Bobby Orr starred in the National Hockey League from 1966-67 to 1978-79 with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Orr is considered by many to be the best defenseman to ever play hockey. In his injury-shortened career, Bobby set records, some of which still seem untouchable today. He also gained enough hardware to overwhelm any trophy room.
Orr played on two Stanley Cup-winning Boston Bruins teams in the early 1970s. Bobby began his career with the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year. He twice won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer, a feat no other defenseman has done even once in NHL history. For eight years in a row, Orr was the undisputed winner of the James Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the league. His first-team All-Star selections matched his Norris Trophy total. In 1979, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. At 31 years old, he is the youngest to receive this honor.
His 1966-67 rookie card is valued at $3,000. Bobby Orr’s 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee and Topps #100 card is much less valuable and much more accessible to the vintage hockey card collector without a big budget. Still, the O-Pee-Chee version of the card has a value of $60 to $100 and the Topps version is half that price of $30 to $50. These values are according to the latest edition of Beckett Hockey.
Why is this letter important? As usual, the card features stats and information from the previous season. 1970-71 was a magical season in Bobby Orr’s magical career. Bobby played all 78 regular seasons for the Bruins scoring 37 goals and adding 102 assists for 139 points. The 102 assists and 139 points stand today as single-season records for defensemen. His +124 that season is a record that still stands for players of any position.
Bobby received the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player and, of course, was selected as a First Team All-Star. Needless to mention, he was also the winner of the Norris Trophy that season. All to no avail, however, as the heavily favored Bruins were quickly eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
For the serious hockey fan and card collector, the 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee / Topps #100 is a must-have. For the investor, it is too. Bobby Orr is top notch in the world of hockey cards.
