5 Boston Bruins Defensemen are Among The Top 10 of All-Time

Five former Bruins make up the top ten defensemen in NHL history, all of whom are arguably or already hall-of-famers.

Zdeno Chara finishes out the list at number ten. The former Boston Bruin, Washington Capital, and Islander appeared in 1,680 games, scoring 209 goals and racked up 471 assists for 680 points. Arguably one of the best Bruins and NHL defensemen in history, as seen by his position of 10th on an all-time list.

Doug Harvey and Paul Coffey, both of whom had very successful NHL careers, are next on the list. The next ex-Bruin on the list is number seven. Brad Park was a Boston Bruin for eight years, from 1975 to 1983. During his 18-year career, he appeared in 1113 games, scoring 213 goals, assisting 683, and totalling 896 points.

Eddie Shore, the first Boston Bruin to make the top 5, is followed by Denis Potvin in the sixth slot. One of the original defensive defensemen, Shore played for the Boston Bruins in the 1920s. Instead of adding to his team's score, he opted to take the body and provide assurance for them. He was still able to contribute a respectable amount of goals and assists, however. He only played 552 games, yet he managed to accumulate 105 goals, 179 assists, and 284 points.

Larry Robinson and Nicklas Lidstrom occupy the third and fourth slots before the top two. Two Bruin Hall of Famers round out the top 10 list to complete the rankings. Who else besides Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque?

During his playing career, Ray Bourque was a crucial two-way defenceman who wore the "C" for the Boston Bruins. He played for the Gold and Black from 1979 to 1999, then from 1999 to 2001 he played for Colorado. In 1,612 games played, Bourque tallied 410 goals & had 1,169 assists for 1,579 points. Excellent leadership qualities and a pass-first mentality.

Everyone is familiar with Bobby Orr. Bobby Orr had six 100-point seasons in his career, one directly after the other from 1970 to 1976. He is featured in one of the most well-known hockey photographs of all time, which is so recognized that it was made into a statue that is now located outside TD Garden. The 1970–71 campaign was his most fruitful one; he appeared in 78 games, collecting 37 goals, 102 assists, and 139 points. Orr achieved the 900-point mark. He earned 915 points throughout 657 games. Now regarded as one of the greatest two-way defensemen of all time by the city of Boston and the hockey community, which still stands to this day.