Bobby orr biography summary example

He would not disappoint them. Bobby Orr 's most memorable hockey moment — the most memorable moment in all of hockey history, many say — is without a doubt "The Goal," as it is still referred to reverentially more than thirty years later by hockey fans in Boston and around the country. Louis Blues in the fourth game of the championships. It was hot and humid inside Boston Garden, and the game had just gone into overtime.

Thirty seconds into the fourth period, Orr stripped the puck from Blues player Larry Keenan and passed it to his teammate, Derek Sanderson. Orr sprinted towards the net and Sanderson passed the puck back to him. Just as Orr took his shot, Blues defenseman Noel Picard used his stick to trip Orr, sending him flying. The goal went in, and Boston Record American photographer Ray Lussier snapped the famous picture of Orr flying through the air, parallel to the ice, with arms outstretched and a look of sheer joy on his face.

He had just brought the Stanley Cup back to Boston. In an era where hockey players were often known for their carousing as much as for their playing, Orr was known for his class. Let me tell you, there was a man with class. This is not to say that Orr didn't have a tough streak. He was a frequent and capable participant in hockey's typical on-ice brawls, and spent plenty of time in the penalty box paying for them.

But Orr still displayed modesty in his relations with opponents. Don Cherry , Bruins coach in the mids, recalled in an interview with Craig MacInnis for the book Remembering Bobby Orr that Orr went out of his way not to humiliate losing teams. Once we'd get up or he would not want to embarrass the other teams …. After a great goal, he'd put his head down.

He felt embarrassed for the other team. Orr played in Boston or "Orr Country," as a popular bumper sticker of the time dubbed it for six more seasons after that first Stanley Cup. He helped bring the Stanley Cup back to the city in , again scoring the winning goal, and he remained a favorite of Bruins fans. A bizarre twist marred the end of Orr's hockey career for many Bostonians.

In Orr's long-time agent, Alan Eagleson, was negotiating a new contract for him. Orr wanted to remain with the Bruins, and the Bruins desperately wanted to keep him, offering him an Eagleson concealed Boston's offer from Orr and convinced him that Boston didn't want him to stay. Orr signed the deal with Chicago. Orr was at that time struggling to play at all.

He had suffered from knee problems ever since colliding with a teammate in a charity-benefit game in By , he had already had multiple operations on his left knee, but in the days before artificial knees there was little that the doctors could do. There was nearly no cartilage remaining in the joint, and the sensation of bone rubbing against bone was excruciatingly painful.

After playing only twenty-six games in just over two seasons with Chicago, Orr announced his retirement in a tearful news conference on November 8, Later that season, he received an eleven-minute standing ovation from the crowd in Boston when his 4 was retired. That same year, , Orr became the youngest player ever to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Orr's troubles with Eagleson did not end with his retirement. Eagleson, who had been representing Orr before he signed his first contract with the Bruins, had mismanaged Orr's finances in a way that left him in deep trouble with both the Canadian and the American tax agencies. Between back taxes and legal bills, Orr was essentially bankrupt by The full extent of Eagleson's crimes, however, would not become apparent for many more years.

In , Eagleson was indicted in the United States on thirty-two counts of racketeering, fraud, and embezzlement related to the time he spent heading the NHL players' league. He eventually served an eighteen month sentence. After Eagleson's conviction, Orr was one of eighteen members of the Hall of Fame who threatened to quit the hall if Eagleson, also in the Hall of Fame, was not removed.

He was. Although Orr has not skated professionally for over twenty years, his influence can still be seen on the game. He is still the only defenseman ever to lead the league in scoring even once, let alone twice, but the idea of defensive players participating in offensive plays is now seen across the NHL. His legendary puck-handling moves, which included a trademark degree evasive spin, continue to inspire, and his thirty second and longer penalty-killing games of keep-away remain legendary.

Yet, as much as Orr is imitated, no one has ever matched his combination of defensive and offensive prowess. Although players with longer careers have surpassed him in number of goals scored, his career averages of 1. MacInnis, Craig, editor. Remembering Bobby Orr. Orr was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in at age 31, the youngest to be inducted into the Hall at that time.

Unfortunately, at the end of his career Orr discovered that his agent, Alan Eagleson , had embezzled most of his money, leaving him deeply in debt. Critics have faulted the book for not revealing new information and for not disparaging, with the exception of Eagleson, any former players, coaches or associates. For most fans there will be little that will surprise, but some of the details are likely to delight.

It is a book as dull as he was creative, as plodding as he was fast, as conservative as he was liberal in the way that he played the game. This autobiography maintains a respectful tone, consistent with Orr's gentlemanly reputation, and surprisingly reveals aspects of his life given his known reticence. Contents move to sidebar hide.

Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. He works as a player representative and is involved in business ventures, while still occasionally appearing in commercials. Early in , Orr left the sports marketing firm, Woolf Associates, which he had bought in order to start his own firm, the Orr Hockey Group, which represents several NHL players.

Famous Sports Stars Hockey. In the —75 season , Orr broke his own previous record for goals by a defenceman, scoring 46 goals to go with 89 assists for his sixth straight point season. His record for goals by a defenceman stood until Paul Coffey totalled 48 in — He won the league scoring title and the Art Ross Trophy for the second time. With this season, he had tallied points in six straight seasons, a record for any player of any position, forward, or defencemen since broken , although his teammate Esposito that season also achieved his sixth and last point season, although only five of those were consecutive.

The —76 season was Orr's final season with the Bruins and it was tumultuous. Orr's contract was ending after the season, potentially making him a free agent. The Bruins were sold by Storer Broadcasting in August and the new Jacobs ownership group had to promise to keep Orr as a condition of the purchase. The agreement was to be checked out as to whether it would be legal for tax reasons and whether or not the league would approve it.

Before the season started, however, Orr underwent another surgical procedure on September 20, The Bruins' contract talks with Orr and Eagleson became difficult. The Bruins' insurer would not insure a contract with Orr and doctors advised the Bruins that Orr would not be able to play much longer. Orr was able to play the next ten games for the team but had to stop on November 28 due to pain in his knee.

The next day, he underwent another surgical procedure on his knee. Originally expected to only be out for seven to eight weeks, his knee did not respond to therapy and he returned home to Parry Sound. His season was over after ten games and he would not play again for the Bruins. His impending free agency led to speculation that the Bruins would trade him, but despite his injury, they were negotiating to keep him until the end.

During his Bruins career, Orr was often the player the press wanted for a post-game interview. Orr instead would hide in the trainer's room. Teammate Terry O'Reilly described him as a "very private, very shy guy, who just happened to be the best hockey player in the world. The reason he wouldn't or didn't all the time was that he really wanted his teammates to get proper accolades, while everybody, all the time wanted him.

I didn't think it would be wise for him to be a player-owner. That was to be a cash payment or involve Orr's receiving Only the first year's money was guaranteed. Eagleson was quoted at the time as saying, "There is only one way that Bobby Orr will ever be back with the Bruins, and that's if Jeremy Jacobs asks him for another meeting and straightens out the whole situation.

Otherwise he's gone. Orr and Eagleson whittled down a list of potential teams to St. Louis and Chicago. Chicago offered a five-year guaranteed contract with the Black Hawks, and on June 8, , he officially signed with the Black Hawks. Orr signed with the Black Hawks at a secret meeting in May , prior to becoming a free agent. Then-Bruins head coach Don Cherry suggested that the reason Orr never re-signed with the Bruins was Orr's complete trust in Eagleson at the time Orr said that he described Eagleson as a brother.

Cherry recalled Orr had refused to speak with the Bruins team president directly, allowing Eagleson to mislead or withhold enough details from Boston's offer. Orr disassociated himself from Eagleson in While a player, he never cashed a Chicago paycheque, stating that he was paid to play hockey and would not accept a salary if he was not playing.

Orr did not play in the Summit Series against the Soviet Union , and he wanted badly to play for Canada. Orr had been unable to play in the Summit Series due to knee surgery, although he did participate as a non-player. Orr's participation in the Canada Cup was considered ill-conceived and Eagleson later thought it may have been the 'last straw' that killed his career.

Orr himself said that he knew before the tournament that "I knew I didn't have much longer. That series didn't do it. I thought I could get the next season in, but not much after that. I knew, looking at that team, I wouldn't have to do as much. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Despite his knee, Orr's performance in the Canada Cup led to him being named to the tournament All-Star team and he was named the overall MVP for the tournament.

He was the best player in every game; he was the best player in the tournament. He couldn't skate like he used to, but he could still go. Orr signed with Chicago, but his injuries limited him to only 26 games over the next three seasons. He sat out the entire —78 season. By , Orr had undergone over a dozen knee surgical procedures, was having trouble walking and barely skated any more.

However, in the summer of , he decided to make a comeback.

Bobby orr biography summary example

He started a new role as an assistant to Chicago general manager Bob Pulford. Orr retired having scored goals and assists for points in games, adding penalty minutes. At the time of his retirement, he was the leading defenceman in league history in goals, assists and points, tenth overall in assists and 19th in points. As of [update] , the only retired players in league history to have averaged more points per game than Orr are Wayne Gretzky , Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy , all of them forwards.

The Hockey Hall of Fame waived the normal three-year waiting period for induction into the Hall and he was enshrined at age 31 — the youngest player living at the time of his induction in history. His number 4 jersey was retired by the Bruins on January 9, At the ceremony, the crowd at Boston Garden would not stop applauding and as a result, most of the evening's program had to be scrapped at the last second due to the constant cheering.

The day was proclaimed "Bobby Orr Day" in Boston and the event raised thousands of dollars for charity. He attended the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives and was given a five-minute standing ovation. When Orr and the Bruins visited cities, attendance was usually a sell-out. Those Bruins were the top draw in our town every day for five seasons.

They were bigger than the Red Sox or Celtics". Orr inspired the game of hockey with his command of the two-way game. Orr's offensive style has influenced countless defencemen who followed him. In contrast to the style of hanging-back defensive play common in the later s and s, Orr was known for his fluid skating and end-to-end rushing. Orr's rushing enabled him to be where the puck was, allowing him not only to score effectively but also to defend when necessary.

According to the Bruins' Phil Esposito , "No matter how fast an opponent was, Bobby could skate faster than him if he needed to do it in the framework of a play. If he was caught up-ice and the other team had an odd-man rush, that's when you saw his truly great speed. Very seldom did he not get back to have a hand in breaking up the play. This suited his rushing style very well, as he was able to get from one end of the ice to the other faster than in a standard rink.

Orr's style of play was hard on his left knee, leading to injuries and surgeries that shortened his career. He would race down the right wing with the puck and attempt to beat the opposing defenceman using his speed and strength. He 'protected the puck', leading with his left knee, and holding his left arm up to fend off opponents. This put him into a position where a hit by the opposing defencemen would often hit the left knee.

Also, he would often end up crashing into either the opposing goalie, the net or the end boards. I wish I'd played longer, but I don't regret it. I tried to do things. I didn't want to sit back. I wanted to be involved. His right knee was basically undamaged during his career; his left knee looks like "a road map of downtown Boston" according to sportswriter Bob McKenzie.

Orr also had a deadly accurate shot, as Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Bernie Parent admitted "If his shot is on net, it's a goal". In his autobiography, Orr: My Story , he said "In my case, I liked the feel of the puck on the blade without any tape at all So the idea came to me that if I had to have tape on my stick, I would use as little as possible.

Over the years, I used less and less until I was down to a single stripe. And eventually I ended up with no tape at all. He brought others with him; he wanted them involved. That's what made him so different: It felt like a five-player stampede moving toward you—and at his pace. He pushed his teammates, [because] you're playing with the best player in the league and he's giving you the puck and you just can't mess it up.

You had to be better than you'd ever been. But we've got 17 good hockey players and every one of them put out. It was 17 against one. Orr was also known for his mean streak. Former coach Don Cherry recounts an incident one night in Los Angeles during a game that the Bruins were losing. With a minute to go, Orr pulled one of the Bruins off the ice, left the bench and attacked a Los Angeles Kings player.

Asked why, Orr said to Cherry, "He was laughing at us. Boston teammate Johnny McKenzie flattened Conacher from behind and started punching him. Orr, cut and bleeding, got up from the ice, pulled MacKenzie off Conacher and started punching him. Conacher, who was not fighting back, was also sucker-punched by the Bruins' Ken Hodge. Orr would be booed in Toronto from that date onwards.

Park said, "I saw no reason to be upset because I was rated second to Bobby Orr. After all, Orr not only was the top defenceman in the game, but he was considered the best player ever to put on a pair of skates. There was nothing insulting about being rated number two to such a super superstar". Shortly after Orr retired, an independent accountant revealed that Orr's liabilities exceeded his assets , leaving him essentially bankrupt despite being supposedly one of the highest-paid players in the NHL.

As well, Orr's taxes were under review. Eagleson had set up a corporation to receive Orr's income and pay Orr a salary, but the arrangement was rejected by US and Canadian tax authorities. Orr later played a role in the exposure of Eagleson's misconduct over the years. Facing almost certain removal, Eagleson resigned instead. Orr was also involved in the lawsuit of retired NHL players against the NHL over its control of the players' pension fund.

Orr: "Our money is being used to pay pensions for current players". Orr became an agent representing hockey players in I have so much respect for him. I watch him on tapes and it's just ridiculous how good he was compared to the guys he was playing against. He's a great guy and you don't even know it's Bobby Orr, the way he talks to you.

Cherry, briefly his former coach in Boston, considers Orr the greatest hockey player who ever lived, noting that Orr was a complete all-around player who could skate, score, fight, and defend. Orr's participation was criticized as a conflict of interest while he was a player's agent and he stopped coaching in the series. Organizers of the series convinced Orr to return to coaching in the series.

One of the teams remained named 'Team Orr. Orr performed another ceremonial puck drop on October 20, , Orr along with Milt Schmidt dropped the ceremonial puck at the Boston Bruins' first home game of the season. They became engaged on Christmas Day, , and married in September [ ] at a 'secret' ceremony in Parry Sound. Orr has been known to be fiercely loyal to former Bruin personnel and teammates.

When Derek Sanderson had alcohol and prescription drug-abuse problems and wound up penniless, Orr spent his own money to ensure that Sanderson successfully completed rehab. Decades later, Orr and Sanderson went into business together managing finances for hockey players. Orr also helped out Bruins trainer John Frosty Forristall, his roommate during his first years with the Bruins, who had just been fired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for alcoholism in Forristall's drinking put him on bad terms with his brother John, so he returned to Boston jobless and soon afterwards was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Orr took Forristall into his home for a year until he died at the age of Orr was a pallbearer at his funeral. Orr is also well known for his charitable works, although he kept mention of them out of the press. Former Eagle-Tribune writer Russ Conway noted of one occasion when Orr and Conway visited Boston Children's Hospital , with a box of programs, pennants, pucks, pictures and Boston memorabilia: "We went from room to room, Orr popping in, unannounced to visit the kids.

Some couldn't believe their eyes; sick as they were, they laughed in astonishment and delight.