Colton Orr is a warrior of a vanishing class. A wild-puncher, dangerously exciting, rarely employing any defensive skills, Orr turns most of his scraps into an NHL highlight reel. Obviously the most exciting heavyweight in the NHL today, Orr is a throwback brawler who makes every bout a potential fight of the year candidate.
Colton Orr, Hockey Fights
Clearly one of the NHL's most feared purveyors of mayhem, the 6-3, 222-pound Orr reeled in 21 percent of the 2009-2010 voting for the league’s best fighter in a Sports Illustrated Players’ Poll. He was involved in a career-high 23 fights during the 2009-2010 season, overcoming a not-so-impressive 3-7-6 start with six consecutive victories in his last seven bouts. In 2008-09, he was an officially intimidating 12-4-2. His 5-fight trilogy against Matt Carkner of Ottawa has to be the most intense player rivalry of the decade, and perhaps the most electrifying rivalry between any two players in any single NHL season (4 fights in 2009-2010).
Orr’s philosophy as a fighter seems to be “drop or get dropped”. He knocked Carkner silly only to have Carkner return the favor later in the season. He characteristically took on all comers in 2009, bloodying Brian McGrattan and besting Milan Lucic. In his wars with Godard, he has rocked Godard and Godard has dropped Orr. Knockouts are the natural consequence of Orr’s relentless approach to hockey: Jody Shelley laid out Orr with one solid, crisp shot in 2009, and Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Deryk Engelland felled Orr in a wild slugfest, October 13, 2010.
How long can Colton Orr last in the NHL before getting injured or burning out? Orr is a prolific fighter, more so than any of his league counterparts (Derek Boogaard doesn’t fight nearly half as much as Orr), and he doesn’t show any inclination of changing his rock-em’, sock em’ fighting mode. Regardless, Orr is a solid top-five heavyweight, with the capability of flooring the baddest tough guys in the league. Orr’s footing as champion or top contender is always fickle, however, as one punch can deliver him the belt or knock him down in the rankings. This type of volatility and explosiveness makes Orr compulsively watchable.
The right-winger is in the second year of a four-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Orr, 28, can play the body and take a regular shift. Orr appeared in all 82 games for the New York Rangers in 2008-09, leading the team with 193 penalty minutes, the third-highest in the NHL behind Daniel Carcillo (Phoenix Coyotes/Philadelphia Flyers) and Shane O’Brien (Vancouver Canucks). In 2009-2010, he dressed in 82 games and set a career-high mark for penalty minutes (239) and fighting majors (23). Orr trailed only Tampa Lightning muscleman Zenon Kenopka, whose 265 penalty minutes in 74 games led the league.
Colton Orr, NHL's Most Exciting Fighter
In 245 career NHL games with the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers he totaled four goals and seven assists to go accompany 549 minutes in penalties. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native was originally inked by the Boston Bruins as a free agent on September 19, 2001; his first regular season NHL fight was against Eric Cairns of the Florida Panthers, October 13, 2005. Orr was selected on waivers by New York on November 29, 2005. Orr’s reputation was greatly enhanced after he knocked out Philadelphia Flyers’ tough guy Todd Fedoruk at Madison Square Garden, 21 seconds into the March 21, 2007 game. It was a straight, flush right which sent Fedoruk to the ice; linesmen immediately waved for doctors to rush out to the fallen player's aid. Fedoruk stayed down on the ice for nearly six minutes and was eventually lifted onto a stretcher while fitted with a precautionary neck brace.
Orr feuded famously with Donald Brashear (seven fights) and Brian McGrattan (six fights), the most bouts versus a single opponent in his NHL career, and he has longstanding vendettas with Eric Godard (five fights) and Matt Carkner (five fights). Look for Colton Orr to aggressive continue to play each game as if it were his last –and to reign supreme as the game’s most thrilling fighter.
Brian D'Ambrosio - Brian D'Ambrosio is the author of more than 500 published articles and seven books, including From Haikus to Hatmaking: A Year in the Life ...
