great defenseman was overshadowed by bobby orr

Lubomir is a creative point man who can make things happen offensively. No other NHL defenseman has ever managed to score more than .3 goals a game. He started in Buffalo with 19 goals and 66 points. Orr would be the first person to say pshaw, what-the-heck, forget-all-the-valentines routine . Robert Orr, AKA Bobby Orr, was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes - but sadly, he's not a defenseman. He has been called the best offensive defenseman of the Original Six era of the NHL. Closest Norris Finish: Second (1964, 1969). He was a stick handler, play maker and scorer of the first calibre. 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. He had 31 points in 33 games during his next season in Vancouver. He was the premiere offensive defenseman. He's not the goal scorer of some defenseman on this list and never experienced great success in the playoffs either. Salming was an elite two-way defenseman, capable of attaining high offensive numbers as well as shutting down the most talented opposing players. He was one of only two great offensive defenseman to be more than a point a game player for his entire career. Detroit had their best playoff run in two decades making it to the conference final the next year. Not only was he fast, his. Wednesday's events at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. are literally unprecedented. Far from a one-season wonder, Orr was the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season (1969-70), then the first to notch 40 (1974-75). This all while he was 33 and 34. His last three playoff runs he's scored 14, 14 and 12 points. He scored over .4 goals a game during his career. He followed this up with a 15 point in 16 game playoff performance as the Flames swept Chicago and beat Philadelphia in seven games before losing to the North Stars in their first playoff year in Calgary. Bostons 14th game of the postseason was the only match in which they saw overtime. Impressively, he amassed more than 100 points for a sixth consecutive (and last) season. But one stands above the rest. Andrei Markov is another hugely talented offensive defenseman whose numbers have suffered in the recent trap clogged, big pad NHL. he also had 20 points in 17 games in the Canadien's 1985-86 playoff run. He quarterbacked the power play in Tampa Bay and he was able to keep up with the high priced talent that was there. 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. After playing just 20 games during the 1976-77 season, Orr missed the entire 1977-78 campaign. Al MacInnis was renowned for having the hardest shot in hockey, ever. THATS the kind of teammate you want??? Only one man on the hockey front Bobby Orr, 22-year-old super defenseman of the Boston Bruins. The team finished with a 17-43-10 record, leaving the Bruins in last place. Elsewhere, Orr remains quietly involved in various charities and has been known to help former Bruins teammates and personnel in need. 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. Boston did it in impressive style, too, beating the New York Rangers in six games in the quarterfinals, then sweeping the Black Hawks and St. Louis Blues. For Orr, 1974-75 was a season of "lasts" his last full season as a player, his last full season with the Bruins and his last season playing with Phil Esposito. Despite all of this, Park played at a time where Bobby Orr was breaking records every night, and therefore, never got the true recognition that he deserved. Players from earlier eras who are included often don't have comparable statistics. Bourque comes second with 451 goals in 1826 games. When he scored 23 in 1997-98 with LA, he also won the James Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman that year. Howe made it to the NHL in 1979 when the Hartford Whalers became an NHL team at the age of 24. He was a three-time 20-goal scorer, a 10-time 50-point scorer (with his season high being 82 points) and twice recorded a plus/minus rating of plus-60 and higher. Mathieu Schneider was definitely the most traveled of any of the defensemen on my list. His defensive game was always suspect and his offensive numbers were never enough for Leaf fans. He then circled behind the net and stood patiently to theright of the goal. Some of these "comparisons" are too funny! Orr scored that goal after completing a give-and-go with Derek Sanderson, and it remains one of the most unforgettable moments in hockey history. Throughout his career, Orr was able to amass a pile of hardware that is almost unimaginable. Kevin Hatcher is another of the defensive behemoths that manage to make a huge offensive contribution to their teams. It was the shot that made Al great. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. He scored 40 points in his first full season as a fresh faced rookie with New Jersey. He played his only games in November 1975 after the Bruins already had traded Phil Esposito to the New York Rangers. It is unlikely that all of Orrs awards can fit into a single trophy case. 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. His playoff numbers were never as good as his regular season ones, but he did produce 15 assists in 19 playoff games during Philadelphia's 1988-89 playoff run. Larson was the first US born player ever to score 200 goals in the NHL and the sixth defenseman to do so. As a sophomore he scored 18 goals and 67 points in the regular season. He was obviously a player who could play better when the games got tougher. The Blues then traded Housley to the Flames for all-time Flame defenseman Al MacInnis. Pronger is a man whose offensive production increases in the playoffs. He had 50 points in 66 regular season games and then 199 in 22 playoff games. he also scored 21 goals that year breaking 20 for the first time. There is obviously no argument that Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the history of the Red Wings. Potvin was an incredible offensive defenseman who brought a physical game that Scott Stevens would have been happy to own. A second deal was worked out with the Imlach coached Toronto Maple Leafs that Kelly accepted. A student of the game he was hard to rattle on the point, invariably making the right play when called upon. Despite all that Howe played in the NHL, mostly as a defenseman for 15 seasons. Park was chosen MVP of the last and deciding game, Game 8. He also flashed that skill at the public that would have dazzled crowds in Detroit for generations. In between he managed to play almost 80 games a season every year. During the 1980-81 season he had 83 points to finish second in team scoring behind Rick Kehoe. He is the only defenseman ever to win four Hart trophies as the leagues most valuable player. Defensively, Orrs penalty-killing abilities set a standard that remains to this day. His plus-minus rating for those games resides at a whopping plus-582. It was a huge first season for Orr, leaving him with a Calder trophy and ever-growing fame. But wait they did. Before he was a coach, Randy Carlyle played 17 seasons as a defenseman in the NHL. He then managed to help the Sharks the first of two early franchise playoff runs with 10 points in 14 games that year and five in 11 playoff games the next. He was 82. The 26-year-old stay-at-home defenseman was afraid of getting caught up ice, so he focused on his defensive responsibilities and let Orr work his magic all over the ice. Leetch had four game-winning goals on his way to a Conn Smythe win. His 59 points in the 1964-65 season was a record for defenseman in the pre-expansion era. Known as a devastating hitter, shutdown defenseman and long-time Devils captain, Stevens memorable and iconic career spanned 22 seasons and 1,635 games, and it's hard to believe that in that much time, he never won a Norris Trophy. His best seasons never reached the heights of Orr or Coffey. Closest Norris Finish: Second (1956, 1958, 1959). Associated With. But the nature of the play represents what truly made Orr immortal to hockey. He was one of the best offensive defensemen of all time. Orr was great, he played 12 NHL seasons between the years 1966 and 1979. Even though many of the greats have been honored with this trophy, there are some who have not been so lucky and have been on the outside looking in. Hi there! This is the only recognized rookie card of hockey's most legendary defenseman. Murphy was a three quarters of a point a game man throughout his long NHL career. The wisdom at the time was Swedish players would not endure rough play and if hit enough would go back home to Sweden. Orr earned MVP honors in that game as the East Division All-Stars rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 win over the West Division All-Stars. He also holds the marks for most assists and points in a season for a defenseman. His 11 points in 10 playoff games were second on the team only to Darryl Sittler's 12. Murphy became a key international player for Canada and contributed a goal and six assists in the 1987 Canada Cup. Unfortunately, Orr's career expired early, as knee injuries got the . But Orr's free agent move . Ray Bourque won five James Norris Memorial trophies in his career, slotting him behind only Orr and Doug Harvey. Nobody who ever laced up skates played the game better than No. In NHL history, franchises have built dynasties around elite defensemen over and over again. Bourque was Boston's other great defenseman, a magisterial, super smooth stalwart who nonetheless has always been cloaked in a touch of shadow. Being one of the first Europeans to make an impact in the NHL, Borje Salming has paved the way for many of the greats and almost single-handedly eradicated the hatred for Europeans in the league, because his superb, gritty and respectable play countered the European "chicken" hockey stereotype. Names like Eddie Shore (who was often Hollett's defensive partner), Dit Clapper and Art Coulter dominated the era. His legacy isn't complicated. Injuries chipped away at the hard playing Suter but he managed to maintain an offensive presence almost to the end of his career. MacInnis is the third-highest scoring defenseman in NHL history. Next year he scored 26 goals and had 64 points in 81 games. Playing in an era where defensemen usually didnt contribute offensively, "The Great" Gadsby was far ahead of his time. The Cup was a result of Orrs most memorable moment his flying goal. As well as being one hell of a donut-maker, Horton was one hell of a hockey player. There, he used his all-around talents to make offensive rushes up to ice. A . He averaged only 58.6 games a season yet he played 1289 career games. Knee problems had taken their toll as Orr called it quits after playing his final game on Nov. 1, 1978, against the Vancouver Canucks. His last three seasons he scored 56, 73 and 76 points. Orr, the 74-year-old legendary defenseman, ranks No. He is a three-time first-team All-Star and played in four All-Star Games. He was a first team All-Star 10 times and made the second team once. He took home the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe Trophies and his first Stanley Cup. Lapointe was named to the NHLs first All-Star team once and the second All-Star team three times. The most exciting play in hockey is the end to end rush. Carlyle scored an impressive 647 points in 1,055 regular season games. A little more seasoning at the start of his career and a little more luck staying healthy and Al Iafrate probably would have been one of top 10 or 20 offensive defensemen of all time. Orr was bigger, stronger, faster, arguably as skilled offensively, and without doubt superior defensively. He scored 31 goals once. He was seventh in the league in assists that year. Published on January 8, 2021 at 4:43 a.m. Wednesdays events at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. are literally unprecedented. Often a top 5 dman, but never top 1 or even top 2. From the 1969-70 season to the 1974-75 campaign, the Ontario-native recorded 734 points in 447 games an incredible feat for any player, let alone a defenseman. 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. He was another big point man who was a better point per game player in the playoffs. He's had more success, winning a Cup with Pittsburgh, and still has the potential to put up some good offensive numbers for a few more years. He had six goals and 16 points in 13 playoff games that year. Moreover, Orr helped make hockey more popular and helped make the Bruins a big draw both at home and on the road. Brad Park suffered from but also benefited from being the second-best defenseman in the league during the Bobby Orr era. Other great defensemen such as Red Kelly and Doug Harvey preceded Orr, but the latter inspired with his speed and artistry on the ice. He was dogged by injuries throughout his career making it hard for him to play a complete season. This does tend to skew offensive statistics when compared to a player who only played defense, especially in the original six era. Housley was never treated very well by the fans in Calgary despite leading the team in assists during the strike curtailed 1994-95 season. 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. His first game back he looked like he was playing on one leg. Hockey. McDonald coached Orr in peewee and bantam hockey. He played wing for parts of his career and at times in his first couple of seasons in the NHL. Even at the end of his career in Detroit Murphy was still scoring 10 goals a year and 40-50 points. Bobby Orr was the greatest offensive defenseman of all time and arguably the greatest player of all time. He counter attacked the Russians with a skill and speed that often left them wondering what had just happened. He set the record for assists by a defenseman in a season with 46 in 1959, and became the first defenseman in history to amass 500 points. The quick skating Housley was an offensive force for the Sabres and he played forward as well as defense for them. Enterprise. 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. He was another of a wave of talented American-born offensive defensemen who grew watching Bobby Orr play hockey. Gonchar at 36 is likely approaching the end of his career but a good season or two in Ottawa certainly won't hurt his offensive reputation. He was a strong skater with a great point shot and nose for the net. His playoff totals admittedly only cover 71 games. By his third season Borque was a point a game NHL defenseman. Sergei Zubov - Underrated. He was the best offensive defenseman on that team. SEATTLE The Seattle Kraken acquired defenseman Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. Leetch's play in the Stanley Cup run for New York gets overshadowed by the prominence of Messier's promise. He comes out behind only Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Denis Potvin, and Paul Reinhart for goals per game in the playoffs. Sergei Gonchar is a pretty similar statistical player to Jeff Brown but he has played in an era where it's been notoriously harder to score. With what has transpired over the past months (not to mention what the President has done over the course of his life) and especially what took place at the Capitol on Wednesday, fans of the great player, including former NHLer Matt Fraser are demanding that Orr repudiates his endorsement to Trump. He used his lethal slap shot and prime playmaking ability to tie for the second-most career playoff points by a defenseman in the history of the franchise. Athleticism ran in Orrs family. He would miss nine games and the Bruins would lose six of them. In a 12-year NHL career that began in 1966, he revolutionized the role of the defenseman before he retired in 1978 at 30. His career featured five 20 goal or better seasons. Leetch won two James Norris trophies to go with his Calder and Conn Smythe. He won the James Norris trophy with 16 goals and 49 points in 62 games in 1953-54 the first time it was given out. If the James Norris was available, Eddie would have won four at least and probably would have equalled or surpassed Orrs eight and Harveys seven and Lidstroms six James Norris trophies if the award had been given out when he played. With blazing speed and tenacity, Bobby Orr always seemed to be around the puck. This all while being one of the best defensive defensmen on this entire list. Many Bruins fans who werent alive to witness Orrs most famous moment were surely told about it with the sense of an old folk tale though this one is 100-percent true. Most of the players on this list come from 1967 on. He favoured long passes out of his own zone after drawing the forecheckers into him. He won the James Norris trophy as the leagues best defenseman that year. He didn't begin getting the respect he deserved until the second half of his career and didn't win his first Norris Trophy until. Dave Babych was a big point man in Hartford, Winnipeg and Vancouver. Orrs goal didnt just put an end to a 29-year Stanley Cup drought in Boston. He finished up in Pittsburgh where injury cut his career short. According to Orr, though, his flight through the air was by choice. So rather than penalizing him for playing so long I want to reward the offensive skill he did show for over 1006 NHL games. He scored at least 20 goals in a season on two more occasions. Chelios had 72 and 73 point seasons with the Blackhawks. He showed all the toughness and spring steel durability that would be expected from Gordie Howe's son. He has 202 goals in what has been a 1002 game career. Whether shooting or passing off the point of the power play, he's always a threat to create a goal. After collecting the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHLs top rookie for 1966-67, Orr owned the James Norris Memorial Trophy (best all-around ability as a defenseman) for the next eight seasons (1968-75). Perhaps a longer career would have seen Craig much higher on this list. Though his highest goal total in a season to date is 16 he looks to have the potential to score 20 in a season. He had 12 points in 20 games the next year when they fell short. His best year was with St Louis in 1992-93 when he scored 25 goals and had 78 points in 71 games. His six James Norris Trophy wins as the league's best defenseman put him behind only Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven). Expectations were high for this first round pick. Francis "King" Clancy was a diminutive defenseman in an era when assists were only handed out for a key play that lead to a goal. In his 21-year career, he also never raised the Stanley Cup over his head. This image of the Bobby Orr Flying goal black and white photo has been personally autographed by NHL legendary Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr. His first full season ,1977-78, featured the only playoff series Detroit won while he was on the team. Orr, widely regarded as the greatest defenseman to ever play, agreed. He's one of those players who is better when the games are important. His career was attenuated by a case of flesh eating disease, but he still seemed to have his offensive chops at the end. He has the second-most points per game for a defenseman in the playoffs with 97 in 95 games behind only Bobby Orr, who had 92 in 74 playoff games. Note: Defensemen who hit their prime before the trophy was introduced will not be included in this list (Eddie Shore never won a Norris, just because he retired before it was established). His considerable goal scoring ability improved in the post season where he managed to score almost a quarter of a goal a game. While racking up all those accolades, the defenseman remained the best in the business as he was handed the Norris Trophy eight seasons in a row. Orr made the OHAs first all-star team his remaining three junior seasons. Ian Turnbull broke into the league during the height of Bobby Orr fever in 1973.

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