Bobby Orr
NHL Hall of Famer | Boston Bruins
Gloucester, Mass., resident Marge Bishop became a hockey fan in 1968 — two years after one Bobby Orr made his professional debut with the Boston Bruins.
Less than two years later, Bishop named her fourth child after the Bruins defenseman. "The whole world named their kids after Bobby Orr," said Bishop, 81. "To this day, I’m sure he can’t walk down the street without getting mobbed."
Few would argue Orr’s status as the greatest player in Bruins history. Orr led the Black and Gold to Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972 and remains the only defenseman in NHL history to lead the league in scoring — a feat he accomplished twice.
It seems that Orr’s legend has only grown over the years, as longtime fans like Bishop rehash memories of the man who deserves credit for changing the way fans appreciate hockey in New England.
It was love at first sight when Bishop attended a hockey game on March 8, 1968. "I was in awe just watching Bobby Orr skate in warmups," Bishop said. "Will there ever be another Bobby Orr? I don’t know."
Bishop spent the rest of Orr’s career in Boston trying to get some face time with the future Hall of Famer. She sent her son, Bobby, to Orr’s hockey camp in Danvers. She even rerouted a family vacation to Orr’s hometown of Parry Sound, Ontario, in hopes of crossing paths with the hockey legend.
"One year, we all went camping in Maine," Bishop said. "We went into Canada to Bobby Orr’s hometown. We drove up the street and stopped at the house across the street. An old man comes along, and says, ‘Are you looking for Bobby Orr? Go over there, and knock on the door. If he’s there, I’m sure he’ll come out and be very nice.’"
Bishop’s husband didn’t want to intrude, but his wife was determined to see her favorite player. "I said, ‘I did not come all the way here to not knock on the door,’" Bishop said. "Nobody was home, but I peeked in the window, and all of the shoes were lined up on the porch. I got so excited; they seemed like a normal family."
Orr’s Hall of Fame career as a player was anything but normal. He won eight consecutive Norris trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman and three consecutive Hart trophies as the league’s MVP.
He lifted the Bruins to their first championship in 29 years in 1970.
Johnny Peirson, 92, had the pleasure of watching Orr play every night while serving as the color analyst for the Bruins with WBZ radio and WSBK television. Peirson believes Orr influenced hockey beyond New England.
"His creativity was exceptional," Peirson said. "He changed the game. He changed the way defensemen play. He didn’t play that long because of his injuries, and that was really a shame."
Orr retired in 1978 at the age of 30 due to injuries to his left knee. He has since lived a private life and has granted very few interview requests. He lives in the Boston area and serves as president of Orr Hockey Group, one of the most esteemed player agent firms, which represents high-profile stars including Connor McDavid.
"He was somewhat of a private person as a player, too," Peirson said. "The players were all very protective of him. I had a friendly relationship, but I wouldn’t say it was anything more than that. He was much more interested in being the best teammate he could be. It wasn’t all about him."
Orr led the Bruins to a second championship in 1972, and then the team went 39 years before winning another Stanley Cup.
"That era — when he was there with the Bruins — was an exceptional time for hockey in Boston," Peirson said. "They had some other good players like (Phil) Esposito, (Gerry) Cheevers and (Eddie) Johnston. They were always in the thick of things, but Bobby Orr was the key to it all."
For Bishop, Orr is the only Bruins player worth mentioning from those teams — or at least the only player worth following around the continent. "I’ve met him," Bishop said. "You know what I love about him? He’s a wonderful human being off the ice. When my son Bobby went to his hockey camp in Danvers, he used to treat him so well. My Bobby thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
"I could almost say Bobby Orr walks on water, but I can’t go that far. But if any human could, it would be Bobby Orr." — Dan Guttenplan
