The Bobby Orr Trophy (Why not?)

[Smart Alek]

I've long wondered why the NHL doesn't have a unique award for the defenseman who scores the most points in a season.

Benefits:

• Honors the best offensive defender in the league. A perfect corollary to the Selke Award, which honors the best defensive foward.
• Unlike the Selke, it's not a subjective award. He who gets the most points wins.
• There's precedent for creating new awards. The Rocket Richard was introduced in 1999. The trophy was donated by the Montreal Canadiens to the NHL. Are you listening, Boston?
• There are already three awards almost exclusively for forwards: The Art Ross, Rocket Richard, and Selke. Yes, it is technically possible for a defenseman to win the Art Ross or the Rocket Richard. But that has only happened twice in NHL history, both times by Bobby Orr.
• Perhaps more importantly, it would reestablish the Norris Trophy as the award for the best all around defender. That's not to say that offensive defenders would be shut out from Norris voting, but that voters wouldn't feel as thought they must vote for the points leader. The greatest of defensemen will win both... as well they should.
• It's fun!

Drawbacks:

• Those rare occasions where a d-man plays a significant number of games at forward. This could be mitigated by a simple stipulation that requires a player to start a certain percentage (80?) of the season's games on defense.
• It's a stretch, but one could argue that certain defensemen would neglect defensive assignments in pursuit of the award. It's a stretch, and one could say the same for any forward in the Art Ross/Rocket Richard race, but I thought I'd mention it anyways. It's not a serious concern.
• It's fun! (may trigger a histamine response at NHL Head Office).

My hope would be that if popular, a hockey writer might publish a column with this suggestion, and perhaps it will gain momentum. In particular, it would be apt for the Boston Bruins to donate the 'Bobby Orr Trophy' to the NHL. It's long past time for the NHL to acknowledge the offensive production of defensemen in their own category. Let's get on this, people.

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[maacoshark]

I've long wondered why the NHL doesn't have a unique award for the defenseman who scores the most points in a season.

Benefits:

• Honors the best offensive defender in the league. A perfect corollary to the Selke Award, which honors the best defensive foward.
• Unlike the Selke, it's not a subjective award. He who gets the most points wins.
• There's precedent for creating new awards. The Rocket Richard was introduced in 1999. The trophy was donated by the Montreal Canadiens to the NHL. Are you listening, Boston?
• There are already three awards almost exclusively for forwards: The Art Ross, Rocket Richard, and Selke. Yes, it is technically possible for a defenseman to win the Art Ross or the Rocket Richard. But that has only happened twice in NHL history, both times by Bobby Orr.
• Perhaps more importantly, it would reestablish the Norris Trophy as the award for the best all around defender. That's not to say that offensive defenders would be shut out from Norris voting, but that voters wouldn't feel as thought they must vote for the points leader. The greatest of defensemen will win both... as well they should.
• It's fun!

Drawbacks:

• Those rare occasions where a d-man plays a significant number of games at forward. This could be mitigated by a simple stipulation that requires a player to start a certain percentage (80?) of the season's games on defense.
• It's a stretch, but one could argue that certain defensemen would neglect defensive assignments in pursuit of the award. It's a stretch, and one could say the same for any forward in the Art Ross/Rocket Richard race, but I thought I'd mention it anyways. It's not a serious concern.
• It's fun! (may trigger a histamine response at NHL Head Office).

My hope would be that if popular, a hockey writer might publish a column with this suggestion, and perhaps it will gain momentum. In particular, it would be apt for the Boston Bruins to donate the 'Bobby Orr Trophy' to the NHL. It's long past time for the NHL to acknowledge the offensive production of defensemen in their own category. Let's get on this, people.

Interesting idea. But would they turn the Norris into the best defensive defenseman award or best overall? I'd prefer best overall.

 

[saffronleaf]

Excellent idea. Surprised this isn't already a thing.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Yep count me in. Also should be an assist trophy, imo. And maybe a goalie wins trophy.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I think thats a great idea. Forwards have an offensive and a defensive award.

 

[Smart Alek]

Interesting idea. But would they turn the Norris into the best defensive defenseman award or best overall? I'd prefer best overall.

Yes, it would remain best overall for sure. They're never going to change the definition of an award.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

The faulty premise here:

• Perhaps more importantly, it would reestablish the Norris Trophy as the award for the best all around defender. That's not to say that offensive defenders would be shut out from Norris voting, but that voters wouldn't feel as thought they must vote for the points leader. The greatest of defensemen will win both... as well they should.

Who is to say that this doesn't happened? What type of player, according to you, should be winning the Norris? I think this would either a) change nothing or b) lead to the guy with the best defensive reputation in the top 10 in points winning the award, or who excels in some other weird arbitrary measure.

Also, Bobby Orr wasn't just the highest scoring DMan, he was the best in the game. Naming a trophy after him that is dedicated solely to points isn't the same as naming a trophy after Richard that is dedicated solely to goals.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

there are too many trophies as it is

there should be a scoring title, a goal-scoring title, an MVP, a playoff MVP, a defenseman trophy, a goalie trophy, a rookie trophy, and we should keep the Bing around because it's super old and classy

the rest should be tossed to the scrap heap and you kids should get off my lawn

 

[Fire Benning]

Yep count me in. Also should be an assist trophy, imo. And maybe a goalie wins trophy.

You can call thme assist trophy the Joe Thornton.

As for the goalie wins trophy, there already is one, it’s called the president’s trophy as far as I’m concerned.

 

[7even]

Yep count me in. Also should be an assist trophy, imo. And maybe a goalie wins trophy.

I feel like the Jennings is conceptually close enough to a wins trophy as to not matter. An assist trophy I'd be down with. Would be an easy tribute to one of the greatest athletes of all time, any sport.

 

[Iapyi]

i've been saying this for decades, this is not a fresh or new idea.

a friend of mine would say that orr was more then a scoring dman and i would say who cares, that is besides the point.

in fact, and especially now as opposed to years ago, the dummy voters would just vote the guy with the most points as the norris winner anyway and then the same guy would in effect be getting two trophies instead of just one.

 

[Iapyi]

You can call thme assist trophy the Joe Thornton.

As for the goalie wins trophy, there already is one, it’s called the president’s trophy as far as I’m concerned.

gretzky not thornton, c'mon man.

 

[Smart Alek]

What type of player, according to you, should be winning the Norris?

Whoever the voters believe is the best overall defenseman. The current lack of mind-reading technology and certain privacy laws prevent us from knowing exactly what is on the minds of voters, but there's a pretty clear consensus that lazier ones simply go by the points leader. The differentiation would hopefully cause some to reconsider.

But this is actually more about acknowledging the best offensive defenseman than adding credibility to the Norris Trophy.

Ask any kid who plays defense, or any adult who did growing up... defenseman are ALWAYS shortchanged when it comes to recognition. Unfortunately, that goes all the way up to the NHL.

i've been saying this for decades, this is not a fresh or new idea.

I never entertained the thought that I was the first person to come up with the idea. It's just something that doesn't currently exist, yet it should. I'm only bringing it up.

 

[ESH]

Honestly, I don’t really see a point. I think it would make voters feel obligated to vote for different players for the Norris. Karlsson has clearly been the best offensive defenseman most years, but hasn’t he also been the best defenseman period?

Is the aim to never let the best offensive defenseman be considered the best all-around defenseman or to hand out 2 trophies to one guy?

 

[NyQuil]

I don’t see how naming an offensive defence man trophy after Orr is some kind of insult.

He remains the only Art Ross winning defence man - probably ever.

 

[Deam78]

Interesting idea. I know the idea came up a couple years ago on the radio in Montreal...

 

[DJJones]

I would like to see this as well. I love Burns but it just seems wrong to call him the best defensemen.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

But this is actually more about acknowledging the best offensive defenseman than adding credibility to the Norris Trophy.

Ask any kid who plays defense, or any adult who did growing up... defenseman are ALWAYS shortchanged when it comes to recognition. Unfortunately, that goes all the way up to the NHL.

Yeah, that's a fair argument. I always support more trophies as long as they're not frivolous.

 

[bigdirty]

Wasn't there a thread a while back where someone wanted to call it the Paul Coffey Memorial Trophy?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I know mid-season it's felt wrong talking about it a lot of times because it felt like it was cheapening offensive performance (i.e. offense isn't part of 'all-around'), but in retrospect, having two awards would probably have settled a lot of arguments given that d-men roles are pretty diverse and it always feels like someone is getting shortchanged.

 

[maacoshark]

The faulty premise here:

• Perhaps more importantly, it would reestablish the Norris Trophy as the award for the best all around defender. That's not to say that offensive defenders would be shut out from Norris voting, but that voters wouldn't feel as thought they must vote for the points leader. The greatest of defensemen will win both... as well they should.

Who is to say that this doesn't happened? What type of player, according to you, should be winning the Norris? I think this would either a) change nothing or b) lead to the guy with the best defensive reputation in the top 10 in points winning the award, or who excels in some other weird arbitrary measure.

Also, Bobby Orr wasn't just the highest scoring DMan, he was the best in the game. Naming a trophy after him that is dedicated solely to points isn't the same as naming a trophy after Richard that is dedicated solely to goals.

Orr wasn't the best 2way defence man in the league.

 

[Smart Alek]

Is the aim to never let the best offensive defenseman be considered the best all-around defenseman or to hand out 2 trophies to one guy?

Neither of those are the aim. The aim is for years when they are judged to be different, that two defensemen would win an award, and when they're the same, one would win two awards.

It wouldn't be a bad thing for a defenseman to be pictured with two awards. We've seen goalies and forwards at a table with three trophies plenty of times.

 

[ESH]

Orr wasn't the best 2way defence man in the league.

This is news to just about everyone reading it

 

[Treb]

I agree with a Bobby Orr Trophy. Paul Coffey Trophy could also be good if Orr doesn't want his name on it.

Wasn't there a thread a while back where someone wanted to call it the Paul Coffey Memorial Trophy?

It was a funny thread.

 

[joe dirte]

Honestly, I don’t really see a point. I think it would make voters feel obligated to vote for different players for the Norris. Karlsson has clearly been the best offensive defenseman most years, but hasn’t he also been the best defenseman period?

no, he hasn't.