Well, James Norris was the owner the Detroit Red Wings from 1932 - 1952, and therefore among the exclusive group in the NHL hierarchy. He may have purchased the beautiful trophy and donated it to the league. The Commis naturally would name it after Mr. Norris. If I recall, Detroit was going "great guns" when the trophy was initiated, and had a defenseman who would win the award several times---Red Kelly. That is, until 1955, when Montreal's Doug Harvey won his first, OF SEVEN, Norris Trophies.
They finally came up with a Maurice Richard Trophy for the leading goal scorer of the season. So long overdue, but Maurice was "only" a simple, complicated, spectacular player, and a "nobody" to the NHL big shots whose own team paid him paltry salaries. I agree with you all; it's high time for the NHL to change the name of its best defenseman of the year to Bobby Orr. No words in defense of that change are necessary, other than, 'twill be a good move, that. --Brian Powell
Cheers. --- Brian Powell
Last edited by brian1961; 11-12-2021 at 01:54 PM.
|