A 1968-69 Bobby Orr jersey sold for $209,454 at Classic Auctions late Tuesday. Worn during Orr’s third NHL season and photo-matched to multiple games and a February 3, 1969, Sports Illustrated cover, the jersey’s final price matched another Orr jersey from 1970-71 sold by Classic in 2021. No Orr jerseys have ever sold for more.
The 1968-69 jersey came with four photo matches in all.
Twenty-two bids were entered in the auction, which began earlier this month. The jersey sold for $137,274 via Lelands in 2012.
In the 1968-69 season, Orr earned his second consecutive James Norris Trophy, led the NHL in plus/minus, and set a then-record for points by a defenseman with 64. He scored his first career hat trick against Chicago on December 14, 1968, and finished third in Hart Trophy voting. The season marked the Bruins’ resurgence, highlighted by a playoff sweep of Toronto, where Orr, despite a brutal hit from Pat Quinn in Game 1, returned to assist on the series-clinching goal in Game 3.
The jersey’s condition, with scuffs, material pulls, and a cut-out fight strap, reflected Orr’s style of daring rink-length rushes and fearless battles in the corners. Photo-matches included the diagonal black mark on the crest, visible in the Sports Illustrated cover, and a long repair on the back hem, captured in action shots from the season.
Orr, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 as its youngest honoree, remains a Boston icon, with his number 4 retired at TD Garden.
Among the other items sold was a 1981-82 Mark Messier game-worn Edmonton Oilers jersey that netted $66,632. In what was his third NHL season, the Hall of Famer averaged better than a-point-a-game while also securing the only 50-goal total of his career.
A 1989-90 New York Rangers jersey worn by Brian Leetch finished at $38,084 .
In all, the auction generated over $1.2 million in sales. Complete results can be found here.
