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Isles TV: Tonelli Jersey Retirement
CEREMONY DETAILS
Doors Open at 10:30 a.m.
Ceremony at 11:40 a.m.
So it was for Bowtie Bill. After his otherwise strong club had been successively playoff-ousted by the Maple Leafs (1978) and Rangers (1979), Torrey knew something was missing.
"Things weren't going right," the general manager asserted. "I had to do something."
The missing link was a tireless checker who doubled as a penalty-killer and sharpshooter extraordinaire. Yet, in his 11-year NHL career, the peripatetic Goring never had won a Stanley Cup. Now it almost was in his grasp.
"Logically and realistically speaking," Butch explained, "I think we can win the Cup this year. The club is not much different from the one they had last year (1978-79) when they had the best record in the league.
"With that personnel healthy again, I don't see why they can't be the best team in hockey this year," he added. "As for me, whatever line Al Arbour puts me on has the potential to take the heat off Bryan Trottier's line."
Butch's arrival in Nassau took place a day or two before an Islanders team banquet. By sheer coincidence, the newest center happened to be placed at a table with The Maven and my wife, Shirley.
The first thing I noticed about Butch was his down-to-earth qualities. The second thing I noticed was that he had more of a cowboy look about him than most of his more sophisticated looking teammates.
Little did I know at the time that Goring's look would soon be a target of practical jokes all because of his Western attire. Not surprisingly, the oft-hilarious Clark Gillies would have Butch in his cross-hairs for a practical joke.
Gillies: "When Butch came to the Island he became a target because he liked to wear real, old jeans. Our dress code said you could wear designer jeans and jackets on the road. Butchie's jeans were so old the bottoms were frayed.
"So, we decided to get him. After a road trip we got hold of his old jeans and hung them up at our practice facility, Racquet 'n Rink. Then we doused them with lighter fluid and lit them on fire."
In on the practical joke, one of the other Islanders yelled over to Goring who then realized that his venerable dungarees were suffering from second-degree burn. Butch also realized that it was too late to even put the jeans on waivers.
Butch's only retort to Gillies was, "Oh, you son-of-a-gun." Then the new Islander set about getting even with the fire squad. This time Big Clark was on the other side of the prank.
Gillies: "At the time Butch was in charge of the money collected by the team's Kangeroo Court. On the next road trip he bought a brand new pair of jeans. I told him, 'That's more like it.'"
That got a laugh out of Butch, not to mention the perfect squelch: "Guess how I got them; I took the money out of the Kangaroo Court fund!"
The theft was approved by Kangaroo Fund officials; especially Gillies:
"We couldn't really say anything," Clark concluded, "because it was only a few bucks apiece. But at least we got Butchie to wear a new pair of jeans."