Nov 27, 2008 - 04:30 AM

By Brian McNair

OSHAWA -- It's back to where it all started for Bobby Orr tonight.

The man who revolutionized the way hockey was played will return to Oshawa more than 46 years after he first donned a Generals jersey at the tender age of 14.

The number he wore back then was 2, not the 4 he went on to make famous with National Hockey League's Boston Bruins.

But it will be forever enshrined in the rafters of the General Motors Centre after what is expected to be an emotional ceremony tonight prior to the Generals' Ontario Hockey League game against the Peterborough Petes.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin just after 7 p.m., but it's a safe bet the sold-out crowd will be in their seats long before that in anticipation.

Ian Young, an all-star goalie with the Generals during the Orr days, will be one of many former teammates on hand for the ceremony, and will make the introduction.

Young, who's still recovering from a serious head injury sustained while coaching a hockey practice earlier this season, is honoured to speak about the man many consider to be the greatest player of them all.

"I have absolutely no problem saying nice things about him because he was a phenomenal hockey player and he was a great person," says Young. "He just did everything right. He was so gifted. He would stop the one-on-ones, he'd play the two-on-ones beautifully. When he wanted to carry the puck he did it and everyone just sort of stepped out of his way."

Orr's career with the Generals spanned four years. He put up 6-15-21 numbers in 34 games as a 14-year-old rookie and got progressively better from there, culminating in 38-56-94 stats in 47 games of his final year.

In the playoffs that final season, Orr added nine goals and 28 points in 17 games, leading the Generals to the Memorial Cup, where they lost in the final to the Edmonton Oil Kings.

All told, Orr put up 116 goals and 205 assists for 321 points in 222 games in a Generals uniform, including playoffs. No pushover, he also had 436 penalty minutes.

Orr went on to become an even better player in the NHL, even though his career was cut sadly short due to a series of knee injuries.

He won the James Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman a record eight years in a row with the Boston Bruins, and is the only defenceman ever to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top point scorer, doing so twice.

Orr also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff's most valuable player both years he won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins, in 1970 and 1972.

Now a successful player agent, Orr could not be reached for comment prior to the ceremony.

Although he's been back to Oshawa many times over the years, and was here when the Generals played their final game at the Civic Auditorium two years ago, details of a number retirement ceremony could not be worked out until just this year.

When his No. 2 is lifted to the rafters tonight, it will join Red Tilson's No. 9, retired in the first year of the GM Centre, and Eric Lindros's No. 88, retired last season.

For full coverage of the big event, see Friday's edition of This Week and newsdurhamregion.com.