Bobby Orr is one of the best defensemen to ever play the game of Ice Hockey in a professional capacity. Ever. Period. That is a lofty title that only one other Bruin could conceive of breaking into the conversation with, let alone any other player in the NHL. And he was not just another cut and dry signing from the farm leagues. His signing was a multi-year saga of intrigue, agents fighting on his behalf, parents demanding to keep their boy in Ontario, owner stubbornness, and a revolutionizing of how players enter the NHL.
Let's go through that winding history to see just what it took to get Bobby Orr to wear number four.