To me this is hockey ****. (aka Bobby Orr highlights)

[DragonfromTO]

Ummm, when someone yelled "Orr was better" to Gretz his response was "you must be from Boston." I wasn't talking about his on ice play. Figured a hockey mind from Canada would understand what I meant. :mmph:

I had sort of forgotten about this thread but when dash posted the picture i reread it and I realized something that I had forgotten to ask the first time through.

Where/when/how did you hear about this happening? Is there anywhere/way that the rest of us can confirm that this was all said?

 

[4thstreet]

:focus:

Being old enough to see him in his prime,IMO Orr is the best all around player,I have ever seen.
As for pure goal scorer,I would go with Mike Bossy over the Great One.

 

[DragonfromTO]

:focus:

Being old enough to see him in his prime,IMO Orr is the best all around player,I have ever seen.
As for pure goal scorer,I would go with Mike Bossy over the Great One.

They played 8 concurrent seasons in the NHL. Gretzky led in 5 of them (leading the entire league all 5 times), Bossy led in 2 (leading the league once) and they tied once.

For those 8 seasons Bossy scored an outstanding 451 goals in 599 games, an incredible 0.753 per game. But Gretzky of course was even better, scoring 543 in 632 games for 0.859 per game.

I feel like terms like "pure goal scorer" or "pure hitter" are often used to attempt to boost an great player who really doesn't measure up. We've all heard someone say that Tony Gwynn was a better "pure hitter" than Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth before. Tony was great. He doesn't need to be better than Ruth to be recognized as great. And Bossy was great too. But he wasn't Gretzky, even when it just came to putting the puck in the net. And I say that as someone who loved Bossy (my first "favourite player") and the Isles and and hated Gretzky and the Oilers as a kid.

 

[Abe Vigoda]

like you I believe he is the greatest to ever play the game. However I don't begrudge Gretzky. His offensive prowess was pretty darn spectacular and the fact that he did all he did in the NHL at his size is amazing.

I would agree whole heartedly. By far, my favorite player ever. My Dad was born in Coventry Ct., (long before the Whalers) and his Dad followed Beantown sports even after they relocated to follow the aeronautical industry to Long Island. Anytime hockey came up in my house, Dad always would interject with Orr stories. I still remember a very intense shoving match between Pops and one of his buddies. His buddy was an Isles die hard and would always go on about Potvin; Pops would always say he is garbage next to Orr.

 

[Abe Vigoda]

??????

I've never heard Gretzky say he was the greatest. I HAVE heard him say that Mario was more talented than he was and that Crosby was going to break all of his records. During his playing days I never saw Gretzky come across as anything but a class act when discussing the game.

Why is it that people need to denigrate other players in an attempt to make their guy look better?

He was one of the best ever. To me, second behind Orr. But that is just personal (kinda like my affinity for Italian and latin women).

Go back and watch the trade to LA. The interviews, "says it all". If he was so egotistical, he would've never shed a tear.

 

[Abe Vigoda]

All I did was state fact. Orr dominated every inch of the ice, Gretz didn't. It's some of the non-Bruins fans posting here that are looking to start things. If you don't what I or any other Bruins fans are saying, ignore threads for us. Very simple.

Why?

Bruins suck!

just kidding

 

[TxHeat]

So thankful I got to see him play during the 70's. Best then..BEST EVER!!

 

[Abe Vigoda]

:focus:

Being old enough to see him in his prime,IMO Orr is the best all around player,I have ever seen.
As for pure goal scorer,I would go with Mike Bossy over the Great One.

wow....another good one.

I mean the Boss defined Sniper. That guy could bury the biscuit!

I loved watching (sigh) that line of Trots, Gillies, and Bossy

 

[TxHeat]

124 +/- ratio in 1970/1971. I would say a little above average for a 3rd line defenseman.

Bobby Orr NHL Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com

I bet there wasn't a kid in MA that didn't have that poster in his room.

 

[Abe Vigoda]

I bet there wasn't a kid in MA that didn't have that poster in his room.

Still do!

My boys are 18 and 21, and before they had pictures of Rangers in their rooms, they had this one and the one of him smiling with the Cup.