Jim Lorentz. He’s a hockey lifer and Stanley Cup champion. He’s an avid fisherman, universally beloved in Buffalo, an Author, a member of the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame and now a New York State Hockey Hall of Famer.

Lorentz’s rookie year in The NHL was 1970 and the team he played for was the Boston Bruins. You all remember that year, right? The One where Bobby Orr “flew” through the air when he scored the Cup-clinching goal. Well, Lorentz was more than just a Bruin. He also played for St. Louis, the Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. This summer, on July 13, 2025, Lorentz will take his rightful place in The New York State Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s quiet and reserved, but his resume is loud and filled to the brim with outstanding accomplishments. 

It’s an honor well deserved and Blittner’s Blue Line caught up with Lorentz to discuss his upcoming induction and get his thoughts on several items from his career. 

*Editor’s Note: Questions and Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Q: What was your initial reaction when you received the call about your Hall selection?

Lorentz: “Well, needless to say, I was surprised and slightly shocked. Between my broadcasting and playing careers, pushing around 40 years in the National Hockey League, it’s very satisfying to be recognized as such. I was really honored and surprised.”

Q: Does this honor carry extra meaning for you given how entwined your career has been with the State of New York?

Lorentz: “Without a doubt. My first (full) year in The League was with the Bruins and that was an incredible year. 1970, winning The Stanley Cup, the famous Bobby Orr goal in overtime against St. Louis. In Buffalo, I was fortunate enough to play on some really great teams. I guess, the only regret I would have was in ’75, in The Cup Final, losing to Philadelphia. But I had some really enjoyable years with the Sabres and then to continue on in broadcasting for the amount of years that I did that. I have always said, my life has been blessed and I was very fortunate to make a career both as a player and as a broadcaster in the National Hockey League.”

Q: To win The Cup as a rookie, was that extra special for you? 

Lorentz: “As a player, perhaps at the time, you don’t appreciate what just happened. When I look back over the years and all the years that we didn’t make it to The Final or just that one time and then losing. As I said, I was very fortunate. On the other side too, when I came to the Bruins as a rookie, Johnny Bucyk sort of took me under his wing and showed me how to be a professional; how to behave like one. We spent a lot of time together in my year-and-a-half there.”

Q: What was your vantage point when Bobby Orr scored his iconic goal?

Lorentz: “I was on the bench watching. I was a fourth-line player in those days, so I didn’t get a lot of ice time. But it was an incredible thrill. The city of Boston just erupted. It was just unforgettable. Then, of course, the parade with thousands and thousands of people. It was pretty heady stuff for a rookie; let’s put it that way.”

Q: That Bruins team had an aura around it and was filled with stars. Did that help you find your footing in The NHL?

Lorentz: “Without a doubt, just playing with great players like that. You mentioned Derek Sanderson, I played three years of Junior Hockey with him. I was in Junior for three years, so I knew some of the players, but it was a great introduction to The National Hockey League. To be able to play with great players like that, I think really set me on the right path and how to do things and what not to do.”

Q: In Boston, you were teammates with Glen Sather. Did you have any inkling at the time regarding the career he would have as an Executive?

Lorentz: “It never entered my mind. In fact, when I played for the Rangers, Glen was also on that team. But, when I was called up to the Bruins, he was my first roommate. I had no inkling that he would go on and have the incredible career that he did, both as a player and as a General Manager and Coach.”

Q: What was he like as your roommate?

Lorentz: “He was a great guy. That was the thing about Boston. All those players and in Buffalo too, we genuinely got along with each other. That goes a long way. You win with each other. You lose with each other. The closeness of both the Bruins and the Sabres was really something to experience. I think all The Stanley Cup teams, all the great teams, will probably say the same thing about how close the team was.”

Q: How was it playing on a team with the famed French Connection Line of Rick Martin, Gilbert Perreault and Rene Robert?

Lorentz: “That was a great line. They were a great bunch of guys. I was really devastated when Rick passed away and then Rene just a couple of years ago. I had just talked to Rene about two weeks before he passed. They were great players. As I said I’ve been very fortunate throughout my career to have that kind of talent around.”

Q: Will any of your former Boston, Buffalo, New York or St. Louis teammates be at your induction ceremony?

Lorentz: “I don’t know. To be honest with you, I have no idea.”

Q: Have you reached out to any of them to tell them about the ceremony?

Lorentz: “No. I’m not the kind of person who toots his own horn. I haven’t really said anything to anyone except my wife.”

Q: You worked with Rick Jeanneret for a long time, what are some of your favorite memories of him?

Lorentz: “I also worked alongside Ted Darling. Both Ted and Rick, of course, are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. When I talk about my life being blessed, it was a great privilege to sit down beside the two of them. But Rick, there are so many moments. The thing that always got me about Rick was how consistent he was. He was just great. Every night he could make a very unassuming game sound really exciting. Some of his expressions and some of his calls are, of course, legendary and I enjoyed every second of working with him and Ted.”

Q: Have you given any thought as to what you might want to talk about during your induction speech? 

Lorentz: “No. I think, maybe some of the things that we’ve talked about here, definitely and how fortunate I’ve been in the game of hockey. For Canadians and many American kids growing up, it’s a dream to play at that level. It was very satisfying, I think, as I look back over my career, that I was able to do that and then continue as a broadcaster in The NHL. Very satisfying.”

Q: Would you entertain returning to broadcasting for a single game if the opportunity arose? 

Lorentz: “Oh, sure, I would in a second. Actually, I had the opportunity a couple years ago, before Rick passed, to do part of a game with him in the broadcast booth. It brought back a lot of good memories and sure, I would do it again in a second if they asked me.”

Q: Talk to us about your fishing.

Lorentz: “I fish up in the Adirondacks. I have a camp in New Brunswick and up in the Maritimes. I do a lot of Atlantic Salmon fishing. In fact, I wrote a book about it that was published. Outside of hockey, that’s my second great love; fly fishing. That’s another thing about playing in The NHL. It gave me the opportunity to have my summers free to fly fish all over the country. I’ve had a really blessed life.”

Q: What’s the biggest fish you ever caught?

Lorentz: “I’ve got Atlantic Salmon up to 30 pounds, which is a big fish for Atlantic Salmon. Not many of them. But I’ve landed several.”