They don’t make them like Larry Robinson anymore. Nicknamed ’Big Bird,’ played 17 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and three with the LA Kings before retiring in 1992.
Larry Robinson won the Norris Trophy twice, in 1977 and 1980, and was known for his toughness and physical play. Robinson was strong and big but great offensively as well. He played in ten All-Star games, retired with 958 points, and had an incredible +730 plus-minus rating.
Robinson won the Stanley Cup six times, and only Nicklas Lidstrom has played more consecutive playoff seasons (20).
In 1995, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and in 1998, he was ranked 24th on The Hockey News’ 100 greatest players of all time. It took until 2007, but eventually, his No. 19 jersey was retired by the Canadiens.
It’s all impressive, but Larry Robinson was more than just a great player. He was a funny guy on and off the ice and a great teammate.
He always had something to say, and when he one time won the NHL Player of the Week, he said the most hilarious thing about Wayne Gretzky.
Wayne Gretzky, the greatest player in hockey history, of course, won his share fair of awards during his career. Gretzky played at an incredible level every game, and he was rarely injured. Wayne always played, which led to him winning awards like ’Player of the Week’ a lot.
But one time, Larry Robinson won the award, and he was surprised. He told reporters, per NHL.com:
“Was Wayne Gretzky sick?”
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