About the Author

Bobby Orr, born in Parry Sound, Ontario, in 1948, played for the Boston Bruins from 1966 through 1976, and helped lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship in 1970 and 1972, and to the finals in 1974. He also played two years for the Chicago Blackhawks. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players – maybe the greatest hockey player – of all time. His speed and scoring and playmaking abilities revolutionized the position of defenseman. As of this date, he remains the only defenseman to have won the Art Ross Trophy league scoring title – twice – and still holds the record for most points and assists at that position. Orr won a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the league’s MVP, as well as two Conn Smythe Trophies as the Stanley Cup MVP. He is the only player in history to have won the Ross, Norris, Hart, and Conn Smythe Trophies in a single season. He was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame at the age of 31 – the youngest living player to receive that honor.

After his retirement in 1978, Orr was active with business and charitable works, and in 1996, Orr entered the player agent business, and today is president of the Orr Hockey Group agency. He has been invested with the Order of Canada and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and in 2010 was one of eight athletes who bore the Olympic flag out during the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame is in Parry Sound, Ontario.

Reviews

“A must-read for anyone who fondly remembers the glory years of the Big Bad Bruins. . . .  Read Orr. It’s like reminiscing with an old friend.” —The Sun Chronicle

“A reflection on the nostalgia of playing hockey on frozen ponds growing up in Parry Sound, Ont., the physical and emotional pain of knee injuries that cut his career short and the off-ice struggles that the legendary Boston Bruins defenceman hasn't talked much about…. A how-to book by a grandparent about how parents, coaches and children should approach the sport.” —The Canadian Press

“This is a book more about a man than about a hockey player…. Epic and noble.” —The Atlantic

“I never knew a single player who could lift a team as Orr could.” —Stan Mikita, Chicago Blackhawks

“I’ve seen all the greats since the 1920s, and I’ve never seen a player with the skills of Orr.” —Clarence Campbell, former NHL president

“There are stars, superstars, and then there’s Bobby Orr.” —Serge Savard, NHL Hall of Famer

“There have been many outstanding players in the history of the National Hockey League, and Bobby Orr sits at the top of the class. It was an honor and a great pleasure to be on the same ice as him. His memoir will be a must-read for hockey fans everywhere.” —Jean Béliveau, ten-time Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens, winner of the Art Ross, Conn Smythe, and Hart Trophies

“Bobby reached levels of play on the ice that have been and always will be unattainable by defensemen. For those of us who know him personally, his character is equally unmatched. Bobby Orr’s book should be a must-read.” —Denis Potvin, four-time Stanley Cup champion with the New York Islanders, three-time Norris Trophy winner

“From the first time I watched Bobby skate I knew he was going to be the kind of player that comes along maybe once in a lifetime. He changed the game of hockey forever. What made Bobby so special, though, is that he is the nicest, kindest, most giving person you will ever meet. In my opinion, Bobby is number one in all categories, and it’s a joy to have him as a friend.” —Gordie Howe, four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings, six-time Hart Trophy winner, six-time Art Ross Trophy winner

“A gripping personal record: tracing the arc from stunning rookie phenom to defeated hero. The story is moving. It’s a book that devotees of sport have to have on their bookshelves.” —Winnipeg Free Press

“[Orr] wrote the book . . . as if he were coaching both his sport and society, delivering lessons in honor and responsibility while he examines hockey at its best and worst.” —The Boston Globe

“I agree with Bobby Clarke when he said that Bobby Orr was so good there should have been a higher league than the NHL for him to play in. . . . He was so much better than everyone else, no one was even close.” —Don Cherry, broadcaster and coach of the Boston Bruins, 1974-1979