bobby orr book Flashcards
reg
man who took stephen brunt to an NHL game and saw bobby orr
bobby orr hometown and family
from parry sound, which had segregated poor/rich
- from poorer side, grandfather irish immigrant
grandfather played soccer, doug orr played hockey
- could’ve been pro, but NHL too small
- “hockey dad”
- doug was a forward
doug married arva orr, who always had bobby’s best interests at heart
orr temper
bobby orr characteristics as a child
smaller than other kids, but faster
considered a one-off, talented kid from parry sound
- not considered a miracle at this point
alex eager
manager for junior hockey teams
convinced bucko mcdonald to coach in parry sound
bucko mcdonald
professional lax player who turned to hockey when the lax league folded
entered politics, then became a hockey coach once that ended
what did bucko mcdonald teach bobby
- never back down from a fight
- become a defenceman
wren blair
coach and manager working for weston adams, owner of boston bruins
had to scout kids since there was no draft
where did wren blair see bobby orr
gananoque
heard from bucko that bobby would sign w the red wings
other NHL scouts were there i.e. maple leafs, but bobby was ignored because he was too young (12)
how did wren blair sign bobby orr
developed relationship w his family
offered money (more than usual) and allowed bobby to stay home and commute to games
blair revived the oshawa generals and got bobby to sign a c form that bound him to the bruins
early changes w/in sport
professionalization i.e. baseball, football
- athletes have higher salaries
- more stadiums, move teams to other cities
- inc leagues and members
why did the NHL keep 6 teams
because the first NHL expansion failed w the great depression
- fear of further failure and monetary loss
bobby and oshawa generals
lived in boarding houses, where he was a local celebrity for boyish charms and good natured persona
stood out for fast skating and ability to leave defence position and score w/o leaving team vulnerable
- knew his teammates strengths and weaknesses
how was bobby a leader
leader by example i.e. injury perseverance, skills, supporting others, intimidation and fighting ability
quiet but strong
gordie howe and bobby orr
doug orr asked gordie for advice around bobby’s first NHL contract
gordie said to get all money upfront
- at this time didn’t realize how much he’d been exploited (little money comp to league)
alan eagleson
lawyer who doug orr went to abt bobby’s first NHL contract
- eagleson sympathetic to bobby being taken advantage of plus rural folk
other sports began to argue for more pay, but hockey late to this
bobby’s first contract
deal b/w eagleson and hap emms (bruins general manager)
took place on boat
unknown total amount, but likely above 50k
- single greatest change in hockey history
- highest paid rookie ever, more than some famous current athletes
made athletes question their salaries
bobby’s first injury
groin injury at memorial cup
continued to play
harry sinden
prev player under wren blair turned bruins coach
bobby first knee injury
left knee…strained internal ligament
once again continued to play, ignored resting time
social changes in hockey
inc individualism i.e. long hair, moustaches
still can’t talk about alcohol or sex
- bobby eventually talked abt a bar in an interview, unheard of
reporters perception of orr
good canadian boy, every girl’s dream and man’s dream friend
always asked who he was dating, tho other athletes didn’t receive that treatment
frosty
john “frosty” forristall
bruins trainer who lived w bobby
- would give bobby anything
- orr supported him in later life
main knee injury
1967: first injured his right knee in a benefit hockey game in winnipeg
- no permission from eagle, bruins, or milt schmidt (manager)
- continued to play, eventually got survery
1968: second knee surgery
1969: further injury to post-op knee…sat out of most games, but still broke records and won awards i.e. norris trophy
1972: more surgery after winning stanley cup, sat out of summit series
during bruins negotiations, had 5th knee surgery and barely played 10 games
2 leafs players bobby brawled with
brian conacher: hit in the face with a stick, conacher was ganged up on by bruins
- disappointed fans bcs could have affected the bruins
pat quinn: knocked bobby unconscious, booed w items thrown at him…extra police guarded him
- bobby booed by leafs fans in toronto forevermore
punch imlach
general manager of leafs
phil esposito
traded from black hawks, a forward who went on to win numerous awards and break records
opp of bobby…loud, large personality, womanizer, egoist
- got along professionally
derek sanderson
eventually left to join WHA
become homeless after injury ended NHL career…bobby orr supported him
NHL changes w money
players didn’t share salaries to e/o or press…could’ve had leverage if did
- eagleson always talked to reporters abt bobby negotiations
changing perception from fans i.e. greedy –> getting what you’re worth
made league owners seem greedy, not committed to winning games
bobby orr making 100k/season, tho some money from endorsements
- eagle vowed to make him millionaire
scotty bowman
coach of st louis blues, who faced bruins in the 1970 stanley cup finals
came up w strategy to assign one player to guard bobby
- first time a defenceman was shadowed, and purely shadowed
- still lost, but bobby couldn’t score
the goal
when bobby scored the winning goal in the 1970 stanley cup finals, and tripped over a player
bruins and stanley cup winnings
1970: won against st louis blues
1971: lost to canadiens, surprise
1972: won against new york rangers
summit series
eagleson helped w org of series
bobby orr injured, more surgery and rehab
- wanted to play, but couldn’t
- gained weight over summer, abandoned rehab
commitment to team i.e. traveled to all games
philadelphia flyers
first expansion team to win the stanley cup, sign of change
strategy to put as many men in front of bobby as possible
- also esposito
also physically hit bobby
eagleson scandal
bruins offered bobby 18.6% of the team, would set him up for life
- eagleson didn’t tell him abt offer
- lied and said bruins wouldn’t pay him if he couldn’t pass a physical
- sent him to black hawks, where he had a friend
bobby in debt after career ended, since eagle controlled all his assets
- other athletes lost pensions due to embezzlement
canada cup
NHL vs soviet teams, 1976
bobby finally played, tho damaged his knee in long term
canada smoked them
- incredibly famous team w numerous future hall of famers
bobby retired 1978
foster hewitt
LT hockey play by play announcer for leafs from 1920s-50s
came out of retirement for summit series
eddie shore
famous defenseman who was also offensive…did not serve future generations as much as bobby orr
66-67 rookie season
in oshawa
bobby won caldur cup, was runner up for best defenseman
also first injury
