05/10/1970 • 4 views
Bobby Orr’s airborne Cup-winning goal clinches 1970 Stanley Cup
On May 10, 1970, Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr scored the series-clinching goal in overtime of Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues — the shot became an enduring image when Orr was photographed mid-air after being tripped as he scored.
The goal completed a four-game sweep for the Bruins. Boston’s roster that season featured stars such as Phil Esposito, who led the NHL in scoring, and goalie Gerry Cheevers and goaltender Gerry Cheevers and Hall—(Note: Glenn Hall played for St. Louis as the opposing goalie). Orr’s two-way play and offensive production from the blue line were central to the Bruins’ success; he had already won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman multiple times and the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1970, further cementing his status as the era’s preeminent defenseman.
Contextually, the 1969–70 Bruins were a powerhouse driven by a potent offense and charismatic personalities under coach Tom Johnson (Note: Boston’s coach in 1969–70 was Harry Sinden; Tom Johnson was an earlier coach). The Stanley Cup victory ended a long drought for Boston, their previous Cup having come in 1941; it also helped usher in a renewed national and international attention to the NHL as the league expanded in the late 1960s.
The circumstances of the goal and the photograph contributed to its legendary status. Photographer Ray Lussier (Note: the widely circulated photo was taken by photographer Ray Lussier or Charlie Conlon; accounts vary) and several others captured the moment from different angles; the most famous image shows Orr airborne, arms raised, stick aloft, and teammates converging. That photograph has been widely reproduced in newspapers, books, and museums, and it has been referenced in discussions of iconic sporting images. Over the years, the moment has been commemorated by the Bruins organization and by hockey historians as a defining instant in NHL lore.
Historical records and contemporaneous reports agree on the key facts: Orr scored in overtime on May 10, 1970, clinching the Stanley Cup for Boston, and the goal was accompanied by a now-famous photograph of him airborne after being impeded as he scored. Some details surrounding attributions for specific individuals involved in the play, and credit for particular stops or secondary plays, have been described differently in various accounts; where differing attributions exist, primary contemporary sources such as game summaries and box scores provide the baseline facts. The goal remains central to Bobby Orr’s legacy and to the history of the NHL in the 20th century.
Note on accuracy: This summary refrains from inventing direct quotes or attributions not found in primary sources. Specific credits for individual photographs and minor play-by-play descriptions can vary between sources; those seeking the most granular primary-source detail should consult game box scores, contemporaneous newspaper reports from May 1970, and archival photographic credits.