Bobby Orr's "Final Audition

Final Audition, 1966 (Bobby Orr)

Edition size 125, archival pigment inkjet print, image 16"x 20"

Having just turned 18, Bobby Orr, the wunderkind from Parry Sound, is caught in the lens of legendary photographer Harold Barkley as he gears up for one of the final rushes of his junior hockey career. Orr's Oshawa Generals (including future Boston Bruin teammate Wayne Cashman, shown here) would lose this game, played at Maple Leaf Gardens, 2-1, and, with it, the Memorial Cup, to the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games. The print is made directly from the original 35 millimeter slide.

Orr inspired the game of hockey with his command of the two-way game, which was unique for a defenseman. Defensemen with goal-scoring ability were not common in the NHL before his arrival. Orr was unique because he could score goals as well, and he influenced countless defensemen who followed him. His speed – most notably a rapid acceleration – and his open-ice artistry electrified fans as he set almost every conceivable record for a defenseman. (from wikipedia.)

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