Wayne Carletontook possession for Boston and shoveled the puck into the slot where it bounced around before eventually being cleared to the point. His .173 goals per game for his career put him in a goal scoring class with the likes of career point men like Sergei Zubov and Larry Murphy. In that. I looked back, and I saw it go in, so I jumped.. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Bobby Orr Highlights. The .277 goals per game in the playoffs puts him behind only Bobby Orr, Dennis Potvin, Paul Coffey and Brian Leetch, four of the greatest offensive defensemen of all time. Everyone agrees that Gretzky, Orr, Lemieux, and. Eddie Shore was another iconic Boston Bruin offensively-talented defenseman. The only NHL season that Ray Bourque scored fewer than 10 goals in a season was his last in Colorado. First Name Bobby #14. After setting a record for points by a defenseman with 64 during the 1968-69 season, Orr nearly doubled that total with 120 in 1969-70. He was known as a non-conformist in an era, the 1950s, when conformity was king. Orr invented the offensive defenceman." "Orr did it all and at top speed. He's been a key member of the four Stanley Cup winning Detroit teams in the past 15 years winning the Conn Smythe in 2001-02 with 16 points in 23 games. Playing in an era where defensemen usually didnt contribute offensively, "The Great" Gadsby was far ahead of his time. Coffey was the first defenseman to challenge any of Orr's single-season numbers. His skill as a defenseman let him become the first NHLer to have a 20-year career in the league, all with the Bruins. Duchesne had a good shot and was a puck mover and thus could always find work but like Mathieu Schneider he always seemed to be on the move. His career featured five 20 goal or better seasons. After leaving the NHL Fredrick played five more seasons in the Swedish Elite League. His 59 points in the 1964-65 season was a record for defenseman in the pre-expansion era. He was skilled with the puck and mobile for a big man but it was the shot that set him apart. Leetch won that award with 11 goals and an incredible 34 points in 23 games. I'd love to hear from anyone who has thoughts or even memories of some of those earlier offensively talented defensemen forced to play in a much more circumscribed role. Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. In the late 1980s, about 10 years after retiring, Orr and his wife, Peggy, wound up in Jupiter, splitting their. Associated With. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. In a 12-year NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the defenseman before he retired in 1978 at 30. In this list, I will recognize the 10 greatest players who were never able to take home the defenseman holy grail. He took home the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe Trophies and his first Stanley Cup. Cart. Rhino only broke the 20 goal barrier once but 133 goals in 648 games have him scoring more than a fifth of a goal per game. Besides his deft puck-handling and precise passing, Orr, who famously wore number 4, had a presence that made any team he played for better the moment he stepped on the ice. The most exciting play in hockey is the end to end rush. Brad Park was one of the most talented two-way defensemen in history. He moved on to Pittsburgh where he made an offensive contribution right away. His big offensive weapon was the point shot as was reflected in his almost a fifth of a goal a game he scored during his career. Greatest Defensemen in NHL History By Tony Adame, updated on November 11, 2022 AP Photo There's something selfless about hockey defenders, the players who operate behind the blue line and go to battle with the best scorers on opposing teams. It wasn't simply what happened the Boston hockey . Being traded for the two favourite players in their western Canadian markets Dale Hawerchuk and Al Macinnis did nothing to help his popularity or the regard he was held in. Clancy is now honoured by the King Clancy Memorial Trophy pictured above which is given every year to the NHL player who best shows leadership off and on the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Is a two-time first-team All-Star, five-time Stanley Cup champion and finished runner-up to Doug Harvey in Norris voting in 1961. McDonald coached Orr in peewee and bantam hockey. Though only 14, Orr thrived against players as old as 20. . Dave Babych was a big point man in Hartford, Winnipeg and Vancouver. During his last six seasons in the NHL he was racked with injuries which severely curtailed his offensive numbers and adversely effected his career averages. Playing with Ovechkin in Washington certainly seems like the right place to do it. If it had gone by me, its a two-on-one, said Orr. Sergei Zubov - Underrated. 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. Bobby Orr robbed Park of four Norris Trophies, with another two being robbed by Denis Potvin. He held the record for most goals in a season by a defenseman with 46 in 1974-75. I expect him to move up on this list as his career progresses. He's a slick skating playmaker who always seems perfectly calm as he makes the play. The talented Leetch is one of the all-time great offensive defensemen. Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux, seated next to each other, talking about their legacy. 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.. The Texan-born player has scored 20 or more goals in a season five times. This list then will be highly weighted towards defensemen who have played in the last 45 years in the NHL. That was the only year Phil scored more than 30 goals in an NHL season. His contributions are still undeniable. Hartsburg could play in big games, obviously on the international stage and as well in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Without getting into the entire story, hundreds of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building in what appeared to be an attempt to stop the results of October's election from being certified. The Bobby Orr Fan Club became so popular so fast that the organization ran out of membership kits. Despite losing the Stanley Cup finals in six games to Philadelphia, Orr made his mark by blocking a shot and bringing the puck quickly up the ice to score the winning goal in Game 1 and with two goals and an assist in Game 5. He had 12 points in 20 games the next year when they fell short. He is the WHA career leader in playoff points. Pratt's point per game total of .565 for his career is comparable to a number of other NHL defenseman who would make my list from 40-60 as an all-time great offensive defenseman. Halifax Mooseheads. He quarterbacked one of the greatest power-plays of all time in Montreal, featuring himself and Geoffrion on the points and Beliveau, the Rocket and Bert Olmstead. he also had 20 points in 17 games in the Canadien's 1985-86 playoff run. As knee surgeries limited him to just 10 games, Orr endured a most frustrating 1975-76 season. Orr's peak from 1968-74 was tremendous. Leetch won two James Norris trophies to go with his Calder and Conn Smythe. He skated like the wind and had one of the hardest slap-shots ever. 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. "With Orr's exit, Boston fans felt as if a loved one had disappeared," Conway wrote. Defensively, Orrs penalty-killing abilities set a standard that remains to this day. They increased that margin to a score of 16-4 during Game 3 as the teams headed into what would be the final matchup of the 1970 NHL Playoffs. He was the master of the long headman pass out of his zone as well. He leads all defensemen in scoring that year. During the Boston Bruins 1969-70 season, Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76 games. His .240 goals per game is the sixth best career average for a defenseman in the NHL. Teams : Mtl, NYI, Tor, NYR, LA, Det, Ana, Atl, Mtl, Van, Pho. He's a player who could easily slip off this list with a couple of bad seasons. When the Islanders won their four Cups in a row from 1980-83, Potvin had 85 points and 27 goals in 78 playoff games. It is the most recognizable highlight in Boston sports history. The smooth skating Greschner managed a very impressive .621 points per game over his entire career. The most productive years of his career were overshadowed by . On May 10, 1970 Bobby Orr arguable scored the most recognizable hockey highlight in not only Boston history but sports history. He then circled behind the net and stood patiently to theright of the goal. Teams: LA, Phi, Que, Stl, Ott, Stl, LA, Phi, Det. He scored well in the regular season and was another player who could gear it up for the playoffs. Unfortunately for Reed during his last season in Detroit the Red Wings gave up 415 goals while scoring only 266 and winning only 17 of 80 games. Like Chris Chelios he was primarily a defensive defenseman by the end. Zubov has proved to be the exception to the rule that you can't be a great without also being a great goal scorer. Though his highest goal total in a season to date is 16 he looks to have the potential to score 20 in a season. Coffey was also one of those rare offensive lights who managed to be a point a game player in the playoffs. 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. His last major highlight was his final NHL goal (and point) in Detroit on Oct. 28. He broke in with the Rangers scoring 31 points in 49 games as rookie. THATS the kind of teammate you want??? He is the best defenseman since Bobby Orr. But Orr's free agent move . Howe's longevity has to be a factor for me. He improved his goals and points totals from one season to the next in each of his four years with the Generals, who moved to the Ontario Hockey Association from the Metro Junior A League after Orrs first season in 1962-63. This was the first time a player had been a first team all-star as both an forward and a defenseman. He won the James Norris trophy as the leagues best defenseman that year. He was a stick handler, play maker and scorer of the first calibre. Potvin broke into the league with 17 goals and 54 points in 77 games to win the Calder trophy. Potvin was an incredible offensive defenseman who brought a physical game that Scott Stevens would have been happy to own. Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. Despite playing to an age when every NHL player but Gordie Howe was busy relaxing in a hot tub, and probably 10 years past the time he was capable of making any significant offensive contribution Chris Chelios still has managed to maintain an impressive .574 points per game average for his entire career. Orr, the 74-year-old legendary defenseman, ranks No. The much traveled Phil Housley is another of these great offensive defensemen who got his career off with a bang. In his 21-year career, he also never raised the Stanley Cup over his head. Some examples of his scoring prowess are: seven 20-goal-plus seasons (including one 31-goal season), 12 60-point-plus seasons (including a 66-point rookie season and a 97-point season), 338 career goals and 1,232 career points (both totals fourth all-time for defensemen, behind Bourque, Coffey and MacInnis). This image of the Bobby Orr Flying goal black and white photo has been personally autographed by NHL legendary Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr. Playing in an era where defensemen usually didn't contribute offensively, "The Great" Gadsby was far ahead of his time. Honorable Mentions: Steve Duchesne, Sergei Gonchar, J.C. Tremblay, Eric Desjardins, Kevin Lowe, Vladimir Konstantinov, Mike Green, Allan Stanley, Dan Boyle, Fern Flaman, Brad McCrimmon, Carl Brewer, Craig Hartsburg, Kevin Hatcher, Al Iafrate, Shea Weber, Jim Neilson, Rob Ramage, Pat Stapleton, Teppo Numminen. Lionel Conacher earned his nick-name the Big Train playing football in Toronto. He had enough offensive skills though to see him picked for both the 1981 and 1987 Canada Cup Canadian teams. Despite being overshadowed by the likes of Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey and Chris Chelios, who were all hitting their primes at the same time as him, he still was a second-team All-Star three times, played in three All-Star Games and finished in the top five in Norris Trophy voting four times. Bobbys father, Doug Orr, also was a hockey prospect. Pronger-esque defenseman with superb offensive proficiency. Ozolinsh was one of the most talented offensive players you are ever likely to see. Detroit had their best playoff run in two decades making it to the conference final the next year. Red Berenson, Gary Sabourin, and Larry Keenan were credited for the three Blues goals during Game 4. Teams: Buf, Win, Stl, Cal, NJ, Wsh, Cal, Chi, Tor. Crossword Answers for "Bobby __ one of the greatest midfielders" He lead the Oilers in scoring during their abortive Stanley Cup run. He and his mostly offensive skills won seven James Norris trophies as the league's best defenseman. Bet . But Orrs goal goes beyond winning the Stanley Cup. Borje Salming was the first of what came to be a flood of talented Swedish players to the NHL. Offensive defensemen were popularized with the coming of Bobby Orr in 1966-67. It was a huge first season for Orr, leaving him with a Calder trophy and ever-growing fame. He was another big point man who was a better point per game player in the playoffs. It was poetic that the Bruins best player potted the best goal in the franchises history. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another . He started playing from an early age, and his exemplary defense skills made him join the 'Metro Junior A League' as a junior with . One of the most consistent players to ever lace up a pair of skates, Zubov played 16 seasons in the NHL; in 15 of them he scored 30-plus points, in 12 of them he scored 40-plus points, in eight of them he scored 50-plus points and in three of them he scored 60-plus points, including an incredible 89-point season in 1993-94, which led all defensemen. His 396 goals were the second-most ever in a defensemans regular season career. Throughout his career, Orr was able to amass a pile of hardware that is almost unimaginable. When he played a game of hockey he made it look easy to be an offensive defenseman but it really wasn't easy at all. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. His best year was with St Louis in 1992-93 when he scored 25 goals and had 78 points in 71 games. Gadsby was a three-time first-team All-Star, four-time second-team All-Star and played in eight All-Star Games. A defenceman, Park played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings.Considered to be one of the best defencemen of his era, he was named to an All-Star team seven times. "Gordie in my mind is the best that ever played the game. Part of the problem with a career that spans eras is that the beginning can be lost in the mists of time. Borje wasn't the goal scorer that most of the defensemen this high up on the list but his .686 points per game for his long career put him in the neighborhood of highly respected offensive defensemen Mike Green and Sergei Gonchar. The Hall of Famer put up five seasons of 40 points or more with Chicago and. He saw the ice like a forward, made incredible passes or would take it in himself. Wherever he went Brown upgraded his new teams power play. 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