With The Hockey News launching its 'THN Archives' vault, we look back at the 50th Anniversary issue from 1997.
Celebrating 50 years in the hockey world, The Hockey News went big by recounting the history of the game from 1947 on, recognizing players of the decade in Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Each was given a feature in this special edition, but it was Orr who won the main photo on the cover.
Among the fun bits of trivia in the Orr story was just how far the Boston Bruins went to make sure they procured the services of the revolutionary blueliner, who was barely a teen when things first got serious: not only did the Bruins subsidize the entire Parry Sound, Ont., youth-hockey program, but they also paid for stucco at the Orr family house. In the end, it paid off, with two Stanley Cups and the reinvigoration of the Bruins franchise. “Bobby Orr wasn’t the first rushing defenseman in NHL history,” the article noted. “But none before him forced those who play the game to reconsider how they played the position.”
Unfortunately, the hockey world was deprived of more Orr due to no fewer than six operations on his left knee, but his on-ice legacy will never be disputed. His career was short but so, so sweet.
THN Archives is an exclusive vault of 2,640 issues and more than 156,000 for subscribers, chronicling the complete history of The Hockey News from 1947 until today. Visit the archives at THN.com/archives and subscribe today at subscribe.thehockeynews.com