Bobby Orr's Game 4 Goal (1970)

Lore & Background

Orr started in organized hockey at age eight. He first played as a forward, but moved to defence and was encouraged to use his skating skills to control play. Orr's play in Ontario provincial competition attracted the notice of NHL scouts as early as age twelve. At fourteen, Orr joined the Oshawa Generals, the Bruins' junior hockey affiliate, and he was an all-star for three of his four seasons there. In 1966, Orr joined the Boston Bruins, a team that had not won a Stanley Cup since 1941 and had not made the playoffs since 1959. With Orr, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1970 and 1972. Both times, Orr scored the clinching goal and was named the playoff MVP. In the final achievement of his career, he was the MVP of the 1976 Canada Cup international hockey tournament. In 1976, Orr left Boston as a free agent to join the Black Hawks, but repeated injuries had effectively destroyed his left knee, and he retired in 1978 at age 30.

In Their Own Story

The ice seemed to stretch out before him, a frozen highway of possibility under the harsh arena lights. Bobby Orr felt the weight of twenty-five years of heartbreak lift with every stride he took. The roar of the crowd was a living thing, a tidal wave of hope crashing against his ears as he skated past the Blues' desperate defenders. Time slowed; the world narrowed to the puck at his feet and the open net ahead. He didn't just score a goal; he scored destiny.

Reader's Guide

Orr's first professional contract was one of the first in professional hockey to be negotiated by an agent. It made him the highest-paid player in NHL history as a rookie. His second contract was the first million-dollar contract in the NHL. However, after his retirement, Orr learned he was deeply in debt and he had to sell off most of what he owned. Orr broke with his agent Alan Eagleson and sued the Black Hawks to settle his contract. Orr and his family returned to Boston where Orr went into business to rebuild his finances. Orr aided the investigations that led to Eagleson's fraud convictions and disbarment. Orr also supported a lawsuit that challenged the NHL over its control of its pension plan. After his hockey career, he became a scout for several professional teams. Orr entered the player agent business in 1996 and was the president of the Orr Hockey Group agency, until its acquisition by the Wasserman Media Group in 2018. Orr is also active in charitable works and in television commercials. Since 1996, Orr has coached a team of junior hockey players in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game.

Did You Know?

• Orr remains the only defenceman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies.
• Orr won a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman.
• Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 at age 31, the youngest to be inducted at that time.
• Orr's second contract was the first million-dollar contract in the NHL.