Latest news with #BobbyOrr
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Flames' Rookie Phenom Zayne Parekh Ready for Prime Time
The Calgary Flames may have found a future cornerstone on the blue line—and his name is Zayne Parekh. Any time a young defenceman gets mentioned in the same breath as Bobby Orr, the hockey world takes notice. For Parekh, it's not just talk—it's backed by record-breaking numbers, dazzling offensive instincts, and a resume that has already turned heads at the NHL level. The Flames selected Parekh ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, and wasted little time locking him up with an entry-level contract on July 5, 2024. Now, at just 19 years old, the Nobleton, Ontario, native is poised to make his mark in Calgary—and across the league. Parekh was electric during his time with the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League, rewriting the franchise record books with a 33-goal, 96-point campaign over 66 regular-season games in 2023-24. He followed that up with a jaw-dropping 33 goals and 74 assists for 107 points, with a plus-42 ranking in 61 games last season. In doing so, Parekh joined the legendary Bobby Orr as the only defencemen in OHL/OHA history to post multiple 30-goal seasons. His dominance earned him the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Defenceman in 2024 and received 2024 CHL Defenceman of the Year honours, solidifying his reputation as one of the most gifted offensive blueliners in recent memory. The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) on X The regular NHL season schedule is out, with Marner set to return to Toronto on January 23, 2026. THN Hosts @Michael_Traikos, @katie_gaus , and @THNRyanKennedy debate Toronto's reception of Marner after being traded to Vegas, the latest NHL news, and more on the newest episode The real question now: How will it translate to the NHL? If his brief debut last season is any indication, Flames fans have plenty to be excited about. Parekh suited up for Calgary in a late-season matchup against the Los Angeles Kings and didn't disappoint—scoring his first NHL goal and finishing with a plus-3 rating. Heading into the 2025–26 campaign, has Parekh slotted at No. 7 in its Top 10 Rookie Rankings. With elite vision, an innate sense for offence, and a poise well beyond his years, Parekh is set to become a key part of Calgary's rebuild—and quite possibly its future star on the blueline. © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Bobby Orr On Balsam Life, The Goal And That Second Scoop Of Ice Cream
Bobby Orr on the driving range at Balsam Mountain Preserve After decades of summering on Cape Cod and wintering in Jupiter, Florida, hockey legend Bobby Orr felt ready for a new seasonal rhythm. He and his wife Peggy swapped New England for Western North Carolina—landing at Balsam Mountain Preserve, a 4,400-acre luxury community nestled in the Blue Ridge range, where 3,200 acres are protected in a permanent conservation trust. 'We decided that we were going to make a change,' Orr explained. 'David Southworth is the developer—I've been to Abaco, Willowbend and many of his properties and he's a friend. So, Peggy and I were discussing a move…and next thing I know, I get a call from David and he says, 'I just bought a property' and I said, 'Really?' And that was the beginning.' It turned out a longtime friend, one of Peggy's golf buddies, already lived in Balsam. That made the decision much easier. They have one son in Vermont and another in Florida. 'They come up a lot,' Orr said of his family and with all their visits Balsam has started to feel like a true home base. The unspoiled nature and mountain views drew him in and between the hiking paths, equestrian trails, an overnight camping facility and 40 miles of class A trout streams there's always something for the Orrs to get into. The fitness center and pool get plenty of play too. But beyond the amenities which also include a pair of restaurants a chip shot away from the clubhouse, what really sealed the deal were the setting and the people. Orr, who chose to build his mountain perch in the emerging village by the clubhouse so he could be close to 'the action' and have easy access to the driving range, serves as a Balsam community ambassador and isn't shy about sharing what he loves about the place. 'It's pretty quiet, but this is what we want and on the golf course—every hole is spectacular," Orr enthused. 'There are a lot of great people here. Our friends are starting to invite themselves up which we are thrilled about.' Number four is already leaving his large paw prints on the menu. He kindly suggested that the warm skillet cookie at the Mine Tavern, one of two on-property restaurants, add a second scoop of ice cream on top. An aerial vantage of a green at Balsam Mountain Preserve No. 4 Loves Par 4's From the back tees on Balsam's Arnold Palmer-designed course, a periscope might come in handy—especially on No. 8 a par 4 with a dramatic downslope to a tri-tiered terraced fairway. For first-time players, targeting the best landing spot off the tee is part guesswork, but that's the thrill ride. 'Eight is a great hole, but they're all great,' Orr related. 'Some of the views are so pretty. It amazes me how Arnold built it into the mountains and some of the roadways they had to build to do it. It's amazing what he did here.' While piling up beaucoup points was Orr's calling card on the ice, the Parry Sound puckhead racked up eight straight Norris Trophies as the NHL's top defenseman, three consecutive Hart Trophies as league MVP, and twice earned the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. If they ever chiseled a Hockey Mount Rushmore, the smiling mug of the Bruins legend would be represented. He trailblazed his position's offensive potential and remains the only defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring—a feat not even Cale Makar, today's top offensive D-man, has matched But these days, the scorecard is the last thing on Orr's mind. When he plays golf, he doesn't even keep a tally. 'I'm not into scoring anymore, I haven't played much lately. I have a good hole, I have a bad hole, I have an indifferent hole—that's the way I play now,' he said. 'But being out there—especially here—it doesn't matter how you're playing. It's beautiful.' Though Orr once dominated a sport defined by speed and instinct, golf, a sport he never came remotely close to mastering, has been just as fulfilling, reinforcing the values of patience and humility—qualities he prizes more deeply with the wisdom of age. 'I was an athlete, and golf is the hardest game I've ever played. That ball just sits there and doesn't move,' he said with a laugh. 'It brings you back to earth. You think you're an athlete, but…' he said, adding an intentional pause for dramatic effect. He's found the real reward is in the people he's met through the game—whether at charity tournaments, casual rounds with friends, or watching his wife Peggy play with her regular group. 'It's just a great social—I don't know what you call it—get-together,' he said. 'I've met so many wonderful people through golf. And the game raises so much money through pro ams and all kinds of events. That's what makes it such a great game. And Peggy, my wife, she just loves the game. If she doesn't play, she has withdrawal from missing it.' Keeping it Real 'Golf humbles y0u, there's no doubt about it. I've often said, thank God I play a game where I didn't have to think. Golf, you have to think a little bit,' Orr said laughing. He's played with plenty of golf greats over the years, including Jack Nicklaus. The best tip he ever got? 'Slow down,' he said. 'We all get so fast. Slowing down is probably the best tip I've gotten.' He recalled a piece of advice from Nicklaus too: 'Jack said one time, the ball setup—if you don't set up [properly], you're going to get away with some shots, but you're not going to with a lot of shots.' Asked whether he still gets recognized much these days, Orr shrugs it off. 'Not really, he says. Though if the still-athletic-looking septuagenarian were standing in front of the statue of The Goal in downtown Boston—where he's immortalized soaring through the air after redirecting a pass from Derek Sanderson past Blues goalie Glenn Hall to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup—you might get a different answer. At the local Walmart, though? Not a chance. He says he loves going to America's largest big box store and weaving in and out of the aisles the way he used to glide down the ice. 'I'm going to win an award from Walmart soon for the best cart pusher,' he kidded, adding a whooshing motion with a grin. At the retail giant, no one expects to see Bobby Orr gliding past the granola bars and gallon jugs of milk—and so, they simply don't. The hockey hero just blends into the blasé retail background, totally incognito. Going unnoticed is a rare occurrence for the subject of what is widely considered one of the most iconic sports photos of the 20th century. Before it was memorialized in bronze, that airborne tableau outside TD Garden was frozen in time by Boston Record-American photographer Ray Lussier. May 10, 1970 - BOSTON, MA:- Boston Bruin Bobby Orr's overtime goal that won the Stanley Cup, beating ... More the St. Louis Blues at the Boston Garden, Boston, Ma. (Staff by Ray Lussier/MediaNews Group/Boston Record American via Getty Images) 'Probably not much till after it was over,' Orr said when asked what he remembered about the moment. 'In hockey, with the speed, you react. After it went in, I knew it was for the Stanley Cup, and that was my dream as a kid growing up—to be on a Stanley Cup team and in that moment it was there. I wasn't thinking about anything else.' While Blues defenseman Noel Picard certainly contributed to Bobby's post goal superman position, he insists to this day that he was not tripped by the late Blues defenseman as the image suggests. 'It looks in the picture like he's got his stick under my leg a little bit, but I was jumping too, because I did see it go in—I knew it was in,' Orr said. 'He helped a little bit.' And then with a laugh: 'The best line I know is Glenn Hall said one time, 'Is that the only goal you've ever scored?' Orr's own wit is as quick as the fast-twitch muscles that carried him to hockey glory, but at heart the Hall of Famer is a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. As such, his most memorable quips tend to be more grounded than grandiose. 'I'm not that deep,' he deadpanned when asked if he had a guiding maxim as resonant as Gretzky's oft-quoted, boardroom-approved line about skating to where the puck is going, not where it's been. That said, he has mined a few verbal gems of his own. 'Forget about style, worry about results,' certainly comes to mind. And while he stands by the sentiment of that zinger, Orr shrugs off any attempts to elevate the primacy of the credo. What he does wholeheartedly believe is how the lessons from hockey carried through the rest of his life. 'I approach my business today the same way I approached my game yesterday. You are going to have teammates, you are going to make sacrifices—everything I learned in sports I can apply to any kind of business,' he said. 'You have to be disciplined, and you're going to work with others. That's how it was as an athlete, and I don't think it's any different as a businessperson.' Even when it comes to golf swings—especially those that are rough around the edges—Orr is forgiving. 'Well, if you've seen my swing…' he cracked, before tipping his cap to today's fearless young players. 'These kids stand up and there's no fear. They hit the heck out of it. My body's not letting me do that anymore, so I have to be prettier.' When he tees it up, it is his father Doug's grounded wisdom that echoes back the most. Back when people told his dad that his son was destined to go pro, Orr senior always batted back to Bobby: 'Go have fun, we'll see what happens.' 'That was the advice he gave me,' Orr recalled, adding that the number one goal for kids playing sports should be to enjoy the journey. 'The chances of them ever playing pro are slim. But if they keep playing a sport and have that love and passion for the game, they're going to get a chance—only a chance.' That's the kind of hard-earned wisdom that makes Orr a go-to guiding light for future generations. Success is worth chasing but the chase itself is the reward. And if it leads somewhere, even better. That's an extra scoop of ice cream on an already pretty sweet skillet cookie.
CTV News
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Don Cherry, 91, signs off from podcast for the final time
Don Cherry reaches into his pocket to pay $100 to Bobby Orr to settle their traditional bet on the game following the Top Prospects game in St. Catharine's, Ont., on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. Team Orr won 6-0, and so Don Cherry paid Bobby Orr $100 after shaking hands after the game. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power Famed Canadian sportscaster Don Cherry signed off from his podcast for the final time. The 91-year-old Cherry had hosted 'Don Cherry's Grapevine Podcast' since August 2023, producing 313 episodes in total. His son and cohost, Tim Cherry, said on the finale that it had racked up 6.5 million downloads. Cherry's bold suits were matched only by his even bolder opinions. But he went too far on Nov. 9, 2019, in a televised rant about people not wearing poppies, seemingly aimed at immigrants. Cherry, who denied targeting new Canadians, was fired two days later. Rogers Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley announced the decision, saying Cherry 'made divisive remarks that do not represent our values or what we stand for.'' For nearly 40 years, Cherry — a pugnacious former minor league defenceman who later coached the NHL's Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies — made his name on 'Coach's Corner' during 'Hockey Night in Canada.' Cherry had long been known as a controversial voice in hockey circles, but no moment left a lasting mark quite like that day in 2019. 'Well, Tim, this is our last show. ... Thanks everybody for listening and toodaloo,' Cherry said on his final podcast episode. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2025. The Canadian Press
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Evan Bouchard producing another memorable spring with Edmonton Oilers
Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard (2) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup final in Edmonton, on Friday, June 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Evan Bouchard has a reputation around the Oilers' locker room. Booming shot. Elite vision. Exceptional playmaking ability. And a heart rate that doesn't seem to ever spike. 'Sometimes maybe a little bit too relaxed,' Edmonton centre Leon Draisaitl said with a smile. 'He instils a lot of calmness around our room when the puck is on his stick. There's a lot of trust in him. He's just a great player.' Bouchard broke out last season with 18 goals and 64 assists for 82 points in 81 games. He then added 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in 25 playoffs contests in the Oilers' run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. The 25-year-old is having another memorable spring. Bouchard became the second-fastest defenceman in NHL history to reach 50 career playoff assists behind only Boston Bruins great Bobby Orr, hitting the milestone in just one more game (60 to 59) than the Hall of Fame blueliner. The No. 10 overall pick at the 2018 draft was also averaging 1.11 post-season points per contest in his career heading into Game 4 of this year's final Thursday against the Florida Panthers. The only player with higher mark? Orr and his eye-popping 1.24 points per contest. 'It's definitely just a cool thing,' the soft-spoken Bouchard, also a man of few words, said of hearing his name mentioned in the same breath as a one of hockey's legendary talents. His numbers dipped a bit in 2024-25 to 67 points (14 goals, 53 assists) in 82 games. Bouchard had seven goals and 15 assists in 19 playoff games ahead of Thursday. Oilers captain Connor McDavid said the Oakville, Ont., product's defensive detail has vastly improved. 'A guy that's always understood the offensive side and makes great play after great play,' said the superstar forward. 'Just to see him dig in defensively, take on a role on the penalty kill, it's been impressive. He's been really, really solid.' Edmonton centre Adam Henrique, who joined the club towards the end of last season, has been equally impressed with Bouchard's growth when the puck isn't on his stick either setting up scoring chances or blasting one-timers from the point. 'Rounding that entire game out can take awhile,' he said. 'Often you see young defencemen coming in, they might have one aspect figured out, but trying to grow their game to be an all-around player that every single team wants, it takes a bit of time. If one of those things is your absolute strength, you lean on it so much that maybe it will take away from the defensive side of things. 'He's so confident with the puck. He sees the game so well and he's so smart. But you've really seen the other side come a long way.' Fellow defenceman Mattias Ekholm, who often lines up beside Bouchard, said his teammate has a knack for stepping up in key situations. 'Big-time player,' Ekholm said. 'He shows up in the big moments. I don't think there is a moment that's big for him. He just treats it like any other day … that's what's most impressive about him. He's played tremendously for us. I don't think we would be in this position without him.' Bouchard downplayed his season and playoffs, but has been pleased with the progression. 'A little slow start, but I like the way it's going,' he said. 'I like where I'm at right now and still more to give.' Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said Bouchard's composure has always stood out. 'Really impressive, especially for a younger guy,' said the longest-serving member of the current roster. 'He always finds a way to raise his level. We've come to expect that from him. Defencemen usually have a harder time to get a grip in this league. He's been able to do that seamlessly. We have a lot of confidence in him back there.' Edmonton winger Evander Kane said Bouchard has raised is own bar in the playoffs, especially when it comes to intensity in his own zone. 'He gets a lot of opportunities,' Kane said. 'He plays in a lot of big situations.' Bouchard has stepped up in all of them to date this spring. The Oilers will need even more in order to secure the franchise's sixth Cup and snap Canada's title drought dating back to 1993. 'It's the (most fun) time of the year,' he said. 'It's a time you really have to bear down.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
Boston Globe
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Former UMass star Cale Makar wins Norris Trophy as NHL's top defenseman
He received first-place votes on 176 of the 191 ballots cast by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The 26-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, has been a Norris finalist in each of the last five seasons. Makar finds himself in elite company as he joins Bobby Orr (eight times), Denis Potvin (three), Paul Coffey, Rod Langway and Erik Karlsson as the only players to take home two or more Norris Trophies before turning 27. Advertisement Makar, who won the Hobey Baker Award at UMass while leading the Minutemen to the Frozen Four in 2019, was surprised with the award by his family and friends. He was golfing with his buddies in a video posted on the NHL's social media account when they stopped midround. A big group was waiting in the yard for him and clapped as he received the trophy. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Halfway to fore. 🏌 A golf outing with friends turned into a surprise party to celebrate Cale Makar's second James Norris Memorial Trophy! 👏 Watch the 2025 — NHL (@NHL) 'My first thought was, honestly, that one of the boys that I was playing with won some golf trophy and it was a surprise thing,' Makar said in the video. 'It definitely was not on my radar.' His mom added: 'Even though he doesn't like surprises, his reaction today was awesome.' Makar's regular season included such milestone moments as scoring his 100th career NHL goal (Jan. 18 against Dallas) and becoming the third-fastest defenseman in history to reach 400 career points (Feb. 23 at St. Louis). Advertisement He began the season by matching a career high with a 13-game point streak. He was in a tie with Mark Stone for the scoring lead at the end of October. That was the first time a blueliner led or shared the league lead in points at the end of October since Orr was in a four-way tie on Nov. 1, 1974. In addition, Makar helped Canada take home the title in the midseason Makar had a goal and four assists in a first-round playoff loss to Dallas during a series that went seven games. His 1.08 points per game average in the postseason is the third-best among defensemen with at least 60 playoff games. He also won the Norris in 2022, a season in which the Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup.
