Who was the first defenseman to win the NHL Art Ross Trophy?

Bobby Orr was the first defenseman to win the NHL Art Ross Trophy.

Orr won the award in 1970 after leading the league with 120 regular-season points for the Boston Bruins. His total came from 33 goals and 87 assists, an extraordinary offensive performance for a defenseman.

He repeated as Art Ross winner in 1975, becoming the only defenseman to win the scoring title more than once. Orr’s combination of skating, passing, puck control, and aggressive movement transformed expectations for the position.

The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the player who leads the NHL in regular-season points. Orr’s achievement is sometimes confused with his Norris Trophy success: he won the Norris Trophy eight times as the league’s best defenseman, but the Art Ross recognized overall scoring.