The dynasty that was the New York Islanders of the early 1980s traces its roots to the date of June 6, 1972, the very first day that the franchise came into existence.
Under the patient guidance of General Manager Bill Torrey and Coach Al Arbour, a pair of Hall of Famers in waiting, the Islanders did the right thing from their very inception. Unlike some other expansion teams, they eschewed any ideas of a quick fix, and built through the draft.
The Islanders' building, the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, was a new one, and there was a huge base of fans in burgeoning Nassau and Suffolk Counties, plus the Boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn to the west.
A solid, sometimes-raucous, rivalry with the Rangers quickly developed and games between the two teams became classic encounters of the time.
Torrey and Arbour didn't have to wait long for things to turn sweet on Long Island. Weak at the start, the team missed the playoffs in only its first two seasons, winning only 12 of 78 games the first year and 19 of 78 the next.
Eddie Westfall, plucked from the Boston Bruins, defenseman Gerry Hart and first round draft choice Billy Harris were original members of the team in 1972. Westfall scored the club's first goal in a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Flames on Oct. 7, 1972, which was opening night for the Nassau Coliseum.
The upward spiral began in 1974-75 when New York shot up to a record of 33-25-22, garnering 88 points and their first playoff berth.
Pugnacious draft choices Bobby Nystrom and Garry Howatt had quickly become crowd favorites, but the real coup for the franchise was the addition of defenseman Denis Potvin, the No. 1 overall choice of the Islanders in the June, 1973, amateur draft.
Potvin would forge a stellar career that included the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year, five first team All-Star selections and three Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenseman.
Other superstars who came on board included combative goalkeeper Billy Smith, peerless Bryan Trottier at center and rapid-firing right wing Mike Bossy. They were abetted by solid teammates like Clark Gillies, goalie Chico Resch, Butch Goring, the team's current coach, John Tonelli and speedy Bob Bourne.
The run for the Stanley Cup started in 1979 when the Islanders became the first expansion team to lead the NHL with an outstanding 51-15-14 record. Even though the team was eliminated from the playoffs by the hated Rangers, the ultimate goal was in sight.
The Islanders, with their roster virtually intact throughout, won four straight Cups from 1980 to 1983. Torrey and Arbour would tinker a little here and there, but the nucleus of the team that won in 1980 was the nucleus of the team that won in 1983.
The Islanders were the toast of Long Island. Their games at the Nassau Coliseum were a happening, and there was talk of a fifth Stanley Cup, "The Drive For Five" it was called.
The team won the first three rounds of the playoffs in 1984, making 19 straight playoff series they had won, a remarkable streak. They eventually fell to the Edmonton Oilers in five games, and a new dynasty, this one in the Province of Alberta under the direction of a center named Gretzky, began to take the stage.
Aside from the Cups, perhaps the most memorable game in Islanders history was on April 18-19, 1987, in Landover, MD, against the Washington Capitals. It took seven periods of hockey, two full games plus 8:47 of the fourth overtime session before LaFontaine scored to give the Islanders a 3-2 victory.
Arbour unexpectedly stepped down as coach and Torrey replaced him with Terry Simpson. Key additions up front were Pat LaFontaine and Pat Flatley, and goalie Kelly Hrudey was brought in to spell Billy Smith.
The Islanders remained competitive during those years, but the dynasty was clearly behind them, with a new era bearing down. Potvin's retirement came in 1988, and Arbour was persuaded by Torrey to assume a second stint behind the bench.
The Islanders are now led by ex-Bruins defenseman Mike Milbury, with familiar face Butch Goring behind the bench.
"Through the Years" Archive
