Searching for Bobby Orr

by Stephen Brunt

The book that hockey fans have been waiting for: the definitive, unauthorized account of the man many say was the greatest player the game has ever seen.

The legend of Bobby Orr is one of the most enduring in sport. Even those who have never played the game of hockey know that the myth surrounding Canada's great pastime originates in places like Bobby Orr's Parry Sound. In the glory years of the Original Six—an era when the majority of NHLers were Canadian—hockey players seemed to emerge fully formed from our frozen rivers and backyard rinks, to have found the source of their genius somehow in the landscape. Like Mozart, they just appeared—Howie Morenz, Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard and Bobby Orr—spun out of the elements, prodigies, geniuses, originals, to stoke the fantasy of a nation united around a puck.

Bobby Orr redefined the defensive style of hockey; there was nothing like it before him. He was the first to infuse the defenseman position with offensive juice, driving up the ice, setting up players and scoring some goals of his own. He was the first player to win three straight MVP awards, the first defenseman to score twenty or more goals in a season. His most famous goal won the Boston Bruins the Stanley Cup in 1970—for the first time in twenty-nine years—against the St. Louis Blues in overtime. But history will also remember Bobby Orr as a key figure in the Alan Eagleson scandal, and as the unfortunate player forced into early retirement in 1978 because of his injuries. His is a story of dramatic highs and lows.

In Searching for Bobby Orr, Canada's foremost sportswriter gives us a compelling and graceful look at the life and times of Bobby Orr that is also a revealing portrait of a game and a country in transition.

"So Bobby Orr could skate, he could stickhandle, he could fight when he had to. He could shoot without looking at the net, without tipping a goaltender as to what was coming. His slapshot came without a big windup, and was deadly accurate. Skating backwards, defending, he was all but unbeatable one on one. He could poke check the puck away, or muscle a forward into the boards. In front of his own net, stronger on his feet than his skinny frame would suggest, he wouldn't be moved. But there was more…"
—From Searching for Bobby Orr

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Biography, Nonfiction, Canada

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Stephen Brunt is a Canadian sports journalist, well known as a current columnist for Sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet, and as co-host to Jeff Blair on Writers Bloc alongside Richard Deitsch.

Brunt started at The Globe as an arts intern in 1982, after attending journalism school at the University of Western Ontario. He then worked in news, covering the 1984 election, and began to write for the sports section in 1985. His 1988 series on negligence and corruption in boxing won him the Michener Award for public service journalism. In 1989, he became a sports columnist.

Nominated for several National Newspaper Awards, Brunt is also the author of seven books. His work Facing Ali, published in 2003, was named one of the ten best sports books of the year by Sports Illustrated. Brunt makes frequent appearances on sports talk radio shows such as Prime Time Sports and Melnick in the Afternoon on the Team 990 in Montreal. He has been the lead sports columnist for The Globe and Mail since 1989 and was a frequent sports panelist on TVOntario's now-defunct current affairs programme Studio 2. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

He currently resides with his wife, Jeannie, in Hamilton, Ontario, spending much of his summer vacation in Winterhouse Brook, Newfoundland.

Reviews

[Mikey B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does the author find what he is searching for? Only partially.

Bobby was the hockey superstar of the mid-1960’s until his knees gave out in the mid-70’s. He was quite possibly the most elegant skater of the game and had remarkable speed. He would dominate and control the pace of a game. As Jean Beliveau said “Bobby was a meteor on ice”.

And very enigmatic off the ice – he didn’t like the limelight. Not much is said in this book on his current life – Bobby is approaching 70 now. He never returned, except for short summer visits, to his small rural home-town of Parry Sound in Ontario. Neither of his two sons played any type of hockey – did they ever put on skates? Even though he was known across Canada, Bobby Orr never became a public figure. The author never personally interviewed Booby Orr for this book.

For me this was a nostalgic trip down memory lane when I use to watch hockey passionately, as most Canadians do from time to time.

This book is for Canadians and Bostonians only! (Bobby played for the Boston Bruins for the NHL)

[Nick N. · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the biography Searching for Bobby Orr by Stephen Brunt, the story behind one of the greatest players to ever play the sport of hockey is revealed. Bobby Orr’s story begins in a small town in Canada called Parry Sound. Here is where he starts his tremendous work ethic and meets Wilfred “Bucko” McDonald, the coach that allows him to change the way the sport is played. He created an offensive defensemen. Bucko saw a "scrawny, skilled, a natural skater, a stickhandler, a scorer... he still saw a defencemen".(33)After he is briefly with the Oshawa Generals, a minor hockey league team, he signs a contract with the Boston Bruins where he will stay for 10 years. He won many awards with the Bruins but none bigger than the 2 Stanley Cups that he won. At the end of his career, he was plagued by injury and ended his career with the Chicago Blackhawks. The message of this story was that Orr was told he was too small (or not very big) but at a very young age he proved them all wrong because of how bad he wanted it.
I think that Bobby Orr is a great role model for any athlete in any sport. I think I can relate to him alot though because locals recall him being "tiny and apparently frail... soon enough he couldv skate faster than anyone his own age".(27)I believe I can relateto him because I am aslo samll an I like to believe I am one of the faster players on my team.He was an extremely hard worker. He never got into any trouble and he just went out and played the game the way it is supposed to be played. He didn’t trash talk. He just let his playing do the talking. I believe that the author wrote this book because he wanted to show everyone what a great and classy player he was and hoped younger kids would model them selves after him. I reacted so strongly to Bobby Orr because I am such a big hockey and Bruins Fan in general. Deservingly, he is the ultimate Bruin. I hear all these great stories about him and it was great to read additional details and learn what he is actually like. It helped me realize what I love about the sport and why I am so passionate about the game.
I thought that this book was very eye opening. It revealed that Bobby Orr wasn’t born the greatest defensemen of all time. All he did as a kid was work on getting better. The book itself was a challenging book to read. The pages were long and there was lots of detail and challenging words. There were also many different characters he met in the book which you had to keep track of. If you just toughen out the book, in the end it was very a good book with a meaningful message. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t amazing. However, if you are looking for a good hockey book I would absolutely suggest this one.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't the first time I've felt this way about a hockey book, that it failed to deliver what I was looking for, but I can't say it's wasn't an enjoyable read. 'Searching for Bobby Orr' is, in the author's words, not an 'authorized biography,' nor a 'traditional sports biography,' and I couldn't disagree at all. There aren't any interviews with Orr himself, his family, or his friends. But it tells a good tale. Starting when Bobby Orr was a boy in Parry Sound, the book follows him through his Junior days, to his ascendancy into the NHL and superstardom.

However, I knew that story already. I knew that Orr scored the overtime winning goal against the Blues in the 1970 Stanley Cup final, and could be seen diving across the ice. I knew that Orr set amazing records like being +125 with 102 assists in the 1971 season, and that he won the NHL scoring record twice, the only defencemen to ever win.

But I was a little more fuzzy on other parts of Orr's career, such as him being basically broke when he retired, his agent Alan Eagleson having squandered much of the fortune (which he'd eventually go to jail for, amongst other things). And this is the part of Bobby Orr I wished to learn about when I started reading this book. I had read another Stephen Brunt book, 'Gretzky's Tears' about the Great One being traded to Los Angeles in 1988, and was expecting a similar dissection of a crucial change in the NHL and hockey world.

Unfortunately, 'Searching for Bobby Orr' never really broached the subject other than to mention, in passing, that Eagleson went to jail for mail-fraud. The book was an enjoyable look at Bobby Orr's playing career, detailing many of his more important games, his Stanley Cup triumphs, and his award-winning seasons. But I was much more interested in the scandal, the fraud, and Eagleson going to jail. I felt as if I was reading a biography of Richard Nixon, that mentioned in the last paragraph that 'Nixon then resigned the Presidency because of a hotel, and retired to California.'

In this regard, it reminded me of 'King of Russia' by Dave King, about his experiences coaching in the KHL in Russia. Sure, it was an enjoyable read, but it didn't focus on what I was most interested in. In that case, I wanted to learn more about the social and economic difference of playing in Russia, not merely a summary of his season there. I still enjoyed reading both books, but felt they missed the mark on what they could have been.

[bamlinden · Rating 4 out of 5]

To many, Bobby Orr the greatest hockey player ever to lace up the skates. To most, he's in the top five. To me, he went up the list after reading this book.

In what would definitely be considered an agonizing career, shortened by knee injuries, Bobby had a talent that far exceeded his peers of the time. He is one of very few to have truly changed the game. Evolving it and revolutionizing it. He had talent that was noticed at such an early age and his path to stardom in the NHL was all but guaranteed by the time he could legally drive a car.

Yet it's the person himself that most people don't know anything about. He rarely (if ever) let the outside world in for people to see what he was really like. And while Searching For Bobby Orr doesn't accomplish this...it gives us probably our best snapshot.

note: Bobby Orr was approached by Stephen Brunt regarding this book but declined to participate. He also asked that family and friends not be approached either. Stephen Brunt respected his wishes.

Searching For Bobby Orr felt more like a story of atmospheres and landmarks. Scene sets and circumstances. All with Bobby Orr deep in the mix. While we never get in depth with Bobby's life or career at any given point, the path the book takes gives one a very good sense of how his life growing up and hockey career progressed.

Events like his signing with Boston (he was never drafted....the Entry Draft didn't exist at the time), his ascension to the top of the league both in scoring and with a pair of Stanley Cups. His chronic knee problems, his omission from the 1972 Canadian team that battled the Russians. His betrayal by then agent Alan Eagleson and eventual move to Chicago to end his career. It's all in there, but it lacks that first person account.

Stephen Brunt is a very good writer and he puts the story together in a very entertaining way. While it was a bit of a slow starter for me, his NHL story was one I really enjoyed. I would have loved to have learned more about the Eagleson relationship as it is to this day one that still irks Orr. (I hope in hie new autobiography, Bobby addresses it a little more bluntly).

For fans of hockey in the 70's, this would be a must read. For those of you who want to learn a bit about the greatest defenceman of all-time, pick this one up. It will give you a very good surface account of his career. It doesn't dive deep - but that's tough to do without the man himself getting involved.

[Marc Leroux · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew up near Montreal, so saying anything positive about someone from Boston is hard to do, but from my perspective Bobby Orr was the greatest player the game has seen. Every generation has at least one, and I've seen Wayne, Mario and Sidney play, but no one could control a game like Orr. I was really looking forward to this book.
And I was disappointed.
As many others have commented, the prose is overwritten. The focus occasionally shows brilliance, particularly when talking about games he played in. If I could have stripped the rest out the rest, it would have been a great book. I now know that Orr is an avid fisherman. I already knew that he used to have a crew cut and then he let his hair grow, so that revelation wasn't too important to me. Neither was the fact that he was, and is, a very private person; I also knew that.
There are some tantalizing tidbits dropped into the book: Orr became an assistant coach in Chicago for a brief period (I'd forgotten that), and the players hated him. That's a facet of Orr that I hadn't read about, and would have loved to have learned more. I was very disappointed with the section on "Betrayal". There really wasn't much in that section at all. Brunt was (rightly) harsh when speaking of Eagleson, and make a big deal of Orr being in the courtroom when Eagleson is convicted of fraud, but he never comes out and talks about Orr being almost bankrupt because of Eagleson, and why he was is skimmed over. The details of the negotiations of Orr's last contract are well covered, but it basically stops there.
My suggestion for anyone who is interested in reading this book, pick up Russ Conway's Game Misconduct: Alan Eagleson and the Corruption of Hockey first.

[Ted Haussman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than 3 stars but not quite 4. Written well and it's a good overview of Orr's life from his rise to arguably one of the greatest hockey players to ever play the game to his fall due to injuries and financial mismanagement. Although I wished the book had been more about his play than the forces around his business life, I still learned a lot.

Growing up a Bruins fanatic, especially in the 1980s, my teenage years, that Bruins management (the miserly Harry Sinden and Jacobs) were to blame for the ignominious departure of Orr to Chicago. That couldn't be further from the truth. The Bruins made Orr unprecented offers and whether the blame of non-acceptance is better placed with his agent, Alan Eagleson, or Orr, is open to debate.

The overall story is somewhat tragic. In one sense, Orr lived at the perfect time -- he was able to revolutionize hockey by ascending when and where he did. But, tragically, he was a half dozen or a dozen years two early in that medicine had not sufficiently advanced in terms of knee surgery and Orr's continual surgeries would eventually lead to his premature demise. The story of Orr's hockey career will, in part, forever be "what could have been."

The portrait of Orr as a somewhat shy, privacy-loving public figure squares with my own perceptions, having met the man twice. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading his autobiography which came out after this book.

[Lady ♥ Belleza · Rating 3 out of 5]

My best friend knows nothing about hockey. She does know who Bobby Orr is though.

The author comes right out and say it, “Bobby Orr did not give his blessing on this book.” But he is of the opinion that Bobby might have if he hadn’t been writing his own book about his life. The author honored Bobby’s request to not talk to his family. The information in this book is taken from published accounts and people who know Bobby. Some of Bobby’s friends refused to talk, others talked on condition of anonymity, this is all detailed in the book. There is information about Bobby’s life growing up in Parry Sound, how he got into hockey, his style of play etc. There is almost no information about his personal life after he got married. Bobby kept that part of his life private.

One of the reasons I like reading sports bios is there is usually information about the sport. This book does not disappoint in this area. We learn the history of hockey from when there were only 6 teams. Mr. Brunt talks about how hard it was to get new teams. He talks about the difference in the game then and now. We learn about agents and junior league, too many things for me to mention here. But its all there. Told in a compelling narrative that grabs and doesn’t let go.

This book was so compelling I bought my own copy. I recommend this book.

[Bellezza · Rating 3 out of 5]

My best friend knows nothing about hockey. She does know who Bobby Orr is though.

The author comes right out and say it, 1CBobby Orr did not give his blessing on this book. 1D But he is of the opinion that Bobby might have if he hadn 19t been writing his own book about his life. The author honored Bobby 19s request to not talk to his family. The information in this book is taken from published accounts and people who know Bobby. Some of Bobby 19s friends refused to talk, others talked on condition of anonymity, this is all detailed in the book. There is information about Bobby 19s life growing up in Parry Sound, how he got into hockey, his style of play etc. There is almost no information about his personal life after he got married. Bobby kept that part of his life private.

One of the reasons I like reading sports bios is there is usually information about the sport. This book does not disappoint in this area. We learn the history of hockey from when there were only 6 teams. Mr. Brunt talks about how hard it was to get new teams. He talks about the difference in the game then and now. We learn about agents and junior league, too many things for me to mention here. But its all there. Told in a compelling narrative that grabs and doesn 19t let go.

This book was so compelling I bought my own copy. I recommend this book.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter of this book includes the most evocative passage I have ever read about ice hockey. The rest is a very thorough and well-researched account of the persona behind the man many consider the greatest hockey player ever. In reality, it tackles the story as it should be--that of a tragic hero whose career was cut short due to injury and whose naïvete almost caused more harm in a hockey world just getting used to players' rights. It contains many stories of Bobby growing up as a prodigy within an isolated hockey-obsessed town in northern Ontario. The one problem I found in Brunt's telling of the story from then on is that the chronology of things often seemed confusing. Nevertheless, these stories (along with the many parenthetical and footnoted tangents) were candy for a hockey nut. You can really tell that the author is a student of hockey history with all the references to Toe Blake, Scotty Bowman, Eddie Shore, and many other legends of "old time hockey." Even for the non-hockey fan, it's a great story about being thrust into a pro sports lifestyle in a big American city (and during a major generational shift) while still longing for pond fishing back home in Canada.

[Noam · Rating 2 out of 5]

really boring and overwritten. every time it mentions some random 3rd line teammate of orr's it gives a whole paragraph of background info on where that guy grew up and how he got into and out of pro hockey. like... the whole book is screaming out "if you don't like this you're not a true hardcore hockey fan because true hardcore hockey fans want to know the bare biographical information on Teddy Schultz from Lethbridge Alberta who played 3 games for California in the 70s and if you don't care about that just stick to wayne gretzky highlight reels you dumb cazzy fan".

i didn't think it was possible to write a boring hockey (auto)biography, but here it is!

(the [numerous] anecdotes about bobby and groupies are curious though)

[brian dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really can't comment on the book as I have too much invested in the subject. My mother is from Parry Sound and I, as a four-year-old, met the man. He gave me a tiny hockey stick with his autograph on it.

I was too young to see him play much so I learned a great deal from the book. I will now look for his plays on youtube, I guess.

It seems really sad that Orr's two sons never learned how to skate. I suppose it is good that Orr never forced them to follow in his footsteps but to so effectively keep the door closed seems unfair.

[Anthony Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have to agree with a number of other reviews about this book - it is really overwritten in places making what should be a really interesting story drag in places. I still enjoyed the majority of the book but was disappointed that it read more like a sports biography from the 1980's when the sports biography was just airport lounge fodder. Stephen Brunt is a first class journalist and I expect better from him, he was lucky in that he chose a story of an elusive hockey great that preventing from putting the book down.

[James Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm on the fence on this one. The "unblessed" biography of Bobby Orr seemed to have too much information that at times went on and on. If the author had any clue of whom Orr was, this biography would have much shorter and too the point without adding a lot of fluff. Before reading the book, I was split in my like or dislike for Orr. Knowing what Orr does now, before the book, I was a little surprised to what extent. Understandably, that Orr does not conduct business like The Eagle did, I am a little surprised that he would go into that line of work.

[Dale Stonehouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice biography of the skater who was Gretzky before Gretzky. The manner in which Orr outmaneuvered every other NHL player of his era is well-detailed here, as are some of the effects of his background in rural Ontario. The several chapters that veered off into Canadian or NHL history seemed to detract from the overall effect, or do you have to be Canadian to appreciate them? There are a few mentions of my favorite city, Winnipeg, which helped this book avoid a 2-star rating.

[Lewis M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven Brunt has written most of a great story. By his own admission, since it is unauthorized and since Bobby Orr has a close knit circle, some of the story remains untold. What we have in this biography is a well told partial picture.

More interesting in this story is who came forward to fill on the puzzle pieces, and it paints a great picture if his time in Junior hockey when as Don Cherry likes to point out he was without equal.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this book is beautiful and angry and thoughtful, about the culture of hockey and the construction of a teenager as much as it is about Bobby himself, though he is always treated fairly and with kindness and respect. Later on it becomes a bit more rote and a little confusingly-structured, hopping around in time to tell the story of Bobby's NHL career with less of the cultural criticism that made the first part so immense.

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best sports biography I've read! Stephen Brunt is one of the best contemporary Canadian sports journalists. He gives a generation, including myself, who were never able to see the greatest defenceman play the game a descriptive account of his sublimity, and the interesting stories behind his legacy.

[Collin Insley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating warts and all biography of the man many believe to be the greatest hockey player to ever live (certainly one of the most influential and revolutionary), "Searching for Bobby Orr," is by turns a time capsule that opens a door to times gone by, as well as a perfect guide to the events that forever changed both the business and game of professional hockey. Read it!

[Jk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although the depth of research kind of trailed off (disappeared?) post-1973, I still thought it was well worth the time for hockey/Bruins/#4 fans. The author does a very good job transporting you back to those years.

[Ernie Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the writing style a bit odd but I found the book extremely interesting with the stories of what really happened as compared to what was released at the time of the events happening. Also, being from Oshawa, it was extra interesting for me reading of places, people and times that I knew.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good parts, but largely overwritten. Lots of trivial noise; learning what was meant by a "Bobby Orr" in the stripper trade was, well--eww. I guess if your subject won't give his blessing to your book, the author has to find his research sources somewhere else. . .

[Jason Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting biography of one of the greatest hockey players. Very interesting.

[Aras · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://electric-pages.livejournal.com...

[Tim Wendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brunt had to work hard here because Orr gave him little to no cooperation. But he does the legwork and comes up with an eloquent portrait of one of hockey's most exciting players.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on the man who singlehandedly revolutionized the game.

[Keith Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Stephen Brunt's write style and brings a fresh approach to the Bobby Orr story. Makes this hockey hero human.

[Pihla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic depiction of a fantastic athlete!

[Jim Noyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent story of probably greatest of all time. stayed out, pretty much, of off ice stuff, very well written

[Russ Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this columns and stories from "Sportsnet Magazine" reminded me of how much I enjoyed Brunt's column in The Globe and Mail. Too much boxing for my taste, but still interesting there.

[Sydney Stype · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty in-depth book considering that it was not an authorized biography. I wish there was more about Al Eagleson and what exactly happened, but there are other books about that.