With the quality they have had on the blue line over their 100-year history in the National Hockey League, the Boston Bruins have been extremely lucky.
There have been many outstanding blueliners to wear the Spoked-B over the years, but choosing the two best defensemen in team history was actually not that difficult.
The black and gold jersey has been worn by many skaters, notably Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, and Johnny Boychuck, all Stanley Cup winners. Others, like Torey Krug, Don Sweeney, Gord Kluzak, and Brad Park, made it to the final dance but failed to win the grand prize. The soldiers Glen Wesley, Darren Van Impe, Nick Boynton, and Kyle McLaren should not be forgotten.
Bobby Orr from 1966 to 1976
Bobby Orr is without a doubt the greatest defenseman in NHL history, not to mention the finest in Bruins history. Given how he altered the way defensemen approach the game, one could even contend that Orr is still the greatest of all time.
Orr, who was well-known for his two-way play, could outpace you to a loose puck with his quickness, then quickly turn the play and score on the opposite end. During his years in the league, he had a greater impact on defensemen’s play styles than any other player, as evidenced by the blueliners of today’s NHL.
As the league’s top scorer twice, he continues to be the only defenseman to have won the Art Ross trophy twice. Orr holds the records for the most points (139 in 1970–71) and assists (87 in 1969–70) a defenseman can accumulate in a single season. He also earned a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman.
Throughout the course of ten seasons, Orr played in 631 games for the Bruins, lighting the lamp 264 times and dishing out 624 assists for 888 points.
Orr, the winner of two Stanley Cups (1970, 1972), scored the game-winning goals in both championship series. None are more well-known than Derek Sanderson’s legendary “flying goal” against the St. Louis Blues in 1970.
In 1979, Orr’s No. 4 was hoisted to the rafters in Boston and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
From 1979 to 2000, Ray Bourque
After 21 seasons as a mainstay on the Bruins’ blue line, Ray Bourque continues to lead the team in games played (1,518), assists (1,111), points (1,506), and power-play goals (164).
His Boston career got off to a great start as he won the Calder Trophy in his first year. During his career in Boston and with the Colorado Avalanche, Bourque accumulated the NHL records for goals (410), assists (1,169), and points (1,579) by a defenseman. He also won the Norris Trophy five times.
In 1988 and 1990, he guided the Bruins to two Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. Bourque would not win the Cup in Boston, but as an Avalanche player in 2001, his name would be inscribed on the trophy.
Bourque participated in two significant events in NHL history.
The first occurred in 1987 when Phil Esposito’s No. 7 was retired by the Bruins. The number had been worn by Bourque since the 1979–1980 season. The pregame ceremony was about to start when Bourque skated over to Esposito and took off his jersey with the number 7; underneath, Bourque wore his new number, 77.
The second instance was equally as potent, but as a member of the Avalanche. Colorado captain Joe Sakic became just the second captain in league history to not lift the trophy first when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman gave him the Cup. Rather, he gave it to Bourque right away.
Eddie Shore, c. 1926–1940
Eddie Shore is a Hall of Fame defenseman who won two Stanley Cups with the Black and Gold in 1929 and 1939, but most fans today never got to witness him lace on his skates and play for the Bruins.
In his 14-year career, Shore is the only defenseman in the NHL to have won the Hart Trophy four times. He earned eight all-star selections. Throughout 541 games with the Bruins, he scored 279 points. Throughout his career, the fiery defenseman accumulated 1,090 penalty minutes.
On January 1, 1947, the Bruins retired his No. 2, and the following year, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.