May 10, 1970

When Hockey Was King

It was 37 years ago today. On that glorious Sunday afternoon, the Kid from Parry Sound brought a Stanley Cup to Boston for the first time in 29 years. Hard to believe, isn’t it? What’s even harder to believe is that an entire generation of New Englanders has been born, grown up and had children of their own without having experienced that moment, or the time when Hockey was King in Boston.

For most of us “middle-agers” who were born and raised in New England, Bobby Orr was, is and will always remain the greatest athlete of our times. Some folks might say Yaz, others Bird, (and while they remain popular) that's a debate for another day as Bill Russell can never be left out of the conversation as to who's #1. However, in terms of ability and class, none of them are in #4’s league. He is the greatest defenseman who ever played, and his impact on the coummunity reverberates today. Before Bobby Orr, youth hockey programs in no way resembled what they have developed into today. It was rag-tag at best. In the ‘70’s boomtown days, things more resembled Ontario than New England with a rink being constructed seemingly in every town. That’s how popular hockey was. Many rinks became storage facilities when the fad died out. Those select programs and facilities that survived the boom-to-bust are now part of the landscape. Organized hockey now exists in equal stature with Little League and basketball leagues.

The heyday of Boston hockey is largely responsible for this development. Bobby Orr and the Bruins were every bit as popular as Brady and the Patriots are today. The Bruins Glory Days had a few years to run before the team slowly faded into irrelevance (except in the hearts of the “lifers”). They won another Cup in '72, then came the WHA and more expansion. The Bruins were sold to their current owner, and over the decades everything changed. The Garden is gone, replaced by a venue without a soul. On the positive, we have witnessed a generation of youngsters in New England grow into fine hockey players both in the professional and collegiate levels. Canadians no longer exclusively comprise NHL rosters as Europeans and Americans have proved that nationality has nothing to do with talent. The popularity of high school, college and minor league hockey continues to grow.

The question is whether the likes of Jeremy Roenick, Tom Barrasso, Tony Amonte, Kevin Stevens (and a hundred or so others) would’ve found their way to the NHL had not the development of youth hockey in the 1970’s existed in New England? You tell me. It's no accident.

That photograph above set in motion events that no one anticipated. Now if only this generation can see for themselves the excitement that winning a Stanley Cup brings. It’s only been…thirty –five years?

Thank you, Bobby, and cheers out to you, Espo, Chief, The Turk, Johnny Pie, Hodge, Cheesie and the entire Big Bad Bruins team that brought New Englanders so much happiness back in the day.