Bobby Orr did it all to lead the Bruins to the title 50 years ago, including scoring the winning goal in overtime.
Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr fostered a sports legacy that defined an era.
Orr was the driving force behind the Big Bad Bruins’ four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues in the 1970 Stanley Cup final, but genuine modesty prevents him from emphasizing that truth.
Orr capped one of the finest individual seasons in NHL history when he scored in overtime to beat the Blues 4-3 and secure the Bruins’ first Stanley Cup title in 29 years.
While the NHL season is suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins are celebrating the golden anniversary of their Orr-inspired Stanley Cup run.
Their achievement – entrenched in Boston sports folklore – has not been diminished in a half-century.
“It was a very special time for all of us,” said Orr during a Zoom meeting from his winter home in Florida.
“We were in a position now to realize a dream and that was to be on a Stanley Cup winner. I don’t think there were any players on the team that had won a Cup.”
Orr’s compilation of hardware in 1970 included the Hart Trophy as league MVP, the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer, the Norris Trophy as top defenseman and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Orr was the first defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring.
Orr was the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year at a time when that was an internationally coveted accolade.
