Bobby Orr is largely responsible for what transpired on June 9 in Toronto. It is because of him that defensemen have become quite familiar with the opposition’s blueline. It is also because of him that, on that day, Jim Gregory -Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee-, announced, "The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome Raymond Bourque, Paul Coffey and Larry Murphy as Honored Members. Their contributions to the game are well documented and their elections are richly deserved."
Orr could salivate at such achievements. He had set the standards, three decades earlier, with thrilling end-to-end rushes and tape-to-tape passes. The only known defense against him was knee injuries that required five surgeries in seven years and deprived him as the National Hockey League’s first 1,000-point backliner.
The torch had long been passed to Bourque, Coffey and Murphy, three defensemen who could find the net from anywhere in the arena. They had scored nearly 1,100 goals and more than 4,300 points between them and made very good teams even more dangerous.
Bourque, a native of Montréal, Quebec, starred in the QMJHL and was the Boston Bruins’ 1st Round pick (8th overall) in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He played in every game of his rookie season and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie; he was also named a First Team All-Star -the only time a defenseman has ever been awarded this dual honor in one season.
"I just wanted to establish myself as a player," he recalled. "I never contemplated this. But, when I got the call, I was completely speechless."
In 19 years, Bourque was a 12-time First Team All-Star and won five Norris Trophies as the best defenseman. With the Colorado Avalanche in June 2001, he capped a stellar career with his first Stanley Cup. Later that month, after 1,612 games, 410 goals and 1,579 points –the most ever for a defenseman-, he called it a career.
Bourque played in 19 consecutive NHL All-Star games and, in 1992, won the King Clancy Trophy for his contributions to the game. When Bourque entered the NHL, he had worn No. 7 with Boston, but when the Bruins finally decided to pay tribute to Phil Esposito, Bourque switched to No. 77. Subsequently, that number was retired by both Boston and Colorado.
Paul Coffey was also a First Round selection of the Edmonton Oilers (6th overall) in the 1980 Entry Draft. In seven seasons with the Oilers, he won three Stanley Cups. He was the recipient of the Norris Trophy in 1985 and 1986 and was chosen as a First Team All-Star twice and Second Team All-Star on three different occasions.
"It’s a tremendous honor to join all of my Oiler teammates," he said. "We beat the New York Islanders to win our first Stanley Cup and I, later, watched the stars from that team get into the Hall. It’s amazing to receive the telephone call that Wayne (Gretzky), Jari (Kurri), Grant (Fuhr) and Slats (Glen Sather) got."
In 1987, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins and, in five seasons there, won a fourth Stanley Cup and, again, earned First and Second Team All-Star recognition.
After a season with the Los Angeles Kings, Coffey was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in January 1993. He was honored in 1995 with both his third Norris Trophy and fourth First Team All-Star selection. When he concluded his 21-year career in 2001, his totals of 396 goals, 1,135 assists and 1,531 regular-season points trailed only Bourque as the league’s most proficient defenseman.
Coffey, who was named by The Hockey News in 1997 as the 28th greatest NHL player of all-time, shined equally well in the playoffs (59 goals, 137 assists and 196 points in 194 games). He eclipsed the 100-point mark five times, with a record high 48 goals (which bested Orr’s 1974-75 mark of 46), 90 assists and 138 points in 1985-86 and was just the fourth player in NHL history to collect 1,000 career assists.
Larry Murphy had won the Memorial Cup with the Peterborough Petes in 1978-79. He was the Kings’ first choice (4th overall) in the 1980 Entry Draft and established new highs for rookie defensemen with 60 assists and 76 points in 1980-81. And was the runner-up to Peter Stastny for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year.
During his 21 seasons in the NHL, the Scarborough, Ontario native amassed 287 goals, 929 assists and 1,216 points in 1,615 games. He won four Stanley Cups (with Pittsburgh in 1991-92 and 1992-93 and Detroit in 1997-98 and 1998-99) and was a Second Team All-Star in 1987, 1993 and 1995. He was also the fourth defenseman to record 1,000 NHL regular season points.
"For a player, this is the ultimate compliment," Murphy said. "It is a statement of appreciation and I am extremely thrilled to receive this honor."
NHL goalies are equally thrilled that neither Bourque, Coffey nor Murphy are no longer in the game.
