1972–73 New York Islanders season

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1972–73 New York Islanders
Division 8th East
1972–73 record 12–60–2
Goals for 170
Goals against 347
Coach Phil Goyette
Captain Ed Westfall
Team leaders

Contents

[edit] Offseason

[edit] NHL Draft

See also: 1972 NHL Amateur Draft
Round Pick Player Nationality College/Junior/Club Team
1 1. Billy Harris Flag of Canada Canada Toronto Marlboros (OHA)

[edit] NHL Expansion Draft

# Player Drafted From Drafted By
2. Gerry Desjardins (G) Chicago Black Hawks New York Islanders
4. Billy Smith (G) Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders
5. Bart Crashley (D) Montreal Canadiens New York Islanders
7. Dave Hudson (C) Chicago Black Hawks New York Islanders
9. Ed Westfall (RW) Boston Bruins New York Islanders
11. Gary Peters (C) Boston Bruins New York Islanders
13. Larry Hornung (D) St. Louis Blues New York Islanders
15. Bryan Lefley (D) New York Rangers New York Islanders
17. Brian Spencer (LW) Toronto Maple Leafs New York Islanders
19. Terry Crisp (C) St. Louis Blues New York Islanders
21. Ted Hampson (C) Minnesota North Stars New York Islanders
23. Gerry Hart (D) Detroit Red Wings New York Islanders
25. John Schella (D) Vancouver Canucks New York Islanders
27. Bill Mikkelson (D) Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders
29. Craig Cameron (RW) Minnesota North Stars New York Islanders
31. Tom Miller (C) Toronto Maple Leafs New York Islanders
33. Brian Marchinko (C) Buffalo Sabres New York Islanders
35. Ted Taylor (LW) Vancouver Canucks New York Islanders
37. Norm Ferguson (RW) California Golden Seals New York Islanders
39. Jim Mair (D) Philadelphia Flyers New York Islanders
41. Ken Murray (D) Buffalo Sabres New York Islanders

[edit] Regular season

New York's first logo
New York's first logo

With the impending start of the World Hockey Association in the fall of 1972, the upstart league had plans to place its New York team in the brand-new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County. However, Nassau County officials did not consider the WHA a professional league and wanted nothing to do with the upstart New York Raiders. The only legal way to keep the Raiders out of the Coliseum was to get an NHL team to play there, so William Shea, who had helped bring the New York Mets to the area a decade earlier, was pressed into service once again. Shea found a receptive ear in league president Clarence Campbell, who did not want the additional competition in the New York area. So, despite having expanded to 14 teams just two years before, the NHL hastily awarded a Long Island-based franchise to clothing manufacturer Roy Boe, owner of the American Basketball Association's New York Nets. A second expansion franchise was awarded to Atlanta (the Flames) at the same time to balance the schedule. The new team was widely expected to take the Long Island Ducks name used by an Eastern Hockey League franchise; the more geographically expansive "New York Islanders" came largely as a surprise.

The fledgling Islanders, who were soon nicknamed the Isles by the local newspapers, had an extra burden to pay in the form of a $4 million territorial fee to the nearby New York Rangers. True to their name, the New York Islanders officially represent New York (city and state), with their nickname and logo denoting their current arena location and fan heartbed; but their support has also naturally come from the boroughs, upsate, Connecticut, and elsewhere in the metro area. This geographical backdrop set the stage for one of the NHL's fiercest and most celebrated regional rivalries.

While the Islanders secured veteran forward Ed Westfall from the Boston Bruins in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft, junior league star Billy Harris in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, and a few other respectable players, several other draftees jumped to the WHA. Unlike most other expansion teams' general managers, Islanders' GM Bill Torrey didn't make many trades for veteran players in the early years. Rather than pursue a "win now" strategy of getting a few veterans to boost attendance (a tactic which proved disastrous for many teams in the long run), Torrey was committed to building through the draft.

In the team's first season, young players such as goaltender Billy Smith (the team's second pick in the expansion draft) and forwards Bob Nystrom and Lorne Henning were given chances to prove themselves in the NHL. However, this young and inexperienced expansion team posted a record of 12–60–6, one of the worst in NHL history.

[edit] Season standings

East Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Montreal Canadiens 78 52 10 16 120 329 184 783
Boston Bruins 78 51 22 5 107 330 235 1097
New York Rangers 78 47 23 8 102 297 208 765
Buffalo Sabres 78 37 27 14 88 257 219 940
Detroit Red Wings 78 37 29 12 86 265 243 893
Toronto Maple Leafs 78 27 41 10 64 247 279 716
Vancouver Canucks 78 22 47 9 53 233 339 943
New York Islanders 78 12 60 6 30 170 347 881

[edit] Player stats

[edit] Forwards

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player GP G AST PTS PIM

[edit] Defencemen

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player GP G AST PTS PIM

[edit] Goaltending

Note: GP= Games played; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against

Player GP W L T SO GAA

[edit] References

v • d • e
New York Islanders seasons
1972–73 • 1973–74 • 1974–75 • 1975–76 • 1976–77 • 1977–78 • 1978–79 • 1979–80 • 1980–81 • 1981–82 • 1982–83 • 1983–84 • 1984–85 • 1985–86 • 1986–87 • 1987–88 • 1988–89 • 1989–90 • 1990–91 • 1991–92 • 1992–93 • 1993–94 • 1994–95 • 1995–96 • 1996–97 • 1997–98 • 1998–99 • 1999–2000 • 2000–01 • 2001–02 • 2002–03 • 2003–04 • 2004–05 • 2005–06 • 2006–07 • 2007–08 • 2008–09
Bold indicates Stanley Cup victory
v • d • e
New York Islanders
v • d • e
1972–73 NHL season by team
East
Boston • Buffalo • Detroit • Montreal • NY Islanders • NY Rangers • Toronto • Vancouver
West
Atlanta • Chicago • Los Angeles • Minnesota • Oakland • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • St. Louis
See also