Bobby Orr squares off against Dwight Evans in the second round of the Boston’s Biggest Sports Legend tournament.
Not many 12-year-olds attract professional hockey scouts, and not many 14-year-olds sign professional hockey contracts. But Bobby Orr wasn’t like most human beings. From a young age until the day he hung ‘em up, Orr was always a step ahead of the pack. Despite playing just nine full NHL seasons, Robert Gordon Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. The subject of one of the sports world’s most recognizable photos, Orr popped the game-winning goal to seal the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals against the St. Louis Blues. It was the B’s first Cup in 29 years, and Orr took home a plethora of hardware, winning the Norris (best defenseman), Ross (top point scorer), Hart (regular-season MVP) and Conn Smythe (MVP Stanley Cup playoffs) Trophies that season. He went on to secure another Cup for Boston two seasons later and end his career with eight Norris Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Ross Trophies and 915 points in 657 games played. The 1970-71 campaign turned out to be Orr’s most productive season as he scored 37 goals, had 102 assists and finished the year with a plus-124 rating — an NHL record that still stands to this day.
Eight Gold Gloves? Check. Part of one of the greatest outfields in the history of Major League Baseball? Check. Three-time All-Star? Check. Two Silver Sluggers? Check. Dwight Evans is absolutely one of the greatest outfielders in the history of the Red Sox and in the history of the game itself. The legend played 18 full seasons with the Red Sox and one with the Orioles, compiling a .272 average, 385 home runs and 2,446 hits. His best year came in 1987 when, at the age of 35, he hit .305 with 34 homers and 123 RBIs, all career highs. He was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000, and he’s still around to provide Boston with a little bit of the magic he produced during his career, serving as a player development consultant.
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