In Junior A hockey, Orr could have snuck in under age bcuz he was so good! IIRC, he played Jr at 14 yrs old in Oshawa vs 18 yr olds, and even older players! That still is to this day an AMAZING feat!
In his prime......he was amazing , loved watching him rush up ice and score.
@6293, Even in 1976 skating on one knee, Orr was still GREAT vs the BEST in the world!
Growing up my best friends mom worked for O Pee Chee in London Ontario Canada. They made all the hockey cards. She would bring home 10 boxes of cards a day. Plus gum. We used to put his rookie card on our bikes to make noise in our spokes. Man I wish I had those days back. He was an icon.
They let employees take home 10 boxes a day? No wonder the company went defunct.
So smooth and fast 2 to 3 strides between the lines, amazing skater. Mike Gartner was the same way.
Loved them both! I still despise Messier, for getting Mike Gartner removed from the roster. He should have been on the Cup team. Regardless of all the naysayers.
@@samuelluria4744 Agreed!
Gartner was amazingly fast.
@@danielosterman9676 - I can still picture him crossing the neutral zone in 3 strides...
@@samuelluria4744 Amazing talent.
I've never seen another hockey player skate like bobby orr, his combination of power, fluidty, and raw speed was truly unprecedented. And that only describes the beginnings of his skill set. Bobby was the celestial shooting star of hockey. His career was cut short by injuries, Maybe his stay in hockey was not sufficiently long enough to be acknowledged as the greatest player of all time, yet there is no doubt in my mind, after watching his entire career, that he is the most physically gifted and talented athlete to ever play the game.
I often wondered if Babe Ruth reincarnated into Bobby Orr. Ruth started out as an outstanding pitcher for the Boston Red Sox but was converted into an outfielder for the New York Yankees. He tore up the league records with home runs and was known as the King of Swat. He hit a record 714 Home runs and 2,214 RBI's without steroids during his 14 years with the Yankees. Both men played defence and were feared for their offense they both brought to their teams
Well-said user!!!! I agree of course!
I was a kid in MA when Orr played for the Bs. Everyone played hockey back then
bjdon99, Good to see that Orr inspired so many BoSTONEians lol to play THE game!
I've read Simmons saying that Orr was forgotten but in my mind he was the most complete Hockey player without comparison
I read Simmons too. He talked about Orr being forgotten in the context of the buildup to the All Star Game. I wonder if there's bitterness in the media about Orr's response to CBC's firing of Don Cherry; I'm sure if Ron MacLean offered Orr a handshake, Orr would tell him to piss off.
Bobby Orr is from the old school never forget how he changed the game!@@lincolnmaceachern2410
On one knee, he was still better than everyone else !
YUP! THAT is what they said about Orr, and that was BEFORE the NHL had to use HYPE TO ATTRACT FANS bcuz the product was just BAD!
Unlike today's " superstars " with Bobby Orr you gat your money's worth and a humble gentleman
YUP, the term SUPERSTARS is 100% BS/HYPE! The 1960s players were more down to Earth types! That started to change with BIG contracts, which RUINED a great sport!
On top of his offense and defense, Orr had 47 fighting majors, against guys like Mahovlich and Irvine. Gretzky had 2.
One time Keith Magnuson did something that pissed Bobby off. They went at it for about 2 minutes, then Orr and Mags just stopped and skated away. Orr was as tough as he was talented.
@@petercollins7730 Magnuson was nearly built of steel but Orr wouldn't back down from Keith. How tough was Magnuson? During one Stanley Cup game against Montreal, his jawbone was broken in 2 places and his jawbone was showing through the skin and he had a bad laceration. He went in for repairs to the team's dressing room and the doctor there looked at the injury and told him he was done for the game, maybe even the series. We heard that he 'forced' the doctor to stitch it up and do what was necessary to get him back out on the ice because the team needed him. He was back on the ice for the 3rd period. I today's brand of hockey that would never happen. Back then some of the doctors were suspect in their abilities and the players knew it. Some of these doctors even took more than a few drinks. What the players contended with back then made them so tough. In the '72 Summit Series Team Canada played the Red Army Team from Russia. The players from the Red Army team were young military men who were in the peak of conditioning. It became a literal war on the ice during that series, especially when the series went back to Russia. While Canada's players didn't train military style the hockey that they played in the NHL at the time was brutal. There was an old joke that went.....On Saturday, I went to go see the fights and a hockey game broke out...... Our players may have had a beer gut or two, but these guys were fit and could take anything thrown at them from anyone.
Not only hockey, he is one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Bobby Orr was a amazing hockey player and a nice man too !. Bobby Orr also played great hockey for Team Canada in 1976 in the Canada Cup series.
His knees were disintegrating, yet he played like a warrior. Today’s “Load Management” babies take note. And Bobby could fight.
@@Ontariosound After watching the Leafs - Bruins 1st round series, I wonder what Bobby is thinking. Guys leave the game, or don't play at all, because of a stomach ache, or a headache. Or 'not fully recovered' from a sprained ankle. For years, Orr had so much tape on his knees, he kept medical supply companies in business.
Bobby probably had grade school English grammar mastered also! L0L
@@Ontariosound His knees were BUTCHERED by 'doctors', and they are responsible for more deaths than ALL other causes combined! I had unnecessary surgery myself for a broken knuckle! They 'fixed' NOTHING except their own bank accounts! Back then I did NOT know the CORRUPTION, but I LEARNED quickly!
@@petercollins7730 Please LEARN effective communication, or at least grade 5 English.
Wish I could find the footage but, during the 76 Canada cup, the camera man panned the Russian players as the NHL players were introduced. They acted unimpressed, almost bored until Orr was introed. Their reaction affirmed what I already knew; respect to the true Greatest!!
Nice video. Played some hockey as kid, but never played well on ice. More street hockey. My favorite player was Bobby at age 7 and I never knew why until now. I watched a bunch of hockey with my Dad at ages 4-7.
Orr was tripped after that Stanley Cup winning goal by Noel Picard of the Blues.
I love these videos. I find that among younger hockey fans, there's too much recency bias - e.g., lots of "GOAT hype" regarding guys like Makar, without acknowledging that Orr (and Paul Coffey, another great rushing d-man) walked so they can run.
Looking to put the spotlight on some of the guys who made the league what it is today! Seems thats what others are liking as well :D
Orr is the Goat. Orr’s plus/minus per game average is light years higher than anyone else’s.
Orr's more of a 'SHEEP' now tho! L0L It's disappointing how many peeps don't know SIMPLE grade school English grammar. ACRONYMS are always UPPER case for ALL the letters usually with periods as in G.O.A.T., NOT Goat! It's no wonder there is so much confusion trying to communicate effectively online! Even GOAT is easier to comprehend. Of course anyone who is thorough, and takes the time, or makes the EFFORT to type accurately is usually HATED by the majority of online imbeciles.
@@mr.blackhawk142 It’s that damn Chicago education system. They do excel at graduating hall monitors THOUGH!
I grew up in the 60's and 70's in Rhode Island, and when it came to sports for me it was Yaz & Orr :)
I'm 65, back then on tv, it was 12, 10, & 6...then 56 and 38, I loved the opening Bruins theme song, still remember it. Dallas Smith, John MacKenzie, Derek Sanderson, Ted Green, Don Marcotte, Wayne Cashman, Phil Esposito, Gerry Cheevers, John Bucyk. (getting old sucks 😢)
@@kevinwalsh4652 check out Emerson, Lake & Palmer "Nut Rocker", it always makes me think of the Bruins on Ch 38 :)
Before Bobby, defensemen were rarely any kind of offensive weapon, the thing was the shot from the point, Bobby would skate in the offensive zone, but also did his job on defensive side! Just imagine if he would have had access to modern knee rehabilitation/surgeries, etcetera!
Can you imagine Bobby Orr and Dave Keon had played on the same team?
Keon was my favorite player.
I forgot about Dave Keon!
I have been watching sports for 60 years. the best players in my opinion that i ever saw play in any sport were Bobby Orr- Lawrence Taylor- Carl Yastremski (1967) - Larry Bird
And yet at age 44 Tom Brady led the entire NFL in yards passing, TD's passing and completions at age 44. Brady threw for 4/5 of the top passing games in SB history including #1 - 505 yards and #2- 466 yards. He once threw for 5 TD's in 1 quarter (2009 vs Titans) in a New England snowstorm.. You better get your eyes checked and see an optometrist
Can't wait for Tyler Myers' prime video to come out. Should be enough content for a three part epic.
the chaos giraffe?😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dude was in those old leather skates flying around the ice. I once pulled out my old skates form the mid 90s and couldn’t skate in them anymore I had gotten so used to these stiff boots today. Amazing how much equipment changes the game. Orr has to be up there along Gretzky and Lemieux.
Gloves used to go right up to the elbow
Awesome video
I grew up in philly and was amazed how unstoppable that guy was. He was to hockey what Lawrence Taylor was to football
Sadly LT destroyed himself with drugs, alcohol, and general stupidity. Smart as he was on a football field, he was a fool off it. And apparently still is.
Ive been around for 56 years. Ive seen the best players from the early 70's till now. I barely saw Orr in his prime but he was the best player ever. Lemieux i saw growing up in Montreal dominating games in local junior. I saw Gretsky who if anyone could challenge Orr it would be the Great One Orr had 2 demons, his knees and not good enough goalies. The Bruins should have won 4 consecutive cups, 2 was ok
I’ll tune in for your vid on Gordie Howe, who, according to Bobby Orr, was THE BEST.
I will never forget Orr bringing the puck up the ice almost alone shooting the puck through a defenseman's legs and scoring. Orr was so fast he burned his knees up.
His career was already over by the time I started playing and watching Hockey in the early 80s but growing up in the Boston area he was almost mythologized If only his knees were as immortal as he was
Best I ever saw...and I was able to see him in Oshawa as we lived in Whitby, just next town over..
I saw Bobby play at Maple Leaf Gardens ... he was spellbinding! I sat with him at an airport decades later. What a gentleman!! (Even after I brought up the Jim Dorey fight. Not sure he appreciated it since he got pummeled!)
How good was Bobby Orr? He was the best that ever was and the best that ever will be.
How good? HOW GOOD?! You mean HOW GREAT! THAT'S BOBBY ORR
Bobby Orr did more for hockey than any other player!! If you lived in New England you saw arenas go up in just about every town!!
Nice try pal. Gretzky brought hockey to the West Coast and viewership out West increased in the States by 1000% because of Gretzky. There are no Ducks or Sharks or Avalanche or even Coyotes without Wayne
I was back and forth wit someone online who called Lemieux the greatest player ever. I consider him 4th behind Gretzky and Orr ( virtual dead heat ) and Gordie Howe ( Gretzky and Orr agree Howe was the greatest ever ). I was shocked when a friend said he wouldn't pick Orr as the greatest Dman ever. I gave him a look like "we can't talk hockey anymore." I disgustedly asked him, and he said "Nik Lidstrom." My point to him: if the '70's goalies were so bad, why didn't Brad Park, Denis Potvin or Borje Salming not post stats that come within miles of Orr's.?
Wish I got to see Gordie Howe. Bobby Orr said that Howe could play hockey in every style.
Bobby Orr stands alone at the top...he changed everything....
Greatest all around hockey player e v e r.
We all know who the Great One is. Orr was the best D-man ever. We all know that too.
Give me 5 Orrs vs ANY 5 whoever. Orr in 6 games. Dude is the only one in top 5 that could play D.
@@GassersGhostu could argue other players since were better defenceman tho he has no records. Noone was a better forward/center than Gretzky who still owns all the records lol😂
@@knightrider693 Tell anyone who ever saw Orr play that there has been a better defenseman since and they will laugh in your face, and then tell you what a fool you are. Orr has the second-highest +/- total in league history - and in half as many games as anyone else in the top 10. Btw, in 600+ games, Orr has a higher +/- that Gratzky in over 1400 games. He won the Ross, the Norris, the Hart, and the Conn Smythe in one season Orr invented the position of modern defenseman, and he played it better than anyone. And if you think Orr has no records, you're just ignorant. Remind me which more recent defenseman has 2 scoring titles. . We'll wait.
It's hard to say if he's truly the best of all time because we were robbed of his ultimate potential. Same as Lemieux.
You had to see him in person to really appreciate his skills. Luckily, I was able to. And boy, could he fight.
That is true he was too fast for the TV cameras, no joke. He would be up ice when the Bruins turned over the puck, the opposing team would cross the Bruins' Blue line, and Bobby was there to defend. Watching on TV we had no idea how he could get back so quick. In-person we saw he turned on a dime, and hit full speed in one stride, he was like a steak of lightning getting back to his defensive position amazing
I didn't know he was a good fighter. I maybe remember one time I saw him throw his gloves. In his book he does say that unfortunately fighting is sometimes necessary because the potential later retaliations would likely be way worse.
Orr was so so fast on the skates they had in the day imagine what he would do with todays lighter equipment and rules no one better goat
GOAT. Those that don't think that never saw him play. He could do everything 99 could do. But 99 could not do everything Orr could do And Orr did a lot of that on one good leg.
No player was so much better than the rest of the players he played against. This is why Bobby Orr was the greatest hockey player there ever was.
Can you imagine? If Bruins had not taken Gibb 1st pick in 68 or 69 draft they could have had B. Park? What a duo . Orr wouldn't have to put in so much ice time probably lasted another 10 years.
Brad Park very easily could have been Leaf property if not for a tiff between Punch Imlach and the Park family.
@jamesanthony5681 I know he love the Maple Leaf Gardens
i remember having dinner with bobby circa 1980 and he told us flat out that he would not let his kids play hockey, so i was only about 10 or so but in retrospect i think the politics of the game really left him rather disgruntled. looking at the way eagleson did him and the ridiculously soft prison sentence he, eagleson received for all his dirty dealings solidifies my belief.
Orr was the Elite of the elite and then some. There will never be anyone like him. He won awards that traditionally only forwards won. If you've never seen Bobby Orr play you can't appreciate how great he was. Gretzky, Howe and Lemieux have all said that Orr was the best to ever play the game!!
The best praise I ever heard was that Orr would step on the ice , get the puck, and the other team wouldn't see it again until he stepped off.
Bobby Hull (the Golden Jet) in a biography of Orr related that when he first saw Orr play, during a time-out (tv commercial) skated up to the referee and said something like this.....I guess the only thing we can do about the kid (Orr) is you give him a puck and another for the rest of the 2 teams so we get a chance to play with it when he's on the ice.....
A lot of people don’t know this but Bobby took figure skating lessons for balance! That’s a big reason he skated so effortlessly. He was the GOAT IMHO #4 Bobby Orr 🙏🙏
You'd think that today, they could take the Boston Gardens rink measurements and Orr's speed on film and ascertain what his general skating speed was in that era. Perhaps using blue and red lines as yardsticks. Wouldn't that be interesting? Somebody do it for fun!
I'll never forget when some college kid named Dryden with 6 games of NHL experience walked in and knocked off the 57 win Bruins with Orr,Esposito and Bucyk in the playoffs. Then he did it to Mikita and Bobby Hull in the finals.
And then the next season he won the Calder Trophy.
@@appletile2887 TRUE
From Wikipedia: "Orr is the only defenseman to win the scoring title, doing so in 1970 and 1975 with Boston, and in 1970 he became the first player to capture four individual awards in a single season as he won the Hart, Norris, and Conn Smythe Trophies that year as well." That should tell you all you need to know. Bobby Orr was as good as anyone who ever played in the NHL.
That was a great overview of his career, but it would have been nice to see some highlights. 4/7/24, 5:44 p.m.
Arguably the best to ever do it.
I think if orr had a healthy 15 years in nhl then he wouldve been the no doubt nhl goat, bruins fan. Gordie Howe said it was a tragedy that he had to retire before age 30
I haven’t read all the comments, but it must be said; it seems not possible, but he was, and still is, a better person than a hockey player. A complete gentleman !!
Greatest defenseman of all time no debate
YOU SHOULD ALSO MENTION THE '76 CANADA CUP, WHERE BOBBY GOT 9 PTS IN 7 GAMES AND WAS TOURNAMENT MVP FOR THE GOLD MEDAL TEAM CANADA. IT WAS HIS SWAN SONG.