Gretzky wants NHL to create new Bobby Orr-themed award
Wayne Gretzky is tired of the NHL not having an award named after Bobby Orr.
The Great One recently appeared on the Game Notes podcast with Matt Murley and Colby Armstrong, where the discussion turned to the NHL Awards. As it stands, the league has a total of 22 awards that are handed out annually, but Gretzky felt strongly that at least one more should be added.
He thinks that both Gordie Howe and Orr deserve to have awards named after them, and he came ready with an idea for the latter.
“If they are going to change names, the only two guys in my mind who deserve trophies is Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr,” Gretzky said. “The Bobby Orr one is pretty simple to me. The most points by a defenceman during the course of one season.
“Those two guys meant so much to our game and were so classy. If they’re gonna ever rename any of the trophies, those are the two guys who deserve it.”
āThe most points by a defenseman during the course of one season wins the Bobby Orr Award.ā
Wayne Gretzky believes the league should introduce the Bobby Orr Award š pic.twitter.com/Xm5sdilxRQ
— Game Notes (@GameNotesBud) April 29, 2026
The NHL could benefit from adding another trophy honouring the league’s defencemen, as there is only one current trophy, the Norris, that focuses on players at that position. While defencemen can technically still win other trophies, it’s rare that we see one win something like the Art Ross or Hart.
Further, there is next to no reward for NHL defencemen for leading the league in scoring at their position. Historically, doing so will give them great odds of being a Norris finalist, but that is not always the case.
If this hypothetical Bobby Orr award were around this season, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard would have won it easily, scoring 95 points. That was 14 points above the second-place Zack Werenski.
NHL.com
Gretzky is no stranger to NHL hardware. The NHL’s all-time points leader has a massive trophy case from his playing days that includes:
- Four Stanley Cups
- Nine Hart Trophies
- Two Conn Smythe Trophies
- 10 Art Ross Trophies
- Five Ted Lindsay Awards
- Five Lady Byng Trophies
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Gretzky over the past year or so, but this is an idea that a lot of hockey fans could probably rally around. Though he also mentioned Howe as another player whose name should be on an award, he did not offer up any ideas for it.
What other awards should the NHL introduce, and what player should they be named after?