Colton Orr

Last updated

Colton Orr
Colton Orr.jpg
Orr with the New York Rangers in 2008
Born (1982-03-03) March 3, 1982 (age 42)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 222 lb (101 kg; 15 st 12 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 20032016

Colton "Bobby" Douglas Orr (born March 3, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Having played nearly 500 games in the NHL, Orr was known as an enforcer for his physical style of play and for regularly fighting.

Contents

In 2019, he was named the head coach of the Connecticut Whale in the Premier Hockey Federation. [1]

Playing career

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Orr played junior hockey for the Swift Current Broncos, Kamloops Blazers and Regina Pats in Western Hockey League (WHL). Orr went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins. He played his first NHL game against the Washington Capitals, the only game he played in the 2003–04 season. He played most of the 2003–04 season, as well as the following, lockout-cancelled 2004–05 season with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL), playing 125 games, scoring 12 points and recording 536 penalty minutes.

Orr with the Providence Bruins in 2004 Colton Orr Providence.jpg
Orr with the Providence Bruins in 2004

Orr played as regular early in the 2005–06 season with the Bruins, but was shortly waived, where on November 29, 2005, the New York Rangers claimed him off waivers. He scored his first NHL point in 15 games with the Rangers, as well as dressing for one Stanley Cup playoff game against the New Jersey Devils.

Orr saw his playing time increase over three consecutive seasons in New York, dressing in 53 games in 2006–07, 74 games in 2007–08 and a full 82-game season in 2008–09. On December 31, 2006, Orr was suspended for five games by the NHL for a cross check to the face of Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin in the third period of a December 30 game at Madison Square Garden. Ovechkin was uninjured, but NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell termed Orr's infraction "reckless." [2] Later in the season, Orr scored his first NHL goal in a February 9, 2007, game against the Tampa Bay Lightning's Johan Holmqvist, adding four more goals with the Rangers along with 478 penalty minutes in his stint in New York.

On July 1, 2009, Orr signed a four-year, $4 million contract as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Orr would finish the season with career highs in penalty minutes (239) whilst adding four goals and six points. [3]

His next year with the Maple Leafs was cut short after suffering a concussion in a fight with Anaheim Ducks' enforcer George Parros. Orr was out for the year and finished the season with 46 games, two goals and 128 penalty minutes.

Orr was declared ready to play at the start of the 2011–12 season, but saw a dramatically-reduced role with Toronto, playing only five games, scoring one goal and getting into one fight. On January 4, 2012, Orr was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs, with only one-and-a-half years remaining on his contract. He was assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL the next day. [4] Orr played 26 games with the Marlies, scoring one goal and adding 46 penalty minutes.

Orr played in 44 of 48 games in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season with Toronto, scoring one goal and adding three assists while leading the NHL in penalty minutes, with 155. He also played in all seven of the Maple Leafs' 2013 playoff games against his former team, the Boston Bruins.

On June 13, 2013, the Maple Leafs re-signed Orr to a two-year contract extension worth $1.85 million. On October 1, 2013, while playing for Toronto in their home opener against the Montreal Canadiens, Orr engaged once again with George Parros, now of the Habs, in the third period. Parros lost his balance and fell headfirst to the ice, where he was subsequently taken off on a stretcher and later diagnosed with a concussion. [5]

Orr failed to make the Maple Leafs' roster out of training camp for the 2014–15 season and was assigned to the Toronto Marlies after clearing waivers. However, he was called up on April 9, 2015, to play in the last game of the season on April 11, as appreciation for his services. [6]

On October 3, 2015, Orr signed a contract to play in the American Hockey League for the Stockton Heat, the farm team for the Calgary Flames. Over the duration of the 2015–16 season, Orr played in just ten regular season games. With the diminishing role of enforcers, at season's end, Orr announced his retirement from professional hockey on April 28, 2016. [7]

Coaching career

On May 14, 2019, the Danbury Colonials of the Tier III junior level North American 3 Hockey League announced that Orr had joined the ownership group and would serve as the organization's managing partner. [8]

In September 2019, the PHF's Connecticut Whale named Colton Orr their new head coach. The Whale also play home games at the Danbury Ice Arena. [9] In his first season as coach, the Whale went 2-20-2, but were able to defeat the Buffalo Beauts in the first round of the playoffs. [10]

Following the termination of the PHF, Orr joined PWHL New York as an assistant coach. [11]

In August, 2024, Orr became the Head Coach of the Harvey Cavaliers, in Katonah, NY.

Personal life

Orr has been married to wife Sabrina (née Gecaj) since 2009 and has a daughter named Charlotte. [12] Orr is not related to Bobby Orr, though the Hall of Famer has served as his agent.

During the 2001 Canada Games Colton Orr represented Manitoba as a soccer goalkeeper.

Career statistics

Bold indicates led league

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1998–99 St. Boniface Saints MJHL 547512280
1998–99 Swift Current Broncos WHL 20000
1999–2000 Swift Current BroncosWHL613251301210125
2000–01 Swift Current BroncosWHL1904467
2000–01 Kamloops Blazers WHL41819179300020
2001–02 Kamloops BlazersWHL1000720002
2002–03 Kamloops BlazersWHL320217
2002–03 Regina Pats WHL37628170300019
2002–03 Providence Bruins AHL 10007
2003–04 Providence BruinsAHL6414525720009
2003–04 Boston Bruins NHL 10000
2004–05 Providence BruinsAHL611672791710144
2005–06 Boston BruinsNHL2000027
2005–06 New York Rangers NHL150114410002
2006–07 New York RangersNHL53213126400012
2007–08 New York RangersNHL7411215920000
2008–09 New York RangersNHL82145193500016
2009–10 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL82426239
2010–11 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL46202128
2011–12 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL51015
2011–12 Toronto Marlies AHL261014680009
2012–13 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL44134155700018
2013–14 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL54000110
2014–15 Toronto MarliesAHL140004
2014–15 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL10000
2015–16 Stockton Heat AHL1000015
AHL totals176310136082710162
NHL totals47712122411861900048

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References

  1. "NHL Veteran Colton Orr, NWHL Veteran Laura Brennan to Coach Connecticut Whale". OurSports Central. September 17, 2019.
  2. "NHL suspends Rangers' Orr, Capitals' Brashear". NHL. December 31, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2007.[ dead link ]
  3. "Maple Leafs sign Orr to four-year deal". The Sports Network. July 1, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  4. The Canadian Press (May 1, 2012). "Burke sends Orr to the minors, bemoans the lack of fighting in the NHL". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  5. "Montreal Canadiens George Parros suffered concussion". ESPN. October 1, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  6. "Maple Leafs recall Colton Orr for season-ending game against Montreal". Toronto Star . April 9, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  7. "Colton Orr retires from NHL after 9 seasons". NHLPA. April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  8. "Colton Orr joins Danbury Colonials Ownership". North American 3 Hockey League . May 14, 2019.
  9. "Connecticut Whale name former NHL enforcer Colton Orr head coach". September 17, 2019.
  10. "Colton Orr reflects on first year behind bench with Whale on TSN Radio". March 27, 2020.
  11. "PWHL New York". newyork.thepwhl.com. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  12. "Leafs Orr keeps fighting, providing for family". September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.