Every hockey fan knows the story of Bobby Orr. The small town boy from Parry Sound who learned to play on the lake. But Bobby Orr has done so many unbelievable things that sone people don't know. These are the things that made him arguably the best defenseman in history and will probably never be achieved again.
Bobby Orr played his junior hockey in Oshawa with the Oshawa Generals. But not everybody knows that he started playing with them at 14 years old. He was playing with 21 year olds before his first half of grade 8! which is a feat that no one will ever repeat. Not only did he play but since he played in Oshawa, it forced him to move from his hometown of Parry Sound. Just imagine leaving home at 14 years old. also all of his teammates are in their last years of high school and he hasn't even graduated grade 8 yet. This is just one of many things that people forget to consider about Bobby Orr.
Bobby Orr also played through a lot of injuries. Don't get me wrong, everybody plays through injuries but I'm talking about knee injuries which enable him to bend his knees. Orr underwent surgery on numerous occasions and is the exact definition of "bummed knees". He also played through many concussions, the worst one coming in the beginning of his career when Leafs defenseman Pat Quinn caught Bobby with a high elbow which caused Orr to leave the ice on a stretcher. Although players these days still play through injuries they have a lot more medical treatment then they did in the 60's and 70's.
Bobby is remembered for many career accomplishments but none as famous as the 1970 Stanley Cup winning goal in which Orr is seen flying through the crease and the puck in the net. "If it had gone by me, it's a two on one. So I got a little lucky there, but Derek gave me a great pass and when I got the pass I was moving across. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. I was really trying to get the puck on the net, and I did. As I went across, Glenn's legs opened. I looked back, saw it go in, so I jumped" said Bobby Orr in his biography. That goal is every Canadian kids dream goal, Stanley Cup finals in overtime and sliding it past the goalie to win it all.
Although a lot of things went well for Bobby Orr and his career, it didn't end to pleasant. Bobby's lawyer and longtime friend Al Eagleson unfortunately ripped off Orr and stole nearly all of his money. Eagleson was quite famous as he organized the 1972 Summit Series. But Bobby wasn't the only one Eagleson stole from as he stole from every client he had and also from the National Hockey League Players Association.
Bobby Orr also shaped a new way of playing defence as he was one of the first truly offensive defenseman. Because of him we now have defenseman like P.K Subban, Kris Letang, Tyson Barrie and Erik Karlsson. These players not only stop goals from happening but they make them happen the other way and Bobby Orr was the first to really make that happen. Not many players can say they changed the game forever but Bobby Orr is on the list that can which makes him one of the greatest ever.
Although Bobby Orr didn't have the perfect career having too overcome so many obstacles. He had a memorable one and because of that is known as not only one of the best players in history, but also one of the most respected players and in my mind he is the overall best defenseman too ever step onto the ice.
Bobby Orr played his junior hockey in Oshawa with the Oshawa Generals. But not everybody knows that he started playing with them at 14 years old. He was playing with 21 year olds before his first half of grade 8! which is a feat that no one will ever repeat. Not only did he play but since he played in Oshawa, it forced him to move from his hometown of Parry Sound. Just imagine leaving home at 14 years old. also all of his teammates are in their last years of high school and he hasn't even graduated grade 8 yet. This is just one of many things that people forget to consider about Bobby Orr.
Bobby Orr also played through a lot of injuries. Don't get me wrong, everybody plays through injuries but I'm talking about knee injuries which enable him to bend his knees. Orr underwent surgery on numerous occasions and is the exact definition of "bummed knees". He also played through many concussions, the worst one coming in the beginning of his career when Leafs defenseman Pat Quinn caught Bobby with a high elbow which caused Orr to leave the ice on a stretcher. Although players these days still play through injuries they have a lot more medical treatment then they did in the 60's and 70's.
Bobby is remembered for many career accomplishments but none as famous as the 1970 Stanley Cup winning goal in which Orr is seen flying through the crease and the puck in the net. "If it had gone by me, it's a two on one. So I got a little lucky there, but Derek gave me a great pass and when I got the pass I was moving across. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. I was really trying to get the puck on the net, and I did. As I went across, Glenn's legs opened. I looked back, saw it go in, so I jumped" said Bobby Orr in his biography. That goal is every Canadian kids dream goal, Stanley Cup finals in overtime and sliding it past the goalie to win it all.
Although a lot of things went well for Bobby Orr and his career, it didn't end to pleasant. Bobby's lawyer and longtime friend Al Eagleson unfortunately ripped off Orr and stole nearly all of his money. Eagleson was quite famous as he organized the 1972 Summit Series. But Bobby wasn't the only one Eagleson stole from as he stole from every client he had and also from the National Hockey League Players Association.
Bobby Orr also shaped a new way of playing defence as he was one of the first truly offensive defenseman. Because of him we now have defenseman like P.K Subban, Kris Letang, Tyson Barrie and Erik Karlsson. These players not only stop goals from happening but they make them happen the other way and Bobby Orr was the first to really make that happen. Not many players can say they changed the game forever but Bobby Orr is on the list that can which makes him one of the greatest ever.
Although Bobby Orr didn't have the perfect career having too overcome so many obstacles. He had a memorable one and because of that is known as not only one of the best players in history, but also one of the most respected players and in my mind he is the overall best defenseman too ever step onto the ice.