Bobby Orr's Flying Goal & Vladislav Tretiak Goaltending Guru
Welcome to the THW Hockey History Substack newsletter, with all the best from our extensive archives.
In today’s edition, we have a couple of “Today in Hockey History” posts, Bobby Orr’s flying goal, the greatness of Vladislav Tretiak, top 5 Indigenous players, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Nov. 22
If you were to walk through the wings of the Hockey Hall of Fame, you would see the names of a lot of players who had big moments on this day in National Hockey League history. Among the memories is the greatest player of them all having two huge career highlights, the first-ever outdoor game being played, and the most successful head coach of all-time getting his first job in the league.
Bobby Orr’s Flying Goal
You’ve probably heard of Bobby Orr. Widely considered the best defenseman to ever play the game, and even considered by some the best player ever, the legendary No. 4 took his first strides in the NHL during the 1966-67 season — but, it was during Orr’s prime that he dominated the league. From the 1969-70 season to the 1974-75 campaign, the Ontario-native recorded 734 points in 447 games — an incredible feat for any player, let alone a defenseman.
But there is one campaign that seems to rise above the rest. During the Boston Bruins 1969-70 season, Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76 games. He took home the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe Trophies and his first Stanley Cup. The Cup was a result of Orr’s most memorable moment — his flying goal.
Vladislav Tretiak: Goaltending Guru
Over the last few decades, individuals such as Vladislav Tretiak have shaped the game of hockey in unbelievable ways. It has often been noted that Tretiak never had a fair shot to compete in the NHL back in the 1980s, but the Russian netminder changed the face of the game for future goaltenders in his 15-plus seasons with the Russian Red Army Team, CSKA Moscow.
Tretiak’s appearances and play in the Olympics, World Championships, Canada Cup, and Summit Series will always be engrained in hockey history and the goalie’s name is rightfully enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a result of his hard work. Politics and stubbornness (on the part of the Soviet Government) were probably the biggest factors that prevented Tretiak from making an impact at the NHL level, but the goalie managed to cement himself in hockey lore by being a pioneer of the goaltending position and revolutionizing the way that goalies play the position in the modern day.
Today in Hockey History: Nov. 21
This has been a very intriguing date in National Hockey League history. It has provided us with a new all-time leading scorer for players born in Europe. A handful of goaltending milestones were reached, some big moments in Pittsburgh, a very busy night in 1992, and even regular-season overtime was put on a 41-year hiatus. So, let’s take a trip back in time and relive all the best moments from Nov. 21 over the years.
NHL’s Top 5 All-Time Indigenous Players
The NHL has had 7,623 players suit up since it first started in 1917. Of those 7,000-plus players, only about 80 have been of Indigenous heritage, which makes up only 1.5 percent of the players in the NHL.
Top 3 All-Time Rangers Goalies
Of all the goaltenders who have played for the New York Rangers in their 90-year history, six are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, two are in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and one, Henrik Lundqvist, is well on his way to hockey immortality. However, only four ever backstopped a Stanley Cup championship for the Rangers.
Here’s a breakdown of the three best goaltenders in franchise history, as well as a look at a host of other notables.