On Aug. 26, 1971, Bobby Orr made history by signing the NHL’s first million-dollar contract with the Boston Bruins. The deal was worth $200,000 per year for five years. This contract was groundbreaking in the NHL.
At the time, Orr was coming off a remarkable 1970-71 season, where he scored a league-record 139 points. That performance earned him the Norris Trophy for the best defenseman and the Hart Trophy for MVP. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP and led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup win in 1972.
To put it in perspective, Orr’s $1 million contract would be about $7.77 million today after adjusting for inflation. The inflation rate from 1971 to 2024 averages 3.94% per year.
In the first four years of his contract, Orr scored 475 points and won the Norris Trophy four times. He also won the Art Ross Trophy in the 1974-75 season with 135 points, becoming the only defenseman to win it.
However, his career was cut short by knee injuries. He played only 10 games in the 1975-76 season, the last year of his contract. After signing with the Chicago Blackhawks, he played just 26 games over two seasons before retiring.
Orr’s $1 million contract was a landmark moment in NHL history, both for the Boston Bruins and his career.
Podcaster Joe Rogan talks about meeting NHL legend Bobby Orr
Podcaster Joe Rogan last week shared an interesting story about meeting hockey legend Bobby Orr. On his podcast, Rogan told Adam Sandler about working at the Boston Athletic Club in South Boston, where he met Orr.
"I was working at the Boston Athletic Club in South Boston," Rogan shared (via Outkick.com) "I met Bobby Orr there."
Rogan described helping Orr with his knee problems. He said Orr needed assistance getting on a VersaClimber machine because his knees had very limited movement.
"I had to help Bobby Orr," Rogan said. "Because Bobby Orr had to have like, f--king a hundred and fifty knee surgeries. His knees were destroyed and you'd have to help him get on the VersaClimber machine. Bobby's knees didn't bend."
Orr had undergone many knee surgeries, which left him with restricted mobility. Rogan also mentioned that Orr’s knee problems affected playing other sports, like racquetball.
Nevertheless, Orr is remembered as one of the greatest defensemen in hockey history. His career was impressive but short. He played 12 NHL seasons, 10 with the Boston Bruins and two with the Chicago Blackhawks. In his last three seasons, he was limited to just 36 games due to knee injuries.
