What follows are four stories from the NHL career of Bobby Orr. Included are his first NHL goal, becoming the first defenseman in 50 years to score 3 goals in a playoff game, his debut with the Chicago Blackhawks, some high scoring blowout games with the Bruins, his only Second Team All-Star selection and a unique hat trick game.
- Gump Worsley Allows The First Goal Of Bobby Orr’s NHL Career
- For The 1st Time In 50 Years A Defenseman Scores 3 Goals In A Stanley Cup Playoff Game
- Bobby Orr Starts Things Off With A Bang In His Chicago Blackhawks Debut
- Bobby Orr And The Bruins Beat Up On The L.A. Kings At Boston Garden In 1971
- Bobby Orr Welcomes the brand new Washington Capitals to Boston Garden
- Bobby Orr’s One-Of-A-Kind Hat Trick
- NHL All-Stars: 1966-67 – The Only Time Bobby Orr Was Named To The Second Team
- Bobby Orr NHL Career Stats
- Bobby Orr Hockey Card Video
- Bobby Orr Hockey Card Collection
Bobby: My Story in Pictures
A visual celebration of Bobby Orr’s groundbreaking career — through photos and memorable moments.
Buy on AmazonGump Worsley Allows The First Goal Of Bobby Orr’s NHL Career
Bobby Orr recorded his first NHL point in his first NHL game, an assist on a Wayne Connelly goal in Boston’s 1966-67 season opener, a 6-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings at the Boston Garden. However, Orr’s first goal didn’t come until his third game.
On October 23, 1966, the Bruins were playing at home against the Montreal Canadiens. Going into the third period, the Habs were up 2-1. At 4:13, Bobby Orr tied the score at 2, unassisted. It was one of three shots he put on Montreal goalie Gump Worsley.
Unfortately for the B’s, Jean Guy Talbot scored the winning goal at 17:55 of the third, a shorthanded marker on Eddie Johnston while Jim Roberts was serving a two minute minor for tripping. The other Boston goal was scored by Pit Martin on the powerplay in the first period.
For Bobby, it was the first of 13 goals he would score in his Calder Trophy winning rookie season. Over his injury shortened NHL career, he would total 270 in 657 games. He topped out with 46 in 1974-75. Orr added another 26 goals over 74 playoff games while helping the Bruins to two Stanley Cup championships.
For The 1st Time In 50 Years A Defenseman Scores 3 Goals In A Stanley Cup Playoff Game
1970-71 was a magical year for Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins. They did everything. Everything but advance to the second round of the playoffs. However, during that quarter-final battle with the Montreal Canadiens, Bobby Orr found a new way to get into the record books. For the first time since the early days of the NHL and the first time in the modern history of the league, a blue liner record a playoff hat trick.
It was game four on April 11, 1971 at the Montreal Forum. The Habs were up 2-1 in the series. Frank Mahovlich scored the lone goal of the first period and the score remained 1-0 through the halfway point of the match. Then, Orr struck. Bobby scored his third of the series at 11:01, putting one past Ken Dryden with help from Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge.
Just 37 seconds into the third, Orr scored his second of the game and what would be the game winning goal, assisted by Hodge and Phil Esposito. Later in the frame, Yvan Cournoyer and Fred Stanfield exchanged goals to make the score 4-2 Boston. Don Awrey took a hooking penalty at 18:25 and the Habs pulled Dryden for the six on four advantage. Bobby put home the hat trick goal into the empty net with just three seconds left to make the final score 5-2.
Orr led all skaters with seven shots on net while Esposito and Hodge both had three assist games. Gerry Cheevers made 26 saves in the win. Unfortunately for the Bruins, the series would go the full seven with the Habs coming out on top and eventually capturing the Stanley Cup championship.
Bobby Orr Starts Things Off With A Bang In His Chicago Blackhawks Debut
It was an injustice that Bobby Orr finished his career with the Chicago Blackhawks and not the Boston Bruins. Still, he went to the Windy City to play and hopefully restart his legendary career after missing much of 1975-76 due to his infamous knee injuries.
On October 7, 1976, the Hawks opened their 1976-77 NHL season on the road at the Checkerdome in St. Louis against the Blues. Just 1:32 into the game, Orr assisted on the first goal of the game, scored by Pit Martin on St. Louis goalie Ed Staniowski.
Bobby then put Chicago up 3-1 just 1:27 into the second period with his first goal of the season, assisted by Cliff Koroll and Dick Redmond. Later in the frame, he assisted on an Ivan Boldirev powerplay goal to make the score 4-3 Chicago. Orr ended with a three point night in his return to hockey. The Blackhawks won the game 6-4 with Pit Martin’s second of the game serving as the game winner.
Orr put up 23 points in 20 games for Chicago that season. He had a great start but the same old problems surfaced. He did not play in 1977-78 and returned for just six games in 1978-79 with the Hawks before retiring.
Bobby Orr And The Bruins Beat Up On The L.A. Kings At Boston Garden In 1971
Going into their game at Boston Garden against the Bruins on November 14, 1971, the Los Angeles Kings had won just three of their first 16 games of the 1971-72 NHL season. It would not get better on this night. After spotting the Kings the first goal of the game, scored by Eddie Joyal at 2:02 of the first, it was pretty much all Boston in the 11-2 win.
Bobby Orr had two points per period for a six point game. In the first, he scored his 5th of the season on Gary Edwards, assisted by Derek Sanderson, to make the score 4-1. Earlier in the frame, he assisted on a Phil Esposito goal that opened the scoring for the home team.
Orr started the second frame with his second of the game at 2:08, assisted by Ed Westfall. Bobby then assisted on the last goal of the period, scored by Westfall. In the third, he assisted on Boston’s first of the period, scored by Mike Walton. He capped the game’s scoring at 17:19 with his hat trick goal, assisted by Esposito.
Number 4 led all skaters with eight of the 35 shots put toward Edwards. Gary was in for the duration. Esposito came out with a five point game on two goals and three assists while Westfall had four points on a goal and three helpers.
Bobby Orr Welcomes The Brand New Washington Capitals To Boston Garden
The Boston Bruins didn’t exactly rip out of the gate in 1974-75, sitting at around .500 on November 7, 1974 when the expansion Washington Capitals came to town. However, things were much worse for the Caps, entering the game 1-9-1.
The Bruins were not kind to their guests. Bobby Orr definitely didn’t like the thought of an 18 team NHL. Number 4 opened the scoring at 3:51 of the first and had three points before the period was over, assisting on goals by Don Marcotte and Johnny Bucyk.
Orr started off the second with his seventh of the year just 55 seconds in, assisted by Ken Hodge and Phil Esposito. He made it a hat trick later in the period and topped off a six point night, assisting on Esposito’s 14th of the season, before the second frame was through.
The final score ended up 10-4 in Boston’s favour. Orr led with his six points, eight shots on net and a +7 on the night. Esposito had a four point evening with a goal and three assists. Ron Low started in net for the Caps, allowing six goals on 19 shots. Michel Belhumeur replaced Low a few minutes into the second period and allowed four goals on 22 shots.
Bobby certainly got up for games against Washington that year. In four games, he put up 16 points. Boston outscored the Capitals 41-10 in five games but the third game between the clubs resulted in a 3-3 tie, well earned by the new kids on the block.
Bobby Orr’s One-Of-A-Kind Hat Trick
Bobby Orr still owns a lot of NHL records. On November 15, 1973, he was the first to add a unique twist to a three goal game. No stranger to scoring goals, on that night at the Boston Garden against the New York Rangers, Orr scored all three of his goals on the power play.
This was the first time in NHL history a defenseman scored three power play goals in a single game. Since, eleven others have equaled the mark but no one has gone one better. On this night, he also became the first blue liner to have seven points in a single game, a record that his since been topped by two other players by a single point. Tom Bladon had eight with the Flyers in 1977 and Paul Coffey had eight with the Oilers in 1986.
Orr’s first of the game came at 8:30 of the first period on New York goalie Ed Giacomin, assisted by Phil Esposito while Pete Stemkowski was in the box for holding. This goal was sandwiched between first period goals by Don Marcotte and Gregg Sheppard, both set up by Bobby.
After being kept off the scoresheet in the second, Orr scored his second at 2:53 of the third, unassisted while Gene Carr was off for tripping. His third came at 11:19, assisted by Ken Hodge and Phil Esposito five seconds after Walt Tkaczuk was assessed two for slashing. In the third, Bobby also assisted on two goals by Andre Savard.
The Bruins easily came out on top 10-2 in the match with Gilles Gilbert having an easy night in the Boston nets, stopping 20 of 22 shots. Ken Hodge also scored a powerplay goal. New York was only shorthanded four times in the match and the Bruins capitalized each time.
NHL All-Stars: 1966-67 – The Only Time Bobby Orr Was Named To The Second Team
The awards and accomplishments came fast and hard for Bobby Orr after entering the National Hockey League for the 1966-67 season. Playing 61 of Boston’s 70 regular season games, the first year defenseman scored 13 goals and assisted on 28 for 41 points. He was named a Second Team All-Star, paired with Tim Horton of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Pierre Pilote (Chicago Blackhawks) and Harry Howell (New York Rangers) were the First Team pair.
Orr was an easy choice for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, although it wasn’t as unanimous as one would think. Bobby did get 168 of the total votes (52%) but Ed Van Impe of the Chicago Blackhawks still had a respectable 86 votes (27%). However, Van Impe was a 26 year old rookie while Orr was barely 18.
Bobby was also in the running for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top blue liner. He finished third in voting behind a closer battle between winner Harry Howell and runner-up Pierre Pilote. He would win the Norris eight straight times starting the following season. Orr also garnered some votes for the Hart Trophy, finishing sixth in voting, a great distance behind winner Stan Mikita.
This Second Team All-Star selection would indeed be the only time during his career. For the next eight seasons, he was a member of the First Team. This put him through to the demise of his NHL career due to continual knee problems.
Bobby Orr NHL Career Stats
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1966-67 | Boston Bruins | 61 | 13 | 28 | 41 | 102 |
| 1967-68 | Boston Bruins | 46 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 63 |
| 1968-69 | Boston Bruins | 67 | 21 | 43 | 64 | 133 |
| 1969-70 | Boston Bruins | 76 | 33 | 87 | 120 | 125 |
| 1970-71 | Boston Bruins | 78 | 37 | 102 | 139 | 91 |
| 1971-72 | Boston Bruins | 76 | 37 | 80 | 117 | 106 |
| 1972-73 | Boston Bruins | 63 | 29 | 72 | 101 | 99 |
| 1973-74 | Boston Bruins | 74 | 32 | 90 | 122 | 82 |
| 1974-75 | Boston Bruins | 80 | 46 | 89 | 135 | 101 |
| 1975-76 | Boston Bruins | 10 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 22 |
| 1976-77 | Chicago Blackhawks | 20 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 25 |
| 1977-78 | Did Not Play | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-79 | Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Totals | 657 | 270 | 645 | 915 | 953 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1966-67 | Boston Bruins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967-68 | Boston Bruins | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1968-69 | Boston Bruins | 10 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| 1969-70 | Boston Bruins | 14 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 14 |
| 1970-71 | Boston Bruins | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 10 |
| 1971-72 | Boston Bruins | 15 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 19 |
| 1972-73 | Boston Bruins | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 1973-74 | Boston Bruins | 16 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 28 |
| 1974-75 | Boston Bruins | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 1975-76 | Boston Bruins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-77 | Chicago Blackhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-78 | Did Not Play | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-79 | Chicago Blackhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 74 | 26 | 66 | 92 | 92 |