Larry Robinson

Canadian ice hockey defenceman who won six Stanley Cups with Montreal Canadiens and is considered one of the greatest defencemen in NHL history.

Larry Clark Robinson was born in Winchester, Ontario in 1951. Montreal Canadiens selected him 20th overall in the 1971 NHL Draft. His 20-season career produced six Stanley Cup championships (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986) — the most of any defenceman in the post-Original Six era. He won two Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman (1977, 1980) and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1978. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. At 6ft 4in and 225 pounds he was among the largest defencemen of his era — combining physical imposing presence with exceptional skating and passing. He was nicknamed Big Bird. He accumulated only 793 career penalty minutes across 20 seasons — remarkable for a physical defenceman — reflecting his ability to dominate through positioning rather than violence. He later coached the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils.

Robinson was known for his imposing physical presence at 6'4" and his ability to control the game from the blue line. He combined exceptional skating ability with strong defensive positioning and could contribute offensively when needed. His reach and timing made him particularly effective at breaking up plays and clearing the front of the net.

Robinson is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history and helped define the modern two-way defenseman role. His combination of size, skill, and hockey intelligence set a standard for defensemen that influenced generations of players.

• Stanley Cup 6x (1973,1976,1977,1978,1979,1986)
• Norris Trophy 2x (1977,1980)
• Conn Smythe Trophy (1978)
• Hall of Fame (1995)
• NHL 100 Greatest Players