Horton was described by his opponents as one of the strongest players and heaviest hitters to set foot in the NHL. Orr reeled off six consecutive 100-point seasons from 1969-70 through 1974-75, including his record-setting 139-point campaign in '70-71 and 135 points in '73-74, and he hit 120-plus points in two . Al, in his injury-shortened 799-game career averaged .19 goals per game, which puts him in the top 30 goal scorers per game of all defenseman. It can be said that Bobby Orr created the "Offensive defenseman.". The most exciting play in hockey is the end to end rush. But wait they did. Injuries ended his career with the North Stars much too early. Last Name Orr #1. The animated Zubov is one of the slickest passing and stickhandling defenseman of all time. During the playoffs, that increased to .23 goals per game near the very top of career performances for defensemen. He then helped the Leafs beat the Penguins in the first round of the playoffs and then extend the eventual Stanley Cup losing Philadelphia Flyers to seven games in the second round. One of those players Aubrey "Dit" Clapper scored most of his goals as a forward. He and his career often seem forgotten in the NHL because of this. It did far more for the city than that. Ken Dryden, Hall of Fame goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, summed it up best. He'd been moved to St Louis by Winnipeg. At 5'10" and a solid 205 pounds, Wilfred McDonald was known in hockey circles simply as Bucko.Although an all-star defenseman in his own right, many best remember Bucko McDonald as the man responsible for turning Bobby Orr into a defenseman. He started playing from an early age, and his exemplary defense skills made him join the 'Metro Junior A League' as a junior with . In his own zone he was just as solid; he was a strong player with a firm center of gravity who could clear the crease with ease. Zubov has proved to be the exception to the rule that you can't be a great without also being a great goal scorer. He was skilled with the puck and mobile for a big man but it was the shot that set him apart. Orr would be the first person to say pshaw, what-the-heck, forget-all-the-valentines routine . 1 in all-time NHL postseason points-per-game . His 396 goals were the second-most ever in a defensemans regular season career. In four seasons, he had a plus/minus rating of plus-40 or higher (including a plus-85 season, which is the eighth-highest rating in history) and he holds the record for the most shorthanded goals in NHL history by a defenseman (28). Even in his 97-point season, he still managed to finish with a minus-14. He scored 31 goals once. That resistance to conformity apparently fueled his offensive instincts. Youve probably heard of Bobby Orr. Not only was he fast, his. Bourque is one of the all-time great NHL defensemen, winning the Norris Trophy five times. Zubov was named to the NHLs second All-Star team in 2006 and played in three All-Star Games over the course of his career. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Boyle blossomed almost immediately in Tampa Bay when exposed to the talent in the lineup there. He had as rough a ride as any player I've ever seen play the game. Blake had a bomb of a point shot that kept him in business through most of his career. He was a runner up for the Hart Memorial trophy as the leagues MVP twice. A committee of hockey experts assembled by the same publication 13 years earlier named Orr the second-greatest player of all time behind Wayne Gretzky and in front of Gordie Howe. 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 Original Six era featured a conservatism of play that frequently quashed any offensive creativity from defensemen. Enterprise. Here are 21 reasons why Orr is hockey's GOAT. "Id never seen Bobby Orr play hockey," Bird said at the time, "but just being around him gives me a tingling feeling, and that sort of gets me fired up. Lionel Conacher earned his nick-name the Big Train playing football in Toronto. He retired, early for a Howe at age 40. On May 10, 1970 Bobby Orr arguable scored the most recognizable hockey highlight in not only Boston history but sports history. 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. Detroit at this time had produced some epically bad teams often scoring 40-50 goals fewer than they gave up. Howe was a force to be reckoned with in the 1980s. Bourque was Boston's other great defenseman, a magisterial, super smooth stalwart who nonetheless has always been cloaked in a touch of shadow. Injuries chipped away at the hard playing Suter but he managed to maintain an offensive presence almost to the end of his career. He was dogged by injuries throughout his career making it hard for him to play a complete season. Only Ray Bourque managed to score more with 410, while playing 203 more games. Whether shooting or passing off the point of the power play, he's always a threat to create a goal. He played 37 games that first season and had 23 points. He then managed six goals in six games as the Capitals lost to the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. Playing in an era where defensemen usually didnt contribute offensively, "The Great" Gadsby was far ahead of his time. Phil Housley - A little one dimensional, but offered the exact same dimension that won Paul Coffey three Norris trophies. Bobby Orr was the most creative individual in the game of hockey. Only one man on the hockey front Bobby Orr, 22-year-old super defenseman of the Boston Bruins. It's impossible to try to translate Eddie's statistics in any meaningful way to the modern day. He was another big point man who was a better point per game player in the playoffs. He was also a stellar stick handler and could keep the puck away from checkers with skill. A . He won three James Norris trophies in a row from 1963 to 1965. A native of Parry Sound, Ontario, Orr scored 270 regular-season goals and assisted on 645 more. The Ducks look to be hoping his numbers with them will closer to the .686 points per game he's managed since coming back from Slovakia. He had more than a point a game for Chicago in their 1992 run to the cup final versus the Lemieux-lead Pittsburgh Penguins. Orr, the 74-year-old legendary defenseman, ranks No. He was a second round pick for the Sharks (30th overall) in 1991 and he joined the team for 1992-93 season. He also won four Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh and Detroit. His 59 points in the 1964-65 season was a record for defenseman in the pre-expansion era. Clancy made up for that by scoring. Orr picked up the loose puck, skated it to the red line and dumped it back into St. Louis zone. At the end of his career, he was there to mentor and play with the equally legendary Brian Leetch. Widely considered the best defenseman to ever play the game,and even considered by some the best player ever, the legendary No. Not content to be Wayne Gretzky's teammate, swift-skating Oiler defenseman Paul Coffey suddenly is getting himself compared to Bobby Orrand not unfavorably, either. He scored 20 goals or more in three different seasons. His first game back he looked like he was playing on one leg. He came in to the league as a 19 year old with the LA Kings and scored 16 goals and 76 points in his first NHL season. Nobody played the game like him. Playing in an era where defensemen usually didn't contribute offensively, "The Great" Gadsby was far ahead of his time. A seven-time All-Star, he remains the last defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring. 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. His best season saw him score 17 goals and 40 points for the Ottawa Senators in 1929-30. He finally matured enough to become the force he had been projected to be managing to score more than 20 goals three times in his NHL career. 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). His hockey hero is widely regarded as the greatest blueliner ever, Bobby Orr. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. 1968 O-Pee-Chee. Turnbull was no Bobby Orr but he was a slashing attacker from the back end who could skate end to end and create chances by turning on a dime with the puck and taking into the enemy zone. If those two players had never existed, youd be looking at possibly the greatest defenseman in NHL history, with his six Norris Trophies and all. This despite the fact that Scott was more of a skater, passer and playmaker while the hulking Pronger has depended more on a big point shot and the long pass out of the zone to generate his offence. First Name Bobby #14. 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. Theres not too many defensemen in history with the all-around ability that Mark Howe had; he simply did everything on the ice. Still his .268 goals per game in that period makes him the sixth-best goals per game defenseman of all time among those defenseman who played at least 50 playoff games. Despite all of this, Gadsby never won a Norris, but came runner-up three times. This was over a 21-season career. His skating abilities only improved through the years, as did his stickhandling and goalscoring talents. According to photos and replays, however, it seems as if the overtime hero was indeed tripped. This all while he was 33 and 34. Hockey. At the end of his career he was still capable of making an offensive contribution and managed 16 goals and 56 points and 15 goals and 34 points with the Mighty Ducks at the end of the Millennium. He was unbeatable at the blue line; prime scoring chances were few and far away when Horton was on the ice, as he would routinely outmuscle and strip players from the puck. Say "Bobby Orr flies through the air" to someone who grew up a Boston sports fan and . Defensively, Orrs penalty-killing abilities set a standard that remains to this day. This included, but it wasn't limited to, three Hart Trophies, two Art Ross . So I got a little lucky there.Blues defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot also took a one-handed swipe at the puck as Orr skated it to the corner, proceeding to dish it to Sanderson who was still waiting below the goal line. His best year was with St Louis in 1992-93 when he scored 25 goals and had 78 points in 71 games. He's a player who could easily slip off this list with a couple of bad seasons. Duchesne is 20th in career scoring among all NHL defensemen. Wherever he went Brown upgraded his new teams power play. His three best seasons came in the war years with Toronto when he set the record for most points by a defenseman in a season with 57 points in 50 games in 1943-44. The same way teams were forced to design defenses around Brett Hull, they forced to rush the point to keep Al MacInnis from getting that cannon off. Eddie had a will to play and a knowledge of the game that made him a great if eccentric teacher of hockey skills years after he stopped playing. When we speak of the greats of ice hockey, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau enter into the conversation. He's one of those players who is better when the games are important. 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. Brown had a highly accurate point shot was a player whose goal scoring improved significantly in the playoffs. Orr was also quite happy to hit and to drop the gloves. The record of 20 goals would stand for 24 years until a young man named Bobby Orr came along. He lead the Oilers in scoring during their abortive Stanley Cup run. This slide show is designed to honour and rank those offensively skilled players who have played. He's not the goal scorer of some defenseman on this list and never experienced great success in the playoffs either. Steve Duchesne broke in with the LA Kings and quickly became their power play quarterback. Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr is airborne after scoring the goal that won the 1970 Stanley Cup, May 10, 1970. According to Orr, though, his flight through the air was by choice. If it had gone by me, its a two-on-one, said Orr. Red Kelly ran for parliament in 1962 and won all well playing with the Leafs in 1962 and winning another Stanley cup. Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs the game headed to overtime. 20) Today is Bobby Orr's 73rd birthday. The only NHL season that Ray Bourque scored fewer than 10 goals in a season was his last in Colorado. He still holds the record for most assists in a season by a defenseman (102) and most points in a season by a defenseman (139) both from the ill-fated 1970-71 season. Eddie was renowned for his ability to take over a game. he also scored 21 goals that year breaking 20 for the first time. 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. Kelly started his career in Detroit as a defenseman. Forget about the flashiest defenseman, Bobby Orr was the flashiest player in league history. (from Former Haverhill newsman captured Orrs famous flight, Eagle-Tribune, 05/11/2010) He was forever remembered as a superhero in the eyes of Bruins fans. He had four seasons where he got more than 90 points, another six where had between 80 and 89 points and a further two seasons where his point total was in the 70's. He was known as a non-conformist in an era, the 1950s, when conformity was king. As knee surgeries limited him to just 10 games, Orr endured a most frustrating 1975-76 season. Bobby Orr was the greatest offensive defenseman of all time and arguably the greatest player of all time. Ice hockey never saw a better, more complete player than Bobby Orr. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another . He was a key to the offensive transition game the Jets liked to run. . Tim Horton - Runner up to Bobby Orr in 1969, Horton was arguably the greatest defensive defenseman of all time. During those first thirteen seasons he was part of four Stanley Cup winning teams. Bobby Orr, byname of Robert Gordon Orr, (born March 20, 1948, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada), Canadian American professional ice hockey player who was the first defenseman to lead the National Hockey League (NHL) in scoring. In that. He was an extremely physical and at times reckless D-man, who received more than 600 stitches to his face during his career. Larson was the first US born player ever to score 200 goals in the NHL and the sixth defenseman to do so. The Blues then traded Housley to the Flames for all-time Flame defenseman Al MacInnis. Published on January 8, 2021 at 4:43 a.m. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. The hockey was indelible, but Hull, who died Monday at age 84, had demons behind . Salming endured what was at times brutal treatment with a stoicism and toughness that helped pave the way for every other Swedish player who has come to North America. 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. He and his mostly offensive skills won seven James Norris trophies as the league's best defenseman. Nicklas Lidstrom is the best defenseman of his generation and one of the best of all time. Fraser hopes, like many fans, that Orr will change his position and be part of the solution. Howe made it to the NHL in 1979 when the Hartford Whalers became an NHL team at the age of 24. These are all factors that are keeping Housley out of the Hall of Fame for now. If you ask the average hockey fan, who was the greatest defenseman to ever play the game of hockey, most would say it was Bobby Orr. He moved east-west but was constantly looking for the spot where he could move north south and he invariably found it. Now here they are, the 50 greatest offensive defensemen of all time. He was a great skater and playmaker with a very useful point shot. Meanwhile, Rick Smith, Esposito, and John Bucyk netted three goals for Boston in order to send the game into overtime. Chris Chelios was always a good skater who could distribute the puck and had a reasonable shot. He used his fearless defensive ability to help the Red Wings reach the Stanley Cup finals three times, but unfortunately, they lost each time. When he retired in 1966, he was 20th all-time in scoring for any position. He lead the Leafs in goal scoring and points that playoff year. After signing with the Black Hawks as a free agent in 1976, Orr was unable to accomplish much for his new team. These greats and others deserve all due respect for their major contributions to their sport. 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. A still-hobbled Orr finally returned to the ice in September 1976 for the Canada Cup. His shot while not devastating allowed him to provide a very consistent 10 goals a year everywhere he's played until injury caught up with him. Harvey was eventually dealt to the New York Rangers when he supported Ted Lindsays attempt to start a players association. Often a top 5 dman, but never top 1 or even top 2. SEATTLE The Seattle Kraken acquired defenseman Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. MacInnis is the third-highest scoring defenseman in NHL history. More impressive are his playoff numbers. Doug Harvey was an all-time great offensive defenseman born in an era where such play was characterized as risky and undesirable. The biggest debate seems to be in figuring out where he ranks in the pantheon of all time. He had a career best season with 91 points in 75 games in his third year in Calgary. The crowd in the background, most of whom had their arms in the air like the legend, were just beginning to fill the stadium with a roar that lasted until the Stanley Cup was skated off the ice. Orr was an unrivalled skater. 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. He showed all the toughness and spring steel durability that would be expected from Gordie Howe's son. A second deal was worked out with the Imlach coached Toronto Maple Leafs that Kelly accepted. The puck bounced off the right boards and Orr stopped short,corralling the puck with his skate. "He brought others with him. 4 took his first strides in the NHL during the 1966-67 season but, it was during Orrs prime that he dominated the league. St. Louis Keenan took a one-handed chop at the puck to no avail as the Bruins defenseman had already transitioned it to his stick blade. I expect him to move up on this list as his career progresses. Hi there! His shot from the point let him score enough to keep above that magic fifth of a goal a game for an 1113 game career. He was destined to spend a career in Edmonton until a desperate Peter Pocklington started selling off assets in the late 80s. His six James Norris Trophy wins as the league's best defenseman put him behind only Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven). Again only he, Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch have ever managed that feat as career defensemen who played over 50 games in the playoffs. Reed Larson was a mainstay with the Detroit Red Wings. Reed's Detroit teams missed the playoffs six out of the nine seasons he was there. Despite a much different ending, the 2019 Stanley Cup Final between the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins could only bring to mind that only other finals meeting between the teams 49 years earlier. Another Bobby Orr Was Drafted to the NHL. Eighty games were the most he ever managed in a single year. In between he managed to play almost 80 games a season every year. This all while being one of the best defensive defensmen on this entire list. He played another seven and a half seasons in Toronto. He was an offensive star with Chicago and always near the top of the league in scoring among defensemen. All the career scoring records for NHL defensemen belong to Ray Bourque. 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. He had six goals and 16 points in 13 playoff games that year. Park was an end to end rusher throughout his career with a great shot. Weaker defensive play, a lack of size and perceived lack of grit has always seemed to diminish the regard he's gotten over the years. Than that on one leg goals and had 78 points in the 1964-65 season was a who... Eventually dealt to the NHLs second All-Star team in 2006 and played in three games! Offensive defenseman born in an era where such play was characterized as risky and undesirable the biggest debate seems be! 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