Although he wasn't as gifted in front of the opposition net, many people of the 1960s compared Doug Harvey to Bobby Orr, calling the great Montreal defenceman a precursor to the wunderkind from Parry Sound who became the greatest defenceman of them all. Harvey could skate with anyone, had great puck-handling skills, and was rock solid inside his own blueline. He joined Montreal in 1947 and played 14 seasons with the Canadiens. During that time, his record was impeccable and spectacular. For starters, he won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman seven times in eight years. He also led the team to six Stanley Cups—five consecutively-on a team that also featured Maurice and Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau, and Jacques Plante. He wasn't the biggest or strongest or fastest, but he was likely second best in every category, making him the finest all-round defenceman by a country mile. He was traded to the Rangers in the summer of 1961, and during that off season he was also named the team's head coach. In 1961-62, Harvey did what no player has ever done: he won a major individual playing award while coaching! In his case, he won the Norris Trophy while doing a good enough job as coach to take the Rangers to the playoffs. Having won the Norris the previous year as well with the Canadiens, Harvey is the only man then or since to win the trophy in consecutive years with different teams. He also played in his 12th straight All-Star Game during that season. Harvey was out of the NHL by 1964, but he continued to play in the minors. He played two games back in the NHL for Detroit in '66-'67 and was lured back full time to the top league by rookie coach Scotty Bowman who wanted him in St. Louis with the expansion Blues. Harvey joined the team for the 1968 playoffs and played every game the following year before retiring for good, his place in history long settled, his protégé, Orr, in full flight in Boston.