Bruins Craic: Scotty Bowman On Bobby Orr And The 1970 Bruins (Part 1)

In the latest Bruins Craic podcast, the greatest NHL coach ever Scotty Bowman joined my cohost Kevin Flanagan and me to discuss the greatest NHL player ever, Bobby Orr and the 1970 Boston Bruins.

Bowman was behind the bench for the St. Louis Blues when Orr flew through the air after beating Blues goalie Glenn Hall for the overtime winner to clinch the Stanley Cup for the Bruins 50 years ago this Sunday. The 14-time Stanley Cup champion and hall of fame coach touched on that iconic moment and the historic photo that captured the moment forever. Bowman also recalled scouting, coaching against, and coaching Orr, who he agreed, revolutionized the game.

“Oh sure, because in those days, defenseman played defense,” Bowman replied on the latest Bruins Craic podcast when asked if he knew how great Orr was going to be. “Bobby Orr was average size by the time he got to the NHL. He had got a lot bigger after his growth spurt after he was 14. I could see it in Junior. …I mean we never saw players like that before. …accelerate, and when he first came into the league, people were wondering ‘He’s an offensive player, he’s not going to be able to do everything he did in Junior’. Well, he did more! He had the puck all the time anyways but he could defend. I think even with Boston when he went to training camp in London, Ontario the first year he made the Bruins, they had him up on forward, they looked at him a few times because there were hardly any forwards that could skate like he could.”

To listen to Part 1 of an 80-minute must listen for not just any Bruins fan but any hockey fan as the 50-year anniversary of the 1970 Bruins and Orr’s goal arrives this Sunday click here.