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Boston Bruins History: Bobby Orr Stanley Cup Winning Goal Scored 46 Years Ago

By Brandon Share-Cohen |
Apr 11, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New England Patriots former player Ty Law (far left) and Boston Bruins former player Bobby Orr (left) Boston Celtics former player Bill Russell (right) and Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (far right) throw out ceremonial first pitches before the Red Sox home opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New England Patriots former player Ty Law (far left) and Boston Bruins former player Bobby Orr (left) Boston Celtics former player Bill Russell (right) and Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (far right) throw out ceremonial first pitches before the Red Sox home opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Bruins History: Bobby Orr Stanley Cup Winning Goal Scored 46 Years Ago Today To Deliver The Bruins Their First Stanley Cup In 29 Years

One of the most famous, and iconic moments in hockey history occurred 46 years ago today. Bobby Orr‘s “flying goal” which occurred 40 seconds into overtime of game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals was scored on May 10th, 1970, and the memory has lived on ever since.

The goal was series-clinching and Stanley Cup-clinching for the Boston Bruins who were taking home Lord Stanley’s Cup for the first time since the 1940-41 season. There was no better suited player on the Bruins’ to score that goal than Bobby Orr as he was arguably the best player in the entire NHL at the time, and one of the best of all time.

Despite the incredible amount of talent that has passed through the NHL in its long history, it’s clear that there are a handful of players who stand head and shoulders above the rest. Bobby Orr is one of those players. In his 631 games with the Boston Bruins, Bobby Orr was able to post 888 points from the back-end.

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Bobby Orr ranks first in franchise history in plus-minus with a plus-589 rating, second in points-per-game with 1.41, and he holds the NHL single-season record for points scored by a defenseman with 139 as well as the single-season plus-minus record with a plus-124 rating. Orr won an astounding eight Norris Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, the Hart Trophy in three consecutive seasons, and was named a two time playoff MVP to go along with his two Stanley Cup wins. Bobby Orr‘s number 4 jersey was retired in 1979 and he was inducted into the hockey Hall of Fame in the same year. All of this legacy is capped-off with his “flying goal”, which has been remembered and cherished by the entire hockey world for decades.

The goal that would surely live on forever in the city of Boston wasn’t just left as a memory, however, as an 800-pound bronze statue commemorating the goal was eventually erected outside the TD Garden to solidify it’s place in history. The statue was placed on the western side of the TD Garden for roughly six years before it was moved just three days ago on May 7th, 2016 to a new home on the eastern side of Causeway Street in Portal Park.

The bronzed-statue might have a new home for now, but more plans for its future are already underway.

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Delaware North, the owner of TD Garden, has announced a new project which is called “The Hub On Causeway”. The project is set to add a new complex in front of TD Garden. It is becoming more common as of late that teams and stadiums are building entire complexes near their sporting arenas to create a more modern-vibe to the area. To further honor the memory of the 1970 Stanley Cup-winning goal, the Bobby Orr statue will be moved in about three years to be used as the centerpiece for the entrance of the new complex. The Boston Globe posted an article detailing this project here.

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