When did Bobby Orr score the flying goal?

The Day Bobby Orr Took Flight

On May 10, 1970, hockey history was etched into legend. Bobby Orr, the Boston Bruins’ transcendent defenseman, scored the most iconic goal the sport has ever seen—mid-air, arms out, frozen in time. It wasn’t just a goal; it was a moment of pure triumph that ended a 29-year Stanley Cup drought for Boston.

It happened in overtime of Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues. A perfectly placed pass from Derek Sanderson fed Orr at the blue line. He darted in, fired a quick shot past goaltender Glenn Hall, and was tripped—launching him horizontally above the ice. Photographer Ray Lapan caught the scene: Orr soaring, glove raised, the puck already in the net, teammates converging in chaos behind him.

“It was just a matter of putting the puck in the net,” Orr later said, downplaying the drama. But everyone else saw poetry. That image—grace meeting victory—became synonymous with hockey excellence. The goal didn’t just win a Cup; it elevated the game, turning Orr into a symbol of speed, skill, and quiet brilliance.

He was only 22 at the time, already revolutionizing how defensemen played. Fast, intelligent, and impossibly smooth, Orr redefined the position. Yet, for many, it all comes back to that one second—a leap that wasn't just about flight, but fulfillment.

May 10, 1970, lives on not just in record books, but in the collective memory of hockey fans. No statue, no highlight reel, could ever capture it better than that single photograph: Bobby Orr, suspended between earth and eternity, having just made history.